New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-16
MUSIC.
The Closing Concerts of the Cincin-
natl Festival.
Tar TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1prxr.

lBT TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Cincinnati. Nay 15.-With two notable concerts
the sixteenth biennial May music festival came 4,
an end yesterday. Tho programmes OF the concerts
were such as no one except Theodore Thomas
could nave the strength 20 put before the
public, and he only on an unusual occasion. when
an aruhcially produced excitement was whettlng
the appetites and extending the capacity FOR en-
joyment and dulling discrimination. There was
royal party IN the royal box 70 stimulate faded
senses and the pretty little thrills and nutters and
favors which came from participation in n mag
nihcent social affair helped a particularly amlable
community TO ST out five solid hours OF music
most OF which OF a kind that would have put
a severe strain upon the experienced music lovers
OF New-York and Boston.
In the afternoon the conductor excited the audi
encs 70 reveal In that trihe with which Anton
BrucSner happened win a place beside Beetho-
ven IN the musical pantheon. The Symphony IN d
minor shares with key and number Beethoven's
last symphony. Bruckners is also a last symphony
and only three movements OF Il were finished
Unable TO complete IT, the composer suggested that
his tie Deum" be used a last movement. thus
completing the studies IN imitation OF Beethoven's
symphonic swan song I heard the work magnih-
Gently played by the symphony Orchestra in Bos-
ton few weeks ago and was interested in studying
the attitude OF the audience toward II. Tho ex-
preston OF dscoura cement and disapproval was
almost as frank and emphatic that Of the
New-YOrk Philharmonic audience IN November. 1856.
when Mr. Thomas brought forward Bruckner's
Seventh Symphony and drove about one-third OF
the seasoned music lovers out OF the room before
the work came 10 end.
Yesterday thousands endured bravey. tho secret
attitude Of the majority. 20 judge by the COM
ments made In the corridors after the ordeal was
over, being apparently like that OF the storicd
HndoO before his idol They knew that II was
ugly, but felt that II great. Besides this SYM
phony the programme contained two extracts from
Gluck. "Alceste," Brahms's Rhapsody FOR contralto
voice. male chorus and orchestra, the prelude 10
Die MeisteTsinger' Cigars Sea Pictures Sung
by Miss Muriel FOSTER. Richard Strauss's It'll
Eulenspegel" and 'Hymnus' (again Miss FOSTER.
and Tsehaikowsky's lurid overture 'lsl2" which
gave the audience a stronger whiR OF Russian gun
powder than the japanese seem 20 have smelIed up
TO date IN the present war
After two and half hours OF rest tho music
began again The last concert filed with Bee
thoven. the works performed being the solemn
mass In ID major and tho symphony with
vocal solo and chorus IN d ma jor. Other solo
singers were Miss Nichols. Nine. schumann-
Heink. Mr.. Green and Mr.. Mills. The mass re-
ceiyed much more brilliant performance than the
symphony the instrumental parts OF which were
played Derfunctorily and without the variety and
eloGuence OF expression 10 which Anton seidI and
conductors like him OF tho modern school have
accustomed New Workers IN view OF the amazed
and incredulous comment caused four years ago
when the report went out that Mr. Thomas had
transpOsed the last movement to the key Of G
II must be recorded that this time Mr. Thomas
permitted Beethoven TO have his own way. and
began and ended IN d. Il was a hard struggle for
solo singers well choTisters but they acquitted
themselves nobly and Mr.. Thomas and tho choir
master Edwin W Glover. were overwhelmed with
plaudits IN which chorus and orchestra Joined
have a large and varied acquaintance with both ot
these monumental works and am again confirmed in
tho belief that n they 20 receive fun justice
they must 10 sung by small chors Of picked. trained
and seasoned singers. that g. in the manner which
the Philharmonic Society Of Sew-York has followed
FOR dozen years past
The festival has been noble one artistically. and
a success financially. About fourteen thousand per-
heard the Ave concerts. and the receipts viii
cover. and possibly exceed. the expenditures The
outcome will probably reanimate the enterprise.
the future % which has looked dubious OF late Mr..
Thomas has magnanlmousy said that n the Gin
cinnau festivals and the Chicago Orchestra were
90 come 90 an end with his retirement. which can
not IN the nature o. things much longer be post
poned. he would consider his ufc labOrs failure.
The festivals have not tho universal significance
which the people who attend them believe. but they
are high and heautifu! Affairs which deserve per-
rafu