New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-23
NJ USIC.
Jubilee Concert of the Arion Society.

a" "OtoC COHCcTL OF tHe anon OCietU.
The seriously beautiful aspect OF musical culture
as pracused by one OF the German clubs Of New
York was exemp1ed at q concert given in Carnegie
Hall last night by the Mannergesangverein Arion.
mat Is. in the vernacular. the Mems Singing So
ciety Arion. The concert was a feature in the
series OF entertainments arranged by the society
TO celebrate the fftieth anniversary of its ex-
stenee. There to be banquets, balls and social
functions 10 give voice to the society's re-
joicing, but the one meeting Of a thor
oughly artistic nature the concert, which
mad dignihed purpose and scope and offered
pleasure OF rare order especially the lovers Of
part songs for mems voices. The forces employed
We're the society's chorus, orchestra Of seventy
musicians Mrs. Shanna Cumming Miss Olive
Fremstad and Otto Goritz solo singers and julius
Lorenz, conductor. The programme presented as
It's chief feature Bruch's scenes from Bishop
Iegner's ''Frithjof-Sage," but varied by
number of shorter compositions. The proceedings
We're opened by LISTS symphonic poem. Les
Preluces," which followed by a festal hymn
for soprano solo Cdrs. CuInming). chorus and
chestra, the words of which written by
George Won Skal. mana gng editor OF the Stats
Zeltung,' OF this city, the music by Mr..
Lorenz. After Herr Goritz. who IS a member of
Mr. Conried's opera company. had sung Wolfram's
address from the tournament of song in Wagner's
"Tannhauser" and charmingly arch German song
0he latter in response to a recalD. the choir of
men Illustrated the form OF musical art in which
us IalSOn q cure lies ny singing three OnacCOm-
panied part-songs. viz: Praetorlus's les ist
elm Ros' entsprungen' Of the sixteenth
fury; Nun leb' wohl. du keine Case" by
sicher, one OF the founders of the German
male part-song in the middle OF the nineteenth
century. and Friedrich Hegar's dramatic ballad,
Rudolph Werdenberg'-a specimen OF the
style OF composition cultivated by the radical com
posers Of to-day. The great scene ''Abscheu-
hcher!' from Beethoven's 'Fidelio," sung with
real dramatic ardor and much beauty by Miss
or ha
gramme, the remainder OF which given up TO
the fine composition by Bruch. quite correctly de-
scribed the house bill one OF the monument
ally great works composed for mems voices.
The performance of this music was in the highest
degree creditable TO all concerned German sing
ing societies. rule. pirate good deal about
music but cultivate 1t much less than they do
their beloved sociabty-"gemuthlichke as they
call it. The Arion is exception There Is a
high degree of refinement and a nice sense OF
euphony IN the singing of its choir besides the
energy and precision. without which Mannerchor
songs are about the .dreariest things in muSc
For this reason. though the larger work with or
chestra put on a more ambitious air. the three
part songs were the finest exemplhcations OF the
cloir's skill and merited the enthusiastic plaudits
with which they were received. Mr.. Lorenzs fest-
val hymn proved to be a composition in the old
fashioned Mannerchor style. with pretty mood
picture at the outset. and some pompous and
swelling climaXes. But there were signs Of more
or less futile labor later. and the solo part was
ineffective
Mannergesangveren Arion is ofshoot OF the
Liederkranz. In its origin 1t exempldes the axiom
that the multiplication Of musical organizations Is
generally due to dscord. In January 1854. four
teen members Of the Liederkranz. being unable
longer to agree with their fellows cut loose and
organized the Arion Within week they gave
their first concert in the Apollo Rooms. in Broad
way, near Canal-st The first conductor was
musician named Meyerhofer. who succeeded
by Karl Bergman. The latter remained in the
position, during short interregnum begin
ing in 1862 until 1870 Other conductors for short
terms were Karl Anschutz, F. L. Ritter, V. Hart
mann and II. Grenier. In 1911 DR.. Leopold Dam
rosch was brought from Breslau. where he
conducting the opera and orchestral society. and
remained conductor until 1884. He in turn was
succeeded by Frank Van der Stucken, who held
the position until the fall of 1896 when he
called Cincinnati to become conductor OF the
Symphony Orchestra and director of the College OF
Music In that city. His successor was Julius
Lorenz. the present conductor.
In addition the customary music for male
voices the Arion from the beginning cultivated
operettas. In 1855 a work Of this kind entitled
''Mordgrundbruck,'' the music composed by Mr..
Bergmann was brought forward, and in 1856 Der
Gang yum Eisenhanmer." by the composer.
Amusing little works in the style, which do
call for female voices. still given occasion
ally, only for the diversion OF the members and
their families. There have been also some essays
in a higher field The choruses in the first Wagner
opera performed in America were sung by the
Arion Society This was "Tannhauser." produced
under the direction OF Mr.. Bergman at the Stadt
Theatre in the Bowery, August q. 1859. Nine.
Siedenberg the Elizabeth. Herr Pickaneser the
Tannhauser, and singer named Lehman the
Wolfram. In 1859 the Arion. following a natural
impulse. performed Der Freischatz." the most
German of German operas.
For twenty years thereabouts after its Or
ganization the theatre of Arion activity at St
Marks Place. The increase in membership and the
necessity of following the current OF population
however, at length compelled the society to initiate
the IAederkranZ. Toward the close Of 1856 the
officers decided to build a hail. A lot of
ground at the southeast OF Park-ave. and
Fiftyninth-st was purchased for :95 OoO and three
prizes were offered for plans for the proposed new
clubhouse The plans accepted contemplated a
building to cost 100000. but they were afterward
changed to make the building hreproof
throughout, and this. together with some unex-
pected difficulties met with in sinking the founda-
tons, increased the cost of the clubhouse 10
$4,000. Ground broken in March, 1886 The
cornerstone laid. with musical ceremonies on
June r. and the hall dedicated in September The
first concert in the music rooms took place on
October 30, 1885.
WAGNER'S LOVE TRAGEDY.
Nine. Terminals wonderful art glorlfed the rep