New-York tribune., 1905-06-04
MUSIC.
a Neso ode by Professor Parker

To music was Welded fair place beside her
sister in the exercises with which the Albright
Art Gallery was dedicated IN Buffalo last Wednes-
day. The exercises brief, and in them was
reflected with striking clearness the spirit OF
beauty and eurhythmy embodied in the temple
which is henceforth to adorn the ctys lovely park
The same inspiring thought pervaded every detail
of the function. and found expression in an all
pervadng eXQuisitely sustained and modulated
gentleness statelness and grace. Nature aided too,
by donnng most gracious mood, In harmony
with the occasion. and the Spirit of Beauty, whch
was hyn;ned in the music. proclaimed and ex-
pounded in the address by President Eliot and
voiced in the delicate imagery and lifting melody
Of Mr. elders poem, rested upon the picture pre-
sented by the wooded and temple crowned NILS
the lush sreensward and the glnting lake IKE
oenedictfon. There not the most trfiing
thing to mar the serene dignity and loveliness OF
the occasion. Mr.. Albright's self-eracng modesty
forbade all mention OF his even an alluslon
10 MN, and there was, therefore, no opportunity
Tor the public to indulge in frantic cheering such
as would have disturbed the orderliness which his
chaste and stately monument seemed to command
The musical features of the celebration consisted
of the singing of a choral arrangement of Bee
thoven's setting OF Gellerts hymn. Die HimInei
ruhrnen,' peculiarly fine paraphrase Of the open
ing verses Of the Nineteenth Psalm. Originally set
for solo voice with pianoforte accompaniment. It's
grandiose unisonos. bursting at the climaxes into
multisonous harmones like wave throwing up its
spray when IL breaks itself the rocks. the hymn
Is admirably adapted for choral treatment with IN
strumental accompaniment It's sorority and the
swelling uplift of it's melody make it good out OF
doors music moreover, and 1t evidence OF
how thoroughly Professor Parker understood the
needs of the occasion that he too in the official
ode written for the occasion, massed his voices
over and again in mighty unisons against the
instrumental part, to which. unlike Beethoven he
had given large independence. The title of the
ode. the words of which written by Arthur
Detmers principal of the Lafayette High School. of
Buffalo, is The Spirit OF Beauty Without intend
Ing to deprecfate 1t, the poem be described as
academic in form, expression and imagery. but in
its threefold progression of thought it provided
Professor Parker with the things most needful TO
composer-variety of mood and measure. 1t Of
fered symmetrical mould to the musician.
stately beginning, contemplative middle part suff-
GENTLY tnged with gloom to provide contrast and
and uplifting close with an effective barking back
the melodic material of the beginning. 1t begins
with apostrophe to the spirit of antique beauty.
and it's images all classic:
o spendor of the faT-or days
stili through the darkened MAKE
OF Years s we sIop wander r. on IN .,6sr time
glory crowned the orient hills
Thus it begins. Apollo, dancing nyrnphs, Diana,
the temples proclaimed as human divnations OF
Gods thought. pass in quick review. and the spirit
informing them is pronounced to be everlasting
and the promise OF its return is held out There
follows mournful commentary on the dolors and
S4OsO
with a vision of a radiant renaissance and an in
vocation to the Spirit Of Beauty to take
dominion and a prayer for the benefSent influence
Of the newly dedicated altar:
Not unto US not unto US the praise.
Thou who from the broken past raise
What shall abide.
Here amid the transitory
In thy great name we dedicate
An altar to thy glory.
May Il lift the souls Of men
Ont Of leths marsh and
Crowned with light.
Immune from time,
Where nearer God the soul may
The beauty and the Joy sublime
For which man ne 'er doth cease TO yearn
Horatio Parker is hand at writing music
of the kind called occasional" "-neanirts music
written commission for set functions. In Octo-
Der, 1901, he came back from Europe to conduct
performance of the Greek Oda written by Professor
Coodell and himself for the ceremonies which cele-
brated the two hundredth anniversary of Yale Uni
versy. in whose faculty he fills the chair of theo
reticaI music Before that he had composed
Commencement Ode, and before and since he had
ton. such works also being ''occasionals." of
course For the inauguration OF President Roose
Welt last March he composed DR.. Holiness Union
and Liberty and conducted it's performance. 1t
not surprising therefore, 10 note how firmly
and self reantly he set about his task in the pres
ent case. His forces were mems voices and
military band. The band handicap, from
musical point of view. but was made necessary by
the fact that the exercises designed for the
open air. A symphonic orchestra. which would
have enhanced the effect hundredfold had the
music been performed in a hall, would have been
utterly Ineffective out of doors. brief introduc-
ton built out of motivi drawn from the principal
subject of the composition. concluded, the voices
enter in unison pedal point as follows: