New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-10
MUSIC.
The Musical Art Society.

The Musical Art Society concluded its twelfth
season with concert in Carnegie Hall last night
There was something Of departure from the ex-
ample set dozen ye0rs ago and maintained for a
space in the characts of the programme Lenten
gloom not permitted to prevail in the first
part devoted, usual. TO old church music, sung
without accompaniment. Although it began with
Pedestrians famous setting of the ''Stabat Mater"
which is proper in the service of the Church to
the Passion-tide it ended with tubilant proclama-
ton in Bachs motel for double chorus. Sing
ye to the Lord Between these numbers
came Mozart's ave verum corpus" and of
Bach's spiritual songs. "Komm. susser Tod" the
musical character of which plainly indicates that it
was designed private, rather than public worship
music Related to this two old Netherlandish
folksongs of religious nature 20 Jesu soet'' and
Won liefden CONT groot Ldden," set for voices by
Julius Rontgen, who in his setting of them and also
of Secular sister, "Sjt vrolic, groot cleijne'
Ghe three sung in GERMANY, preserved antique
favor in the harmonzation which exerted peculiar
charm upon sophisticated and unsophisticated hear
ers alike. Mozart's transportingly beautiful AVE
verum' was accompanied by strings and the
organ, and the orchestra had further employment
in LISTS setting of the chorus of angels from the
last act OF Goethes Faust and the final number,
which the opening chorus of Hugo VOLTS
unfinished opera, Manuel Vanegas,' and which,
far as We know, had its first performance in Amer
lea on this occasion; in fact, the musical records
of Europe would have TO be searched diligently to
find earlier performance. Part songs by Men
delssohn c'Fruhzetiger Fruhling' and "Absched
Vom Valdez and Brahms ('WalGesnacht'' ''Von
Alien Liebesiedern" and 'AIl Meme Herzgedan-
keno completed the scheme. Four of the compo-
sitions were familiar to the Musical Art Societys
Iist-the motets by Palestrina and Bach the AVE
verum'' and the last of the Brahms songs
and should feel little inclination to quarrel
with any who should say that they marked the
highest crests of the of beauty which
and fell throughout the evening. though flood of
loneliness prevailed from beginning end of the
concert In them was eXemplified the loftiest mis-
sion of the society and also it's best achievements.
AIozart's piece proved irresistible and had to be
repeated, and Bach's motel, with all its erudite
polyphony stirred the hearts of the listeners pro-
foundly, as once it stirred the heart of Mozart
when the pupils of the St Thomas School, in
Leipsc. sang it for him.
The two novelties were of the modern school
LISTS Chorus of Angels from Faust" was COM
posed for the celebration of the hundredth anniver
sary of Goethes birthday, Weimar, in 1919. In
the form in which it heard last night 1t had
undergone a double transformation. Originally it
for female voices and harp; Liszt rewrote it
for mixed voices (the mems voices do not till
the middle. however, and pianOforte; Heinrich Zo-
ner, for some years an active principle in New
York's musical activities, then took it and tran
scribed it for mixed voices and orchestra retaining
the instrumental the ethereal harp effects
of the first setting and strengthening and emo
bling the finale by his introduction of violins. wood
wind and brass instruments. AS it was heard last
night it an effective deineation of celestial moods
without a hint that be said to be of the earth
earthly.
Hugo Wolf went mad while composing Manuel
Vanegas" and his Spring Chorus" the first num-
Der of the opera, is the only number which came
fully written out from his hands Like nearly all
of his larger pieces that have found their into
the worlds concert rooms. it has been touched
by an editor vocal BASES being added where the
composer had used only women's voices and ten
ors) but there has been essential change in the
character Of the music. 1t starts out with charm
ing righteousness and transporting beauty of or
chestraton, but wanders off at once into harmonic
rnazes which, alternately delightful and bewilder
ing seem to lack all explanation in the straight
forward and, alas! decidedly commonplace text.
But, since it seems incumbent on music lovers TO
get acquainted with VOLTS music (nothing else will
satisfy the representatives of progress Called it
was as pleasant to meet agreeable a specimen as
it was to hear the Italian Serenade." which the
Kneisel Quartet introduced to early in the sea-
SON
The choir was in excellent condition last night
and keeny sensitive to the wishes of Mr.. Frank
Damrosch, it's conductor More perfect balance OF
tone and euphony than heard in the "Stabat
Mater it placed to its credit. nor finer
spirit than infused the Bach motel. In both pieces,
however it was deplorable that the two choirs
were not more widely separated so that the antiph-
onal effects called for by the music might have
been better heard. A delighted audience heard the
concert which must be set down of the tri
,,rnnhs Of the musical season now drawing to