New-York tribune., 1906-05-03
MUSIC.
SECOND DAY OF CINCINNATI FESTIVAL
T8y Telss-a9h . Tue rri6u7aI

IRy Telegraph 70 Tue rrIsu7aI
Cincinnati. May 2-The second concert oT fhs
seventeenth biennial festival In Springer Hall
this evening was sisna1zed bv the arst American
appearance Of Sir Edward Elgar as conductor OF
MS oratOrio. 'eThe Apostles" A few DAYS $50 Il
seemed as II the first and last concerts were 70 be
those which would make the strongest appeal 20
the general public the first because Of It's me-
mortal character the last because Il Is 20 present
or Edward Elsar. whose presence at the festival
mas naturally aroused curiosity. Besides he was
70 conduct work introduced az the festival OF
4sOs. and therefore somewhat familiar. On the
programme there also Beethoven's choral SYM
phony. IN which Cincinnatians feei a sort Of pro
pretary interest. since z has been Identified with
me festivals from the beginning. But Il was made
evident to-day that the dissentiOns OF which I
wrote yesterday have largely been forgotten IN the
warmth engendered by the extraordinary success
of the hrst concert. and the prospects now pOint
70 success for the festival emphatic financially
1s II surely VIII be artistically Last nights an
dieRce was fine IN numbers ana appearance: to-
nlsnrs audience was superb IN both respects. The
oouot touching the future OF the festivals which
lll-e1 many minds year ago has apparently been
removed They are 10 outlve Mr. Thomas as be
expressed the wish that they might
Ihe presence Of Sir Edward CONDUCTING his ov-,
music AsipeQ 20 insure Tor ''The Apostles the con-
ce.efaton OF attention upon the work which not
o.uy understanding but also any large degree Of
enjoyment OF Il demands Il stands with the new
est works of German and French product IN this
.eSpecI at ieast-it must not be approached care
lessy. It is not for the delectatioD og tba e.r
Alone o The intellect must open the way to inter-
est m 1he hrst place. 50 that the fancy and iuaei-
nation may be stimulated and the ear Dreparss "a
accept beauties which do not lie upon the surface
beauties which are cryptic beauties Of spiritual
Characterization.
some OF these were opened 20 mo tonight, and
seemed All the more admirable from the fact that
the music not unfamiliar New YORK made
lns acquaintance Of the work shortly after Il had
ITS frst performance in Birmingham. and before Il
hao Oeen heaFd anywhere else in the world There
were some effects which struck me more forcibIy
at the New York performance last spring than
they did tonight. particularly those which grow
out OF Sir Edwards ingenious and daring employ
ment OF local color. as the Orientalism OF the
nisnt scene followed by the dawn and the mornins
service in the temple.
Here the vivid imasinativeness Of the music
exerts a strange charm over the minds og those
prepared by knowledge to appreciate the poetical
atmosphere with which the composer has envel-
oped the picture with It's siimpses OF ancient He
braic customs In this scene. when the Oratorio
was performed under the direction OF Prank DAM
rOsch. use was made Of the tones OF the rams
horn trumpet. the shOfar. with it's three charac-
teristic calls which have been handed down in the
synagogues from time immemOrial. The effect was
startingly original. I do not know whether or not
Sir Edward meant literally to prescribe the use OF
the rude instrument for. 20 the best OF my knowI-
edge. the English custom has been ike that fol-
lowed here tonight. when the calls were handed
over TOr urVeranc9 70 the trumpet but there
be doubt thae the use Of the rams horn while
Il might have been anything but soothing 70 the
ear. would have been a marvellous 0Uclness OF
the fancy 20 the hundreds in the audience familiar
with the voice which once spoke 20 Moses out OF
the cloud when Sinai smoked like a furnace ana
I which has echoed in the temples OF the faithful
ever since. Effects like these to-night's audience
| had 70 forego. but in their place there came an
illuminative exposition OF the spiritual contents
/ OF the work. and a cOherency Of utterance which
dissipated much Of the feeling Of fragmentarfness
which was awakened by the New York perform
/ ance
Sir Edward Is not conductor to invite stout re.
'iance from q technical point OF view. His gest-
ures seem more calculated to evoke expression than
precision. He beats nuauce more clearly than he
does time. He seems indeed. singularIy Indifferent
to the technical duties Of the conductor He invites
sympathy Tor the spirit Of hts music much oftener
than he commands obedience to its letter. For this
reason there were few moments in to-nights per-
formance when the singing OF the chorus caused
the swelling Of the heart which accompanied every
/ quem on Tuesday evening. Much Of the work
seemed tentative whereas last night the chorsrers
were ready 70 strike like thunderbolt At Mr.
i Van der Stuckens behest
The solo singers were Mrs. Rider KELSEY Miss
/ Janet Spencer, Mr.. Coates. Mr.. Witherspoon. Mp
Clarke and Mr.. Davies. OF these, Miss Spencer
carried the chief burden ana won also the CHIEF
honors- Mr. Coates. the tenor from England. vas
but little more impressive in the sacred music Of
Elgar than he was in the tight valsted measures
| yet he is a singer Of taste and intelligence.
i II