New-York tribune., 1906-05-02
MUSIC.
Opening of Cincinnati Nag Festival
rBy Telegraph to Ths rr,buns.1


tTtbuted much to the artistic repute OF the city
| az which Theodore Thomas ala not stand at The
head OF the tunefu forces ana it was wholly given
kind
Bach's "Actus Tragicus" opened the list and
was followed by the death music Of siegfrled and
tEuflhhilde - from 'GotterdAmmerung" Then came
ue German Requiem" by Brahms. This last
work. stiu peerless among the post-Beethovenian
choral compositions Of the nineteenth century, had
Insured on the schemes OF two previous festivals
| "hen MI. Thomas conducted It, and it was set
apaFt 70 be performed in his memory at this func-
OOIl year ago. Many times, too many to be re-
called ne had directed the tonal apotheosis Of
"ashers hero and the music in which his heroine
commands her own immolation.
me 6ach cantata alone was new to the people Of
CINCINNATI and New York music lovers who have
heard it within recent years sung by the Musical
Art Society under DR.. Frank Damrosch know how
peculiarly appropriate to the occasion was its choice
| Tor to-nights pathetic commemoration
The Cincinnati festivals have always derived a
large measure of their beauty from the festal spirit
with which they Undue the entire community. To-
night this spirit was chastened and ennobled, and
gave nobler aspirations than usual 70 the thoughts
ana feelings Of the audience Nothing could have
been planned more 1tly TO honor the memory OF the
man who made musical Cincinnati almost all that
II Is ana who created the spirit OF progress and
also. : alas! the spirit Of retroaction, which has
marked its artistic activities for the last quarter Of
century. pity that this must be said, but It Is
essential to proper appreciation Of some OF the
things which shall have to record In the course
OF the next five days
The first concert was a memorial 20 Theodore
Thomas but also a Witness as the entire festival
will be- to silly spirit OF faction which months
ago threatened TO put end to the festivals (Which
nave long been the proudest monument to Mr..
Thomas's musical labors in the West) and has for
years stood in the path of the city's progress in
artistic matters. Cincinnati thinks itself famous
throughout the universe because Of it's festivals
| ana It's College OF Music. both Of which were ere
/ 9fa6 hVT V,n&E.
institutions has been large and potent throughout
! the West, but by means large or so potent as
| they should and might have been had they worked
| together toward the promotion OF musical culture
IN their home. In the early days Of the festivals
Mr.. Thomas made his orchestra the nucleus OF
the festival band, and augmented it with local
| sicians When the festival of 1850 was reached he
was resident Cincinnatian. having come here to
be musical director of the College OF Music. which
was a direct product OF the festivals. as the
music hall in which Il housed. For that
festival and that only the local orchestra. which
had been organized by him, the leading musicians
drafted from New York to that end sUficed him.
/ When the rupture between him and the College
came and he returned to New York TO live he again
made his New York Orchestra the festival band.
Meanwhile the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
came into being and it seemed If the city could
now boast two OF the three factors essential the
| festivals-the chorus and the orchestra. AS for
| the rest. saving Mr.. Thomas himself, it
simply question Of money. Solo singers
| rope IL necessary. But Mr.. Thomas was IN
wise inclined to take this view Of the case; the
orchestra remained foreign body, brought from
| New York when that his home from Chicago
when he transferred his domicile thither. AS a
consequence there was division OF the musical
element Of the ctys population into the Orchestra
| and the Festival factions. The death Of Mr..
| Thomas last spring deprived the festival associa-
tiOn OF him who had been its musical director from
| the beginning, a whole generation before, and
| frOU0 4ha cas-
/ II seemed that after the clouds Of mourning had
| rolled away there must dawn an era OF peace,
reconciliation and harmonious collaboration Of the
hitherto warning factions But the spirit Of strife
only grew stronger on the brink Of the leaders
grave. The Festival Choir, which had grown into
something like a social as well political body.
wanted to give a concert in his memory with the
cooperation Of the Chicago Orchestra. The Fes-
tival Board at first seemed to sanction the plan.
then withdrew its approval and promised me-
mortal concert to open the seventeenth festival in
stead. controversy followed, which was carried
on with about as much dignity might have been
expected from schoolboys of fifteen. and eventually
the choir seeded. The only step prompted by Wis
dom and recognition Of the dignity of the city was
now taken by the Directors of the Festival Asso-
citation. Mr. Van der Stucken, who had been in
| timately and was still nominalIy associated with
the College Of Music, who stood at the head Of the
Symphony Orchestra also. was elected Musical Di-
rector of the seventeenth festival. He in
Europe at the time and had been led to believe that
peace would be established before would be neces-
sary to begin the work Of preparation Hecame home
to find the festival without choir and the official
| who had been chiefly instrumental in causing the
! breach encouraging the seceders in their con-
! tumacy and opposing the festival. But the fes-
tival directors men Of energy, and Mr.. Van der
Stucken proved to have the irresistible force OF
| lava torrent. choir, almost as numerous as
| the old, was organized. and for six months kept
| at such white heat of enthusiasm as to make
not only weekly mass rehearsas possible. but also
| two and sometimes three part rehearsals.
| contingent of half hundred or more Of the old
! guard returned to their allegiance and the choir
begins the festival letter perfect, told. in the
| Bach cantata and Brahms's German Requiem,
which were sung tonight; the two oratorios Of Sir
| Edward Elgar "The Apostles" and "The Dream
! OF Gerontius" which the composer is to conduct.
and the choral portion of Beethovens Ninth Sym
| phony" Besides this a choir OF one thousand
pubic school children has learned Benot's cantata,
Into the World" Nothing comparable with this
! as an exhibition of well directed energy and
| thusiasm has been accomplished in the history OF
| the Cincinnati festivals
This mournfully instructed bit OF history disposed
| OF, can return to to-night's concert The
choir as Tribune readers know, is always the
factor Of first Importance in affairs og this kind.
Unlike soloists and orchestra, it cannot be pur-
chased but must be created OF native material.
That Cincinnati is generously provided with the
| material out Of which choruses are made was made
J plain by the fact that four hundred disgruntled
| choristers could step aside and almost many
take their places without detriment to the choral
element Of this concert, at least.
! The body numbers $50 1t was augmented in
| the Bach number by one hundred schoolbOys. who
! sang the chorals with precision and a smooth.
steady current of tone that thrilling. and per-
vaded this final number with an effect that touched
fancy II the spirit of the old Lepslc cantor
! and his st. Thomas choristers had come back to
pour a benedicton on the performance of his