New-York tribune., 1906-12-05
MUSIC.
THE CHILDRENS CRUSADE. y

~-A 1oSe nlSnt the Ordtorto Society brought Tor
"alu Gabriel Piernss musical legend in four parts.
emitted THE Children's Crusade" for the first
'ifie IN America. The work is one OF the most
s'fiklns of recent achievements in its class. II
carried on the first prize offered by the city Of
raFis IN 1870 and was performed under cOndi-
uons not unlike those OF last nigh. a+ the Theatre
ou Cnateet. on January IS 1906 Then the forces
OUTSIDE of the solo singers consisted of the orches
ira ana chorus OF the Association Artistique deS
concerts du Chateiet two hundred children
from the public schools OF Paris the total number
OF performers being hout five hundred NJ Edou-
ard Colonne. who has visited New YORK as con.
dueior or concerts OF the Philharmonic Society.
the musical leader Last night the Cratcrio So
clety supplied the adult chorus tse public schools
a choir Of two hundred bows and girls ard the
New York symphony Orchestra the requisite band.
The performance vas under the direction of DIR.
Frank Danrosch. and the solos were sung by
Nine. lillian SlaIvelt. Mrs. Edith Chapman Could
Miss Marie Stoddart Miss Helen Clark Miss Ethel
Crane Miss Emma z. Elmer. Miss Florence Fiske
Frank Ormsby (tenor} and Ericsson Bushnell
(bass)
The name OF the composer of TIE now work.
though familiar enough those who keep them
selves informed about musical doings in the Oid
World. has heretofore been strange TO local
programmes; yet like VI. Saint-Sasns now with US
NJ. PernA is fine illustration OF the thoroughness
of French musical culture. The Paris Conserva-
toire. while he under It's wings bestowed upon
him prizes for pianoforte playing counterpoint and
fugle and organ playing. and finally the Grand
PriX de Rome, thereby comforting uron him the
highest OF the honors within it's gift He has been
Industrious composer, but never Until he put
forth this dramatic cantata did he make en- appeal
that is. reaching beyond the boundaries of his
native France. This, his first large appeal. is bound
to meet cordial response from OF critics
of choral culture. Germany has taken I'D The
Childrens Crusade" first city outside OF Paris
TO perform IL being Augsburg. where it heard
last spring New York has now heard il, and Bos-
ton has 1t In hand. Mr.. g. j. Lang having
nounoed it IN the seasons plan for the Cecilia
Society. 1t is work that fills a need that has
long been felt-a work with a singulary appealing
subject. fun OF sentiment. which does not into
mushy sentimentality as do so many of the French
works which have a religious subject; full also
Of strong writing In which the achievements OF the
modern harmonists utilized with obvious pur-
pose and excellent effect and not for their own
sake; work in which the themes are as interest
ing their treatment: in which the orchestra Is
replete with color the changing pictures OF
the invite: in which the devices of delineaton
employed with delightful success and always
with aims which musical we'll as decorative:
in which moods are conjured up and scenes are
irresistbly suggested in which chidrens voices are
employed with such lovely ingenuity as 10 NIL the
heart of the listener of to-day with profound IN
terest and sweet sympathy for the worul tale or
ueiisvai deluson which is celebrated in the story
That story is suggested IN the title. NJ Piernes
has for It's basis the tale OF the uprising OF
the children of Germany and France IN the thlr-
and their e1IOrt 10 dcnieVe lAat
which warriors had Iabored in vain for two centu-
ries Marcel Schwab told the story in his inintable
way and his narrative furnished the textual basis
for the composer. II brings out both the poetry
and the pathos OF the incident and. while pursuing
purely artistic ends. chants hymn OF faith winch
develops at the end into marvellously exalted
canticIe. There are four scenes In the nrst are
pictured the celestial summons the enthusiastic
response children. the vain pleadings or their
parents Here two characters are lifted out of the
mass of little crusaders and their story Is untoded,
step by STEP with the progress Of the chief narra
tive A blind boy who is guided by his sister be-
comes the leader of the little warriors Of peace,
buoyed up by the conviction that when he reaches
Jerusalem his eyes viii be opened and he viii see
Jesus The miracle does take place, not in Jerusa-
Ienl but the moment when the children are swal-
lowed up in a shpwrsck. the catastrophe which
prepares the final apotheosis. In the second scene
the children pictured on their march wander
ing in bands through fields bedight with howers
which they pluck and weave into crosses Here
the composer makes use of medieval hymn,
but whether the words alone melody as
we'll we cannot say. In any case. the little march
tune of alternate triple and duple time Is OF be-
witching quaintness, and portions of it become
splendidy potential when used later in the score
There is an instrumental Introduction 10 this por-
ton which masterpiece of musical deiineation'
with it's antiphon flute and violin solos. and
which has an exquisite companion piece in the sea
music which follows In the next portion The Old
chronicles tell how the children. when they reached
not Genoa alone as the book of the cantata has 1t,
but Genoa Brundusium and MaTseilles, were
amazed that the waters did not roll back to give
them a passage 10 the Holy Land Ike thal ira
yersed by the Israelites through the Red Sea-
The book OF NJ. Pierne's musical legend oarey
aIludes TO this episode and replaces It with po-
eticaI conceit Of his own: the children wandering
on the strand pick up starishes and imagine them
TO be stars that have fallen into the sea anu oeen
drowned and sailor sings legend Of the Star
oh
the Crucifxion and fell into the sea- Beautifully
descriptive Is all the music, conjuring up Visions
of the calm sea- the fux and refux of the waters
and the cleaning OF the natal The last scene
describes realistically the storm. shipwreck and
anotheosis and in IL NJ Pierne discloses master
full command especially of choral writing
In the performance the school children all
hearts Letter perfect were they in text. firm as
Gibraltar in intonaon precision and delightful
" expressive in manner The work is modern. and
there were many pitfalls provided by sudden transt-
ttons from key TO key but all avoided by both
the adult and the childrens choir. and the per-
formance was one 10 be marked with red letter in
the Oratorio Socfety's record. Unfortunately that
record must also disclose that the great zeal OF
DR. Frank Danrosch, his helpers and the singers |
met with the reward which is usual when they at |
tempt an enterprise that is not only noble. but |
novel; the audience was not numerous enough TO |
nav one-half OF the cost OF the production. But |
those who were present highly appreciattve |
and loudly enthusiastic. II. e h
THE FL0NZALEY QUARTET.
The Flonzaley Quarter at their concert in Men