Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-04-09


a music festival IN all ways worthy OK
the name In the old days when the
town had half Its present population
such events were not Uncommon We
used to know what It meant to import
singers like Emma Thursby
and Myron whitney to head
our solo forces, aud great els
teddfods were worked up which eS-
cited The rivalry OF the whole west
But the mad business rush. aud the
rage for comic opera, vaudeville and
buresque has OF late years turned the
public taste In another direction: the
present festival, therefore, is a well
come and delightful barking back to the
grand old standards, to better things In
music, which We all hope may not be
with us only for a day.
To The group al music teachers who
inausurated the festival, and more than
all TO Manager Fred c. Cfranani, whose
patience and enterprise worked UP the
big subscription list that made the
event q possibility, the town owes
decided debt.
The Tabernacle held beautiful big
and brilliant audience at the opening OF
the Festival last night. All the lower
lioor was filled and much OF the gallery
space was occupied. While a big Sec
tlon OF the patronage came from Cut-of-
town visitors, the music forces OF the
city We're strongly represented. as was
evident by the discriminating applause
which Followed the notable parts OF The
program. The encore Aend was in evi-
denee, too, but II In greatly to the credit
OF The management that he was not al
lowed to have his way. The receipts
must have amounted to figure that
VIII place the financial part of the festi-
val on firm ground,
The Chicago Symphony orchestra and
It's solotsts had a hearty reception,
and while their work was grea ily APP
preciated, the delight Of the evening
lay In the latter half OF the program,
when the festival chorus, the orchestra,
Madame Zimmerman and DR. Schuss-
der, with the organ added at the close,
rendered THE Death Of AInnehaha.'
The beauty Of this work CAME as a
positive revelation to the auGliencee, and
It Will surprise nlany to learn that its
composer Is one OF the newly risen gem
fuses OF the day. a negro OF English
birth, j. Coleridge Taylor. When the
work was brought out In London. some
Years ago, Director Evan Stephens was
IN the audience. and he wrote To the
Deseref News q he time giving an en-
thusla site opinion OF It's merits Ever
since that time he has desired to have
MS Singers render 1t In Salt Lake and
when the festival WAS agreed on, Tay-
lors work was one Of the first things
chosen.
That Mr.. Stephens should have been
able to accomplish so much with a
newly nicked chorus in so short
time--lt IL only IL weeks since re.
hearsals began and hardly more than
dozen have been held---is remark
able, but the perfection with which
n and N,,.. .Sl..
sested rather whole seasons work OF
preparation The chorus made
charming spectacle. all the ladies
wearing white and all the gentlemen
black. While The sopranos and altos
predominated heavily, the male forces,
count OF themselves, ii was with the
keencst enjoyment that the audience
followed the words of ougfeIlow's
Poem and noted the mastery way In
which the comp oser had fitted the sem
tlment of the music 10 the words I'm
fortunately all the audience We're not
provided with programs, The whole
number required ~ minutes In rem
dillon, and the audience sat In breath
less fashion until its conclusion. The
orchestra subordinatnd ITSELF, In true
artistic fashion, to the singers, and the
marks OF expression throughout the
program We're most admirably com
ceieed and carried out. The whole
work IS fun of variety, richness and
originality that must stamp the COM
poser as Il genius, and the rendition
by MIR, stephens singers was mastery.
Particularly fine were the sopranos In
giving the cry of "Hiawatha'' uttered
by the lying Minnehaha.- while the
grand burst at the close, with the sing
ers, orchestra and organ combined. in
rendering Hiawatha's Farewell" was
one OF the most moving things possi-
bic to Imagine
The first part Of the program was
miscellaneous In its character, The
orchestra is a fine body of musicians.
although We have had orga nfzations
larger In number. and leaders who
brought out more fire and electricity
than Mr.. Won. Eielitz seemed able to
produce. The opening number The
Merry Wives of Windsor was charm
ingly done, as were the orehes-
tra's other contributions. There
was general severity to this
part OF the program, not TO
say gloomine ss--the only light
feature being the exquisite Cannon
netta' by Won Fielitz himself which
his players rendered in admirable
fashion. The solo hit of the evening
was made by Madam Zimmerman, a
soprano who has a high. beautiful.
dramatic voice She sang in the can
iata In feeling fashion. and also
rendered the song from Francesca" in
brilliant style. DR.. SchussleT. the bas-
so cantsnte, has a strong high voice
OF excellent range and fairly good
power, His 'Paglia cci'' number was
well rem lered, though he had hardly
tho bigness and fire that we have
heard 1t given by onr own lamented
Goddard. The cello soloist, Mr.. Wag-
neT. chose q very difficult concerto,
which, while II showed his own ex-
cellence as a performer. did not Ina
press his audience so deeply as a more
soulful rendition might have done.
Then. too, perhaps the recent appear
anee OF Kicking and the memory OF
HOLMAN has sDoilt us.
The evening was NOT without It's
faults ana some of them ought 10 be
remedied. II was 10 minutes TO . be-
fore the first number began. Many in
The audienCe especlallY The cOl1ntrY