New-York tribune., 1908-03-12
MUSIC.
APPLAUSE AT oRAT0RIO CONCERTS.

Oratorio Society when works with words drawn
from the Bible performed? The question Is
exercising to some extent the minds OF the execu-
tive committee of the society. in view of the ap-
proa ching performance of Bach's Passion MUSIC
According 10 ST Matthew 1t seems that the cir
cular letter which DR.. Frank Damrosch issued to
the patrons of the society on the occasion OF the
Messiah performances last December for the pur-
pose of interesting those patrons in other WORKS
besides Handels oratorio has called forth one
of unexl lected nature A gentleman has
answered with a complaint 70 the effect that his
enjoyment Of that is the right word) OF the occa-
sion by the applause of the audience
and its recognition by the solo singers WHICH IN
the opinion of the writer of the letter, lowered the
, the level of IAN ordinary theatrical
show" seemed him absolutely vulgar and
of place" for he would soon think of ap-
plauding church choir al a Sunday morning ser
vice or the minister after he had npressvely read
the 43d chapter of Isaiah" (The SD chapter of
Isaiah. it may be remarked in passing, contains
several of the beautiful passages in the text
of the oratorio)
It is plain that the correspondent is one OF the
many lovers of THE Messiah who look upon the
annual performance of IT in the Christmastlde as
a religious rather than artistic function Ihe
letter answered by DR.. Frank Damrosch. VINO,
after expressing his sympathy with the correspond
ent's personal feelings in the matter argued that
/ consideration due to that large portion
of the audience that attended the concerts pri-
marily for the pleasure of receiving artistic impress
SOnS. The question, he added, had been frequently
discussed at meetings of the executive committee
of the Oratorio Society, when 1t had been found
that the consensus of opinion was that the audi
enCe should have entire freedom in the espe-
cially since it had felt that expression Of
approval the part of the audience reacted ia
Vorably upon the artistic work Of the performers
He added however that the executive committee
was now debating the question whether
/ appeal should be made the audience to refrain
from applause the performance of Bach's Pas
npy VI In lis he adj
more even than in The Messiah frequent inter
/ ruptcn by applause would to be out of place
because of the of the text" and he hoped
the decision would in favor of discouraging
noisy approval"
The question is an interesting one and all of its
phases have not been set forth In the outline of
the correspondence which has here been given
One circumstance has been overlooked by both DR..
Damrosch and his correspondent. Bach's Pas
sion Music Is church service which has been
transferred to the room because If it
not heard there it would not be heard at all, which
would be woful pity, since 1t is one of the
grandest Of existing choral compositions. 1t deals
with the solemn Of all tragedies and is writ
a dramatic spirit-one that calls up in the
ina gfnation the scenes described by the narrator
in the words of the Evangelist. II is a relic of a
period which extended over centuries during which
the Church did not hesitate stimulate the spirit
of devotion by dramatic representation. Yet the
mpressively this music is performed the less
Will those who properly appreciattve Of 1t and
moved by it feel inclined to bestow upon it the
conventional expressions of approval Handels
Messiah" purpose and structure secular
work. It not written for the Church, but for
the concert room Its textual material was drawn
from Holy Writ. but its musical presentation IS
epicaI. dramatic There would seem to be no
more withhold the testimonials of de-
light which a worthy performance of its music IS
calculated TO call forth than 10 refrain from ap-
plauding public reader for declaiming with i'm
pressive and compelling beauty any chapter of the
Bible Millions Paradise Lost" or klopstocks
''Messias."
The question. though it might be answered on
aesthetic lines in cOnsonance with these sugges-
tions. is which personal taste and feelings
viii always rule; but this fact ought not 10 close
the eyes of lovers of oratoro music to other con-
siderations calculated educate the feelings
well taste. One of these considerations Is the
purpose of the performance; another is the place
Of performance; stt another IS historic precedent
They are closely related. Handel composed The
Messiah for performance in the concert room. with
the aim that it should give artistic pleasure and
edlfication and from his day this the music has
been appauded when given in way thought by
the listeners be worthy Of applause. The evi-
is clear though there Is pitifuly little Of 1t
that has down TO US from the period of the
composer himself The explanation of this fact
is simple enough; when Handel produced his ora
1orios at COvent Garden Theatre there were no
musical and dramatic critics writing for the news
papers who made record of the facts of per
forlnance told how the works received and
discussed the merits Of compositions and perform
aures The Messiah and Samson were pro-
duced for first time in London at Covent
Garden Theatre in the season of 174S. Not single
London journal made even the barest mention OF
the fact The Messiah" had been previously pro
duced in London, which, We take It, accounts for
the fact that a London correspondent writing gos-
sip to .'FauIkners Journal newspaper published
in the Irish capital, mentioned Mr. HandeIs new
oratorio Samson in the number for March 12-5.
The reference is brief. but it indicates that ora
torios were appIauded Says the correspondent:
Our friend Mr.. Handel is very we'll and things
nave nave ia 94en o q lime lime past for the public viii be no
longer imposed on by Italian singers and wrong
merits of Mr.. Handers compositions and English
eronsne@es @ That EemmaR bd ne 6Tatdrio n4% caed I
samson which he composed since he left Ireland,
aIi@es a@ = than ever were seen. more people being
turned away for want Of room each nght than a
hath been at the Italian opera. Mr.. DupouIs
04teIv arrived from Dublin performed at the last
and met with uncommon applause from the Royal
Family and audience
Samson, Is biblical in subject, though not in
text and to this extent this earliest bit of testi-
rorv may not be conclusive as to the treatment
accorded to The Messiah which had three per
farmances that season, while Samson had elsht'
brIr It proves AT least that il was customary to
appIaud oratorios when the form first made its
aTnearance in England. But is direct evil
dence touching The Messiah of a later day. At
an oratorio concert on March B. 1871. Signora Cali
sang the air He Was Despised' (words from
Isaiah Hy She was now seventy-hve years old.
and Handel had written the air for her ffty-hve
years before The old lady. according TO a state
r7cnt by William Parke in his Musical Memoirs
'acuultted herself better than could have been eX-
pected and the audience dealt her out fatter-
ing norton of applause We have this from the
same witness touching a performance of The
Messiah on February IS 1893: Mara BY her
style of singing proved that she had equal in
Handels music Miss Poole sang Rejoice with