New-York tribune., 1908-05-07

added the boys voices TO the sopranos OF the
chorus in the choral fantasia which closes the first
part OF Bach's score Here the hymn time is pre-
sented In an embellished form. which exacts a
siderable degree OF skill: singing boys
are wonder always little choristers reeled
on the music with wonderful iightness and ease,
AIDING wha- was TO color to the
position which stands in grandeur and beauty
alongside the stupendous opening and closing num-
bers of the work.
1t is scarcely necessary to say, and it would
oe SAID. had not claims been put forward for the
performance which untena bic, that in its gen
eral features the performance approached no
nearer to the composers ideal it be read in
the score than of its predecessors in the East
and Chicago. The employment of two choruses.
each with its own orchestra. matter of
course So far the choruses concerned the
work cannot be performed without the division
But had Bach's prescription been adhered with
absolute iteralness there would have been also two
organs-one for each chorus-and more frequent
use Of the organ in the Accomplishments. In this
latter respect Mr.. Van der Stucken sparinS.
Instead of trusting to the orsanist to supply what
critics look upon as the gaps in the orchestration
which were undoubtedly filled by the accompanies
of Bachs day either upon The harpschord the
organ. Mr.. Van der Stucken did for the perform
ance what Robert Franz did for his published score
But he did if more discreetly Where occasion
seemed to him to cali ror it he amplihed the
continue very much in the polyphonic style fol-
lowed by Franz With voices from clar.nets and
hassoons. In the final cadences of some of the
solo numbers which lead directly into the choruses
he also introduced four horns which had a pre-
paratory effect which was really splendid. 1t was
not Bach, for Bach made of brass nstrI-
ments in this Why. do not know. Most
likely because he did not have them at his disposal
But It is doubtful if he had two organs
at his disposal. though he wrote for them. It
IS extremely improbable that be had a choir
of soprano -ipi7ri at his command, yet. though
the original score shows the cdHfus frmUs
in the first and last choruses of the first part. writ
ten only for organ voice. there are autograph
parts for vocal sopranos in the Royal Library at
Berlin. proving that occasion he had the
chorale sung as we sing It now. There are many
things in the score of the st. Matthew Passion
which suggest that Bach wrote il for the future,
pursuing ideal which he never to realize
because Of the limited forces his command But
TO discuss this interesting question would lead
too FAR afleld: ] must get back TO to-day's mani
festationS. To adhere more strictly than has been
the custom in this country Bachs score, Mr. |
Van der Stucken would have had make of
other archaic instruments besides the oboe damore
He would have had to call in flute bee (beak |
fute-one blown ar the end like a fageoleD two
oboes da caccia and q viol da gambia The last
might have been obtained, but though something |
is lost by the substitution Of the viooncellO for it
III is called for once in important solo number
It is not much and the ordinary oboe is salts |
factory substitute for the oboe da caccia. The |
two obo damore had, and they were well |
played by the men from CnlcaSo, taouSn their
tone seemed to unusually harsh and acrid. At |
the recent performance OF the Passion by the |
Oratorio Society. the oboi d amore were found TO
have deteriorated and could not be used
But Mr.. Van der Suckers departure from the |
which ii proclaimed would be up |
held never before were more than these. If his
device of substituting special chorus for the CON
gregation wholly comnendable it cannot be |
said that IL has anywhere realizing /
Bachs musical purposes. Probably because il was
near the organ and far from the orchestra ne left
the sccompanments wholly the former though !
Bach aiming the most massive effect at his |
used both orchestra and organ. The (
chorals gung beautifully. but not once did |
they mark climaNes, they have done in all the |
other performances which | have heard. Mir. Van |
der Stucken also used the panoforte TO accompany
the secco recitatives. though he might have had |
the improvsed harpsichord. which did such excel |
lent service at the recent performance OF the |
Passion in New York and at the representations
Of Don Giovanni the Metropolitan Opera
House the of which is like that Of the Gym
balo for which Bach wrote. and blends delightfully."-
with that of the strings.
But a truce TO these things. They are mentioned |
here because a critico-hstorical discussion in
vited by the claims put forward without justice |
and nnerited by performance which Will long be |
refulgent in the musical annals of the United |
H h.