The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-03
NOTED SINGERS I'm
s GREAT CONCERTS
Franck's Famous Oratorio to Be
Rendered on the First Night.
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
Feature Of Saturday Af
ternoon Perform
ance.
by ARTHUR sCRIvESoR.
.HE festival OF music to be give

by the Wednesday Club on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
OF this week will in many
respects establish musical
record for this city In tho first place.
It is the fifteenth consecutive festival
given by our local organizations. and
this fact. in view OF the Interrupted
histories OF many other such organiza-
tions. is worthy OF notice. The We'd
nesday Club was organized In Feb
ruary. 1893. few musical spirits meet
ing at the home OF Mr.. Henry T. Me-
loney. for many years president Of the
club. for their own mutual enjoyment
and entertainment, and 1t proved 80
successful In attaining its object that
the membership rapidly increased.
Tho Eurly Work.
On June IA. 1893, the club gave It's
frst entertainment. singing the music
OF Gluck's beautiful opera, "Orpheus.''
On the program there appeared the
following:
Our roll now contains some thirty
names. We are encouraged to reor-
ganize In the fall on much larger
UP and study sornr OF the greater
choral works.
I'VE think that there is a field in
this city for a strong. central musical
organization for the cultivation nf
musical taste and the development of
musical talent. and that the benefits TO
be derived from such an organization.
IL successful. would be widely felt
To this end we eek for the undivided
cooperation and support of all musi-
cal people. and OF those interested in
the local culture OF the divine art"
That benefits have been derived from
ths work of the Wednesday Club there
can be no question. We see It's influ-
ence in our church cho!rs. in our music
set for musical entertainments given
b, individuals and organizations other
than the club itself.
Unsclfish Lnbors.
4 great deal OF the success OF the
club has been duo not only to its ac-
tive members. but also to the unset
fish. unHagging and intelligent work
wor,- that has been gladly given. and
frequently at considerable personal ak
pense. for the uplifting OF the musical
art OF our city. Success, too, has been
due to the heart support given to the
work OF the club by the public. who
have not only graced the festivals by
= ir preser but have spurred the
by their -encourag cement and kindly
criticisms.
This year the programs of the festi-
val. which are given in full below, In
clude great variety of music. from
the simple ballad to the great and
beautiful work OF the mighty Beetho-
ven-the Fifth Symphony.
a beautiful program book containing
the photographs OF the visiting artists
and OF many OF the composers whose
works vii be given, is In the hands OF
the printers. This book will contain
copious notes on the music. the text
being tnterspersed by many illustra-
tions from the music itself. These Will
be OF great assistance to the audiences
in following the music. and in the
greater works in gaining an insight
into their structure and meaning.
Choral Work.
These books will contain no adver-
tisements, and will doubtless prove "a
be pleasing and attractive souvenir
OF the festival. A nominal charge will
be made for them to help in defrayIne
their cost.
The choral work OF the club will ne
feature of the festival. An auxiliary
chorus. composed Of some fifty pas,
members. has been rehearsing the music
for several weeks. This body ot
singers has now been merged with
of the club, bringing the total numbc,
UP to nearly ZOO
Turning to the programs:
Thursday Night.
"The Beatitudes." by Cesar Franck
IS the most modern oratorio of any
note in existence. 1t belongs to the
modern French school Of composition
and while the work is termed an ora.
torio, it does not follow the we'll
known form of composition with which
the public is SO familiar. 1t is a deep.
ly religious drama. 1t is fabric
woven of most exquisite colors, deftly
arranged.
From youth Franck had dreamed ol
expressing in music the beauties of the
Sermon on the Mount, which was long
his constant study. Never in the his.
tory Of musical art had any one Ven.
tured to interpret the relation of Jesus
Christ to mankind as Franck purposeG
to do. The Son of God has appeared
always as a vague abstraction, imper-
sonal, unapproachable, often terrible
T'ranck shows him as the image OF
Divine Love, berding in pity oyer thi
lowly and over children, always gentle
Eerene and triumphant by virtue ol
ineffable tenderness. To quote d'IndS
Ca pupil Of l'ranck. and to-day ,perhap:
the most renowned OF French must
cans); 1T Is this picture of Christ, ~
rather the sound of His voice, thatco
sutute the unity of the work from
Io'lll " VIEW NN1N'lt vi A't'
4 Its centre, the principal subject around
which the different elements of The
text are grouped, Certain of these ele,
ments. by their Importance. compleSity
1.-THE many forms of musical e%pressio!
which they bring into play, might seen
10 demand the whole attention of th'
listener; but every time that the voice
y of Christ Is heard, even t,:ough FOL
pnly few measures. allTthe rest sink:
Into insignificance, leaving alone II
the foreground that Divine Figure thu
stirs us TO the depths Of the soul
Franck succeeded In finding for tht
4 interpretation OF his Christ a melpd,
truly WORTH OF the character in rela
tiofG to which 1t Is as a commentary
from the point OF view or music
"'rhis melody, SO simple, but so strIk,
(Coni!ISVed On sl9Gb Parvl