New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-03
WORCESTER FESTIVAL
T7co Closing Concerts Are Miscet-
ldneous 4f airs.
[Br Telegraph e the TrIbuns. ]

Worcester Mass. Oct. 2.-The two concerts TO-
day, the last of the ffty-frst music festival were
miscellaneous affairs. with great offerings TO the
visitor from the metropolis, where the music ana
the performers are familiar For the local public
there was much that new. however Brahms
exquisite variations on the theme by Haydn known
as the "ChoTale St. Anthony which opened me
afternoon concert and had been New York pro
grammes for thirty years did not reach Worcester
till now. Neither did MacDowell's second concerto
for pianoforte. which played by Miss Augusta
Cottow so ineficer-ly that it would be Just as well
for the sake of the composition If il had remained
a stranger. Much of it inaudible. much of it
rnnelligibe, nearly all of it rhythmicay rest
less Miss Lille Ormond. a Contralto OF excellent
vocal and temperamenta gifts, sang "Platnte
d'Ariane." by Coquard, which awakened longings
for its poetic prototype by Monteverde-
Just three hundred years ago writer recorded
the fact that Ariadaes plant in. Monteverde's
opera was sung with so much passion and such
touching pathos that not spectator remained I'M
moved. not fair one but dropped tear of COM
passion while listening to the beautiful lament.
Miss Ornond might have come near to producing
like results if she had sung the music which is
three hundred years old. and three Thousand times
better than that of the modern Frenchman-
There were more novelties in the evening pro-
gramme. The orchestra played :hree movements
from Charpentiers Impressions dItalie." Mr..
Hamlin sang a solo cantata by Mozart beginning
'Ihr die Ihr des Unermesschen WeltalTs Schop-
fer Ehrt,' which not only new here. but
and three of the excerpts from Beethovens Fl
deio,' which furnished forth the second half Of
the programme. were starred TO indicate that they
We're to the festival schemes The Mozart
cantata substituted by MI. Hamlin for the
great tenor scene from Beathover's opera, which
the singer was not willing to attempt saying that
he had had only weeks notice that It was ex-
pected of him. The other numbers the evening
programme he overture 10 "MtCnon. By
AMBROSE Thomas: the air Vision Fugitive from
Moss ~
the cavatina. ''Nobu Donna from Les Hugue-
nots. sung by Nine. Homer; the forest music
from "Siegfried.' and the duet. Flu la Sorte.
from Aida" sung by Mesdsmss Jomelli and Ho-
As usual. the final concert was the which
FILED the public with the most gladstone excite
ment and brought the handsomest display OF
gowns in the audience It was artists
night" it is fondly called wher the true mis-
sion OF the meeting is forgotten in the worship OF
the solo singing and women
The central feature Of the afternoon concert was
the symphonic poem by Charles Martin Loefier'
Of Boston. entitled La willamette Gu Dia Die, which
Mr.. Gericke and the Boston Orchestra played IN
New York in 1908. It had received performances
in Boston in the previous season and gain a few
days before Mr.. Cericke made it a part of his
scheme for the January tour of 19o2-0S Since then
it has been published in beautiful score by Schtr-
rer, with the composers dedication to his friend
Franz Kneisel. This publication makes description
and estimate easier than they were when the music
hurried past the at the concert in Car
negie Hall If there were no descriptive title no
poem prefaced 10 the score to serve as A pro-
gramme, and IL Mr.. Philip Hale had not sent the
work out into the world with of his scintiIlant
essays the task of discussion would be easier still
For here IT is true, is often me case with
programme music. that multitude Of words have
darkened counsel Listening the music mere
" music it would be set down as a fantastic
scherzo in d minor, in which two original themes
are consorted with three French airs and echo
from the lturgical music OF the Roman Church.
This definition wouff leave the mind free ad-
mire the ingenuity Of the composers thematc and
contrapuntaI workmanship and the briIliancy of his
orchestration permit the fancy be quick
ened by the grotesqueness Of the music in places
Under the guidance Of the poem by ROlltnat and
the lure Of the genial Hale. however, the jocose
measures must needs become diaboliCsl. cynical.
satirical. and exemplify illustrative potences Of
which music is inca pabie painting is to de
lineate the moods Of q molusk Rolliua- poem is
a monstrously comprehensive and ingenious para
phrase the conceit biblical. isn't it?) OF the
devil roaming up and down the world seeking
whom he may dpvour Meanwhile ''HelTs a-burn-
ing burning burning as Nj Hale translates the
line ''I.Enfer birdie. br1le, brittle which is the
recurrent refrain the French poets willamette
There IS terrific rapdity in the poem. and pictures
fly off the lines like a corruscatng eruption OF
sparks from 2 dynamo The devil chuckles as he
runs about zigzag, like a fash of lightning. in
dive and cell underground, through the air, in
shape a flower. dragon fy. woman black cat
green snake gallant with pointed mustache. exhal-
ing the perfume OF vetiver Monsieur Noctambule.
bubble. crawling worm grand seigneur. "crapuie'
(Which Mr. Hale translates tough. student,
teacher friend of the Tarantula. darkness and odd
numbers. whispering seductively. promising. bar
gaining. mocking ridcuing, frustrating. cajoling.
haunting the house Of priest we'll skeptic-
At the last the clock strikes midnight, and wild
thought SEXES upon the poet; is the hour come
when he shall LuCifer?