New-York tribune., 1908-03-13
MUSIC.
THE MUSICAL ART SOCIETY.

THE MUSICAL AkT SUClEl1.
The Musical Art Society, whose beautiful mis-
sion 1t is TO foster appreciation of the church mu-
sic of the type generally spoken of as Paesrinian
and also OF the unaccompanied secular music ola
and new which roots in the art which reached
perfection three centuries ago. last night conciuo-
ed it's fifteenth season. Fifteen years is a long
life for any musical organization subject to the
caprfces OF popular support. and Congratulations
would seem TO be III order for DR.. Damroscn ana
his choir not only for having spanned the oecade
and q half, but also for showing sucn iresi anu
fine vitality as disclosed at last night con-
cert in Carnegie Hall But II to thenl' theh aso
in a double measure 10 the patrons of the society
for having kept warm within their hearts ioVe
for form of art which is further removed i'oih
the tendencies Of to-day than anything else ot
fered in our opera houses and concert rooms 30
long as these concerts continue, are SO generously
r,nnortad as they have been of late years. and
find such whoIe-souled appreciation as was pro-
claimed by the applause of last night 5 auuieHCo
ideaLty NAV still be said TO have home N Ne"
YorIz-pure musical beauty need not SO begging
for admiration.
There was a larger preponderance Of religious
music than has sometimes characterized the So
cety's lists in last nights scheme out lhousH -
began in pursuance of old purpose Win Hlusi0
which was appropriate TO the season or pehalir7
II was not long before the choir was hyInhlts ms
lows of the Eastertide Pedestrians 'Stabat Mater
doorosa' was followed by motet IN WHICH, 10
verses written IN classic metre by some hlondoii
poet of the Middle Ages, Orlando di Lasso ga
wonderfully moving expression to fervent' a7p
ing and holy love. The poem begins 'CiTlsIe he+
sotoes' and in form and alluston betrayS tIie
writer to have been lover of classic poetry li
music and again disclosed the coIhPoSe.
as one whose prescient glance pierced far beyond
the conventional methods of his tme-a forWaru
man.
Music by Leisring Thuringian priest OF 'he
first half of the seventeenth century adapted from
a rude and forceful German Christmas hyrn1 10
the familiar 30 Fill ct Filia" ushered IN the
spirit of the joyful Easter season, which found
expression In a setting of St Bernard's Rhythm
on the Sacred Name of Jesus ffJest. Dulcls
Meuoria'1 and ''Jubilate Deo' by Giovanni
C4abrie!i which the choir repeated (as it did the
sStabat" and the 20 Filii) from programmes or
former years. The single number IN Whlcn the
voices Of instruments We're mixed with thoSe OF
the singers formed the middle Of the scheme III
was setting by Charles Martin LoeffeT OF the
psalm BY the Rivers of Babylon. for women 5
voices two flutes, volonceo. harp and organ
Two years ago this work, since published was
performed from the manuscript by the Musical
Art Society The instruments are all treated IN
obbligato style. The flutes weave heaVy-heartec
lamentatior in thirds above and through the vocal
fabric, the violonceHo pursues waning song
amidst the tuneful companv The voices airllra oy
treated though compelled frequently to give utter
ance to harmonies of great poignancy, sing the
sorrows Of the Babylonian captives in melodic
phrases of affecting eloquence, while the organ
gives fundamental support TO the entire structure
besides entering independently into the develop
ment of the piece. What said in this journal
in appreciation of the original and beautiful work
may be repeated here: There IS an occasional
suggestion of OrientaIisn the efiorescence into
which the melodies burst at intervals but it does
not appear that the composer has borrowed any
thing from synagOgal song. Nevertheless his COM
position is enveIoped by exotic atmosphere
which is peculiarly transporting 1t IS beautlful
and highly ina ginative modern music
The next number was one which was religious
so far the spirit of the text was concerned but
secular in its musical treatment If secularism is
necessarily and intimately associated with mod
ern. descriptive expression 1t was Night
PRAYER the words beginning
In lghtnings and thundsGs s-
IS the Lord:
b1, Maurice Won Stern the music by Wilhelm
Berger. who is called Professor and Capellneister
and is much admired in Germany, as teacher, con-
ductor and composer. He was born in Boston, and
il would be pleasant to claim him as an American
composer were it not that his parents Ger
mans who took him back their fatherland when
he was only ! year old But if the accident Of
birth in Boston and the circumstance OF residence
there can make Americans out OF musicians Gt
cannot always make musicians out of Americans
that we know then il might be boasted of last
nights programme that IL contained compositions
by two Americans. But that would be idle; the
music Of Messrs. Loef1er and Berger was good
music; it would have been good had its authors
been born in Mashonaland, and it would
have been better had their ancestors come
the Mayfower- The Berger piece shows a
striving fer picturesque musical defamation which
snlacked more Of reflection than spontaneous
inspiration, but il had strength in beautiful
portions and beauty in its strong and provided
the element OF contrast more agreeably and
with more dignity than the too sweet setting
of Lorenzo's speech to JessiCa from The Mer-
chant Of Venice" CHOW sweet the moonlight
sleeps upon this bank.O by Eaton Tanning. The
last number of the programme Brahulss
.'C9ipsy Songs" op. H. No. 5. for mixed voices
and pianoforte-an old and admired feature of the
socety's concerts.
1t is doubtful if the choir ever sang more de
Ightfully than II did last night. There was a
splendid freedom and yirility about the 'Stabat'
which told Of familiarity with the work, and the
bounding bUoyancy with which the spirited Ieis-
ring music was sung evoked a loud demand for a
repetition. which was granted