New-York tribune., 1909-03-12
THE MUSICAL ART SOCIETY.

That our concert organizations still encOur-
aged maintain high ideals in the choice of music
and its performance is a gratifying fact in the
midst Of season so full of false glare in other
directions For the purest musical expression out
side OF instrumental chamber music the public has
long privileged TO look to the Musical Art
Society, which has never failed OF its duty Nor
did it night when the second, and last concert
for the season vas given in Carnegie Hall In ule
early years OF the society Mr.. Frank Damrosch'
the conductor, wont to make sharp the con-
between the two concerts. permitting the
Cn strictly ecclesiastical parp 10 ceIeorale
the gladness of the Nativity and the second chiefly
proclaim the austerities of the Lenten season
or late years this rigorous scheme has been sreauy
modified and in the first division Of last nights
programme there was more hymning Of Easter
Joys than penitentaI chanting The capena com
posers of the classical period were represented
by an "Adoramus te' for four voices, og Pales-
trina, and an Easter motel, "ChTistus resurgens'
by Anerio. for eight These were joined in pleasant
and worthy companionship with two portions OF
the 'Credo" from mass for double chorus by
Cherubni. a motet. .Adstant angelorum chori,
also for eight-part, unaccompanied chorus' by
Horato Parker. and the exquisite setting Of Psalm
kill for women's voices and panoforte by Schu-
bert The climax in this ecclesiastical portion OF
the evenings entertainment reached In Pro-
fessor Parkers noble composition. TO enhance the
effect OF which Dr. DamrOsch enlisted at least a
hundred and fifty voices from the oratorio society
TO swell the finale. The result was such as 10 SET
tho ners for high enjoyment all the rest Of the
evening.
The second part OF the programme was given over
as usual 10 an instrumental number Here there
was a disappointment The composiuon was
Rach's concerto crosse in F-the second OF the
Rrandenburg set The solo Instruments are trumpet,
flute. oboe and violin. But the rehearsal Dr.
Damrosch found that his trumpeter was Incapable
os coping with the difficulties of the composition
and he made use of a clarinet instead The substi
tIriou was not successful Not only the color
scheme DESTROYED. but the clarinet all but in
sudibIe II was the one defect in otherwise
delightful entertainment. Fortunately. in the
u,iddl. movement Of the concerto which is given
over wholly TO the solo band. the trumpet IS not
srnDIo-ed and this was well done. There was an
other substitution IN this number. Mr.. Saslafsky
MIA wing the solo violin instead OF Mr.. Names, Dr.
Danrosch also tried the experiment OF using the
pianoforte with harpsichord action with which we
are familiar from the Mozart performances at the
opera for the last two seasonsD 10 play the con-
tinuo Mr.. Charles A. Baker being intrusted with
its manipulation The innovation was extremely
acceptable the tone OF the instrument blending
much better with the strings than that OF a piano
forte.
In the last division of the programme. after Sir
Edward FIgar.s part-song. Deep IN Ny Soul" "a
studv in strained harmoutzaton) had been en-
dured one delight followed hard on the heels Of
,ts predecessor There two OF Gevaert's ex-
o,,isite settings OF old French folksongs "a May
song and n ronde). which were sung so archly,
daintilv and pquantly that Dr- Damrosch would
have won the gratitude or his audlehce HAu ne re-
naated both instead OF one Then, TO end ALL
rar,e r}rahms's "IIebesleder waltzes, with the
Ia,o,or,a mart transcribed, very effectively, for
citing orchestra bv Friedrich Hermann. A cheer
full and bewtching conclusion OF TWO hours OF
uplifting music. n T. ~