The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-26
TWO GOOD FRIDAY SPELLS
sPARSEFAL" ND THE EST.
MATTHEW PASSION"
The Former FIIls the DaS AZ the Metre
politan Opera hOBse and ih~ Latter
the Evening nc carnegie Hall Dlf-
nculIles OG PreSrntIng Ilarl sCrr1tiOO

uolitan Opera lIOapse and thr Latter
the EVENING NJ carnegie Hall IAlf-
nculIIes OG PreSrnIinE IIachS Crr1iiO0
The philosopher II ne indulgcd IN specu-
lmtlon about musical entertainments.
might lose himself IN wonder a. ~ the
various motives which lnsPir" the pur-
veyors Of the feasts Thursday brought
with Il an orgy of strauss. hut on Good
Friday the claim 1T IA" obvious was too
strong 10 he disregard'd Hence y"sicr-
day at II - 4. VI. thu devuu; w'rr invited
20 attend the soemnities II m" unye'lIng
OF the Holy Grail m WaSn"T~ drama
-Parsifal- At IN, Metropolitan Opera
House and az s.IiP VI hey had IA" opp"r-
tuni,y - SIT down g. a convert perform
ance of Bach's 81 Matthew Passion by
the Ora;orio society NJ Clrn"g,e Hall.
Both offerings appeared - 10 accepted
with proper gratitude and with results
profitable To- the enterprises IN" audi
ence AZ the -Parsifsl- performance was
quite large enough - encourage the eN-
psctation that the future will not find this
work absent from the Metropolitan re-
pertoire It had features already made
familiar 10 music lovers. and one which
was new. This was the PdrsifdI 81 Carl
JCTu.
II proved TO be a good representation.
rejoicing in the aspect OF youth and IN
the scene with the flower maidens carry
iLg out well the authors conception Of
the -gnileless fool" In the ensuing scene
with KHndy5 MIR. JOINS acting was sig
nifi mt and informing to the audience.
lnaesd his entire representation was in
ealliNent and commendaDle
For the presentation OF Bachs great
work Frank Damrosch had made careful
preparations. His Oratorlo chorus was
properly divided into two Choirs, "a re-
ouired by certain numbers in the score.
There was a choir Of boys to sing the
beautiful chorale Lamb Of God all blame
lsss- in the first number. There was "a
harpsichord 20 accompany the dialogue
rscitatiVs and the symphony Orchestra.
divided into two small orchestra. ac-
eompanied the Instrumental portions Of
the composition.
Tho soloists were Jane Osborn Hanna.
soprano. Janet Spencer. con'raito: George
Hamlin. tenor. Sidney B,dsn and Herbert
Witherspoon. basses NJ usual, the east
uplifting moments III the performance
were provided by some Of the solo sing
ing. Bcch - a stern fsskmastsr TO sole
singer. and some 81 the results Of en-
deavoring 90 sing h 5 music IN the style
adopted for the ordinary Uses of the con-
cert room suggest that attempts - bril-
liant quality Of tone were not ccntem-
plated ~ the master
There - an appalling SPOT, for example
IN the tenor recitatIVe, where the s.Hgcr
IN called upon TO enunc.lte the word
multitude IN three rapidly emitted
high A. 10 10 sur the word N the
origin wSs not multitude. hut IN" dIfii-
Guilty wac EoCe the les IN account e N q.
Such a sequence of notes with such de-
mands IN enurclatIoE "sraOt h- sung
quickly IN fun tone and only ~ he l'chtest
head tone IT IL
But Il - not only IN such matters of
deta that q director has iifiCu!ty ~
satisfying the demand, vt Ba,u'- nus'D.
How hard IL II To- riud a suitable singer uf
that which zoe, WITH the words ot the
Saviour was Illustrated last night by ;h'
failure pi the SINCERELY conceived ANT
earnestly vNe,ut,+ c- very Il Mr.. Bid"n.
DESPITE MS sfcr;, The mI-0 -"und'l
hard ana dry. while as a matter %: fact. 10
profoundly tender and 'oUchIuE
Notwithstanding the Il N,u.rF which
met Mr. Hamhn m the tenor r.rftl 70
ferred TO- lis Wa, the singing which. ola
the whole. seemed most ln 90" trie -pll'
OF thu work Inc ,'rrl, .tug well
indeed. and a. time. especially "a 'H'
emphatic aIl~grD- 'p.C.ug the "N'.afns
tons o. the psopie q ,aHr admirably
The ancient and f".T-o,Ia question
Of temp cam" - III. -ur'a.". d- 20 nearly
always does Mr. pdurr-'h would uE .h-
ably love both Bach and himself 'c.'..r
u he would permit some - 'ho churai'-
90 fiow a l.tti' more smoothly and not
hnRer - much by IA" way 80 hguTt
wohl hut g-d wundsn" which Bach
employ, ~ this work. lssur~'ily sound
better when taken a 'rf- faster than -
was last evening
But the Performance on the whoi"
was a gupd one A. any rat" % wl-teri-
ous and reyer"ut % spirit. AID The 'u"a'-
utilized ~ y were o., good a. 90" conduct
could readily a-,"mhl. IN" audience
was Of g.Sut -z. though r.' - ~" pro
portions drawn Ny ~" -Ne--i-h Ryt
the 81 Matthew Pa--.pU' hH, almost
none of 'he ~'"W"nt, u popularity found
in Handel ua-'rrpi-o.'. J. ~ - aloe.
from the world a. IN" sanctuary for which
it was desigued