The San Francisco call., 1910-05-22
BACH Choir IS
WOLLES TRIUMPH
five Thousand Listeners Hear
Result of Years Training by
Great Vocal Director
Singers Are Splendid, but Not
Quite Equal to Beauties
of Composer
By WALTER ANTHONY

W-t0A MUSICIANS cast lleT eyes DdCh-
ward 10 Leipzig and 1929 they, para
doNically enough, advance. The finest
corrective of the vague and moonshine
babblings of the self-styled moderns is
found in liberal application of the
saving salt Of solid Bach.
They sang Bach's wonderful Pas
sion" music according to the gospel of
St Matthew yesterday afternoon at the
Greek theater. About 5000 persons
heard the work. which is TO say that
the amphitheater spread inviting but
bare spots which 1000 more might
prohtably have occupied There were
zoo singers and instrumentalists massed
on the great stage of the Greek theater
TO interpret the complexities of
mighty work There was a. chorus of
80 adult voices. 500 children from the
schools across the bay, an orchestra of
about 40 pieces and q pipe organ. Then
there was DR.. ]. Fred Wolfe, who,
batonless. Ike the grand choir leader
that he is, led this army of musicians
forth on a charge which a years plan
ming and working had made possible.
1T WASN'T e'DRYv
Those who heard the result yesterday
afternoon will bear witness that there
IT is as flowing and graceful or tor
rental and overwhelming as the brook
his name suggests. Who has not seen
a mountain stream sleeping along be-
tween its banks, so still that it mir
rored the blue sky and the white clouds
abOve7 That is Bach in his choralesi
or his Come Ye Daughters" with its
slow stepped long meter melodies. But
as the brook swells over night and
becomes d rushing. pounding torrent
sweeping in might along its tempestu-
Gus way, SO is Bach in "Ye Lightnings,
He Thunders." Ana so he was sung
yesterday, through the energy and
genius that Wolfe for a year has ex-
pended. This force was rolled into a
ganglion OF nervous puis sance yester-
day. To change the figure, Wolfe made
Bach afre with life and galvanic with
emOtive splendor.
PRAISE INADEQUATE
This is not too much praise, either.
Il is even inadequate to express the
admiration that one must feel, who,
loving music and what it stands for,
sits before such an offering as yes
terday afternoon provided in an ideal
environment
Many truths were borne in upon the
attentive listener yesterday. One that
there is no other composer whom the
world has yet listened TO, that by the
bigness of his genius and the inexhaus-
tible wonders Of his mind could keep
q choir OF $50 men and women together
for a year in the devoted study of
single work
Every week for 50 consecutive weeks
the Bach choir has met and rehearsed
the music of this choral composition.
Every week new wonders have been
unfolded, and every week admiration
las grown It is, I am sure, no dis
psragement Of yesterdays performance
of tie work to say that even now the
perfectfons of the work have only been
touched here and there. The truth is
and this was another thought sug-
gested yesterday-that singers are not
always musicians and many musicians
are not likely to be gifted with natural
beauty Of voice. Only the musical
world would remain for a year delving
into the contrspuntaI tangles and luxu-
riant splendors Of Bach.
CHOIR NOT FINE ENOUGH
Consequently it is not surprising that
the tonal quality of one or two divi-
sions of the choir was not sensuously
me enough TO sing Bach's radiant
measures. This was notably true of
the tenor choir, which sometimes added
TO vocal Unloveliness an insecurity of
pitch and time. Ohsetting this was the
purity Of the soprano tone, which was
not numerically strong enough TO keep
their independence floating in the
breeze, but were secure and firm ton
ally in the execution Of their difficult
part The bass division Of the choir
was heard throughout, but like the
tenor tone was not always pleasing
However. these are somewhat captious
criticisms and useful. if at all, only in
showing how much we need the pres
ence OF this Bach choir in this COM
munity as q standard by which to
gauge and test our musical attain
Tnents.
POSSIBILITIES NOT SOUNDED
So. the greatness of Bach's finest of
five settings Of the Passion has only
been indicated by the production. BY
no means have its possibilities been
sounded, though the work of yesterday
Fes as the indication of dawn glorious
IN unfulflled splendors. 1t was evil
dence, too. that we need TO cultivate a
race OF readers and musicians, as we'll
as singers We have lost the art of in
dependent musical reading; the hymn
tune monophonic moving of modern
choral composers have enervated vocal
lists who no longer sing independently
CT the rest. but pick their way along,
relying on finding IN the accompani-
ment the notes they need. study of
Bach with other of the great choral
composers Of century and over ago
viii not only develop musical culture
psychologically. but will make better
practical musicians of US.
IA the mighty tree of Bach music are
the seeds Of all that is worthy in mod
arn music. The Bach choir is doing in
estimable service in spreading the seed.
NEEDED OVER HERE
There should be a hourishing wing
OF the Bach choir on this side Of the
hay. The vocal resources of the pres
ent organization should be enriched by
a hundred good voices, which would be
iudiciously used TO balance with the
present society. San Francisco needs
the impulse of such an institution, and
the choir needs the voices. There isn't
amy reason, except neglect that should
interfere with this plan, and make of
the Bach choir an organization which
would command the attention and earn
the respect Of the most cultured musi-
cal communities of Europe.
On the occasion a year ago, when
Bach's 3 minor mass was sung, the
choir was assisted exclusively by pro-
fessionsl soIoists. This year the SOLO
lists had less to do-tiae alto arias in
cluding even the wonderful "Ah. Col
gotha," were cut-and in some in
II