New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-05
A NIGHT OF BEETHOVEN.
Remarkable Performance Given
in Cincinnati.
TBy Telegraph TO The Tribune !

Cincinnati. May 4.-The second concert
Of the Nineteenth Biennial Music Festival
this evening was devoted wholly 20 Bee
thoven's music, and the programme con-
sisted Of the solemn mass in u and the
symphony in minor, separated by the
concert scena. "Ah. Perfido," sung By Mrs.
Mariska Aldrich. There Were fewer listen
ers than on Tuesday. evening. and fewer
than there will be at the concerts Of Fri
day and Saturday nights.
1t is, of course. pity. and might be set
down as a bit dscreditable to a public
which has been educated BY these great
festivals since 1873, that the Beethoven
night should be the least popular one of
the SERIES but the fact does not present
itself as startling phenomenon to an old
observer Of musical dongs the world over
The Beethoven concerts Of the New York
Philharmonic Society were poorly attended,
as readers of The Tribune know. It has
been only once in a generation that q
Beethoven series in New York took on a
sensational aspect. and that was two years
ago. when Walter Damrosch made q lucky
coup with the Symphony Society.
However the audience was a superb one
In numbers and appearance. and il showed
appreciation Of the most striking features
in the performance of the mass. though
there WAS not what, in New York or Bos-
ton. would have been set down as an indi-
cation of commensurate appreciation. For
the performance was In every respect
thrice admirable.
Cincinnati first heard the work at the
festival Of 1880. when it was turned into
a sensation. as the Choral Symphony had
been in 1873. 1t had been set down by MI
Thomas for the festival of 1878 but 1t
could not be got ready. and had TO be
taken out OF the festival scheme. Two
years later an interest which under the
circumstances l am constrained 20 call
somewhat sensational and fictitious was
worked up for It. and II was performed
twice. very much 10 the disturbance of the
symmetry of the festival scheme. Six years
ago Mr.. Thomas made it a feature Of his
Beethoven night and consorted the Ninth
Symphony with it. thus putting a pretty
severe strain on the endurance of the fes-
tival patrons
Neither the first nor the last perform
ance was comparable with that given to-
night. In fact. familiar acquaintance with
performances for thirty years enables me
to call up only one performance In Amer
lea and one in London which 1 would be
willing 20 place alongside of that which L
heard tonight. The former that pre-
pared by Mr.. Gericke for the dedication of
the new symphony Hall, in Boston the
latter q performance under Hans Richter
with the Leeds Festival Chorus. MI Ger
! icke had a picked choir of three hundred
singers, carefully trained by Mr.. y. j.
Lang. and called his soioists TO daily re-
hearsaIs for nearly week before the per-
| Torrance. Under q conductor whose de-
votfon to his ideals was akin to religion,
! sill he conceived how thoroughly
| the performance was imbued with the
spirit of loneliness and worship, but the
choir was not so firm IN the saddle as that
of this evening though there was more re-
hnenent of expression and more elasticity
in its singing. Mr.. Van der Suckers sing
| ers were letter perfect in the text; they
answered his beat with amazing prompt
ness and never falte-ed on the most cruel
| " exacting of Beethoven's phrases. The
| English critic, Chorley, remarked long ago
| that the fugue, EFT Vitam Ventura de-
manded choir of sopranos like Grisi, con-
traltos like Albani, tenors like Mario and
BASES Ike Lablache The festival choir
! is not constituted of such extraordinary
material but If Chorley had heard how the
difficulties which appalled, him were met
and overcome, he would never have
dreamed of his Enthusiastically e1travsgant
needs.
The solo quartet composed of Miss
Destinn. of the Metropolitan Opera; Miss
Janet Spencer, Dan Beddoe and Herbert
Witherspoon. It was owing, perhaps, 10 q
too large and too vague expectation that
Miss Destinn's singing seemed to find less
favor with the audience than that Of her
COMPANIONS. Much Is always expected OF
loudly heralded opera singers, although
thew seldom are as satisfactory in the con-
cert room as those bred to the concert
manner But the purity of Miss Destinn
voice and the ease with which she SCARED
! into the almost impossible attitudes of
Petitioners score we're as a comforting
| balm 10 the knowing. Miss Spencer has
sung the music several times Of late in New
York but she surpassed herself tonight
and Nfessrs Beddoe and Witherspoon were
worthy associates. Mrs Aldrichs singing
of the scena which no singer has yet sue
| ceeded in popularzing won the warmest
tokens Of approval Of anything in the con-
cert She made a success, and also de
served it. h r. n.