New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-11
AGAIN DELIGHT
Their Night at Cincinnati Music
Festival.
HARVEST FOR SPECTATORS
Five and Six Times Their Face
Value Paid for Tickets-"La
Vita Nuova' Sung.
ny Telerraph to Tho Tribune.

Cincinnati, May l1-Tho fourth "oncert OF
the series which took place in the music
hall this evening marked the elimination
Of popular interest in the twentieth bien-
NAL music festival and also tie high
water mark Of artistic achievement. 1t
was "chldrcnS night and either whole
or a portion Of the youthful choir recruited
from the public sChols, which sar" so mar
vcllously on Thursday afternoon, took part
in all OF the works performed. These were
three. namely Wolf-FerTaris "a Vita
Nuova." in which a choir OF boys voices
is employed. with a Cdutata for cHildrens
voices. and orchestra by Pierre Benoit, and
PAX Triumphans." a festival prologue by
Nh Van der StuCken. who composed it and
directed It's performance at tho singer
fest held in Brooklyn in July. 1890. Wolf
Ferraris Cantata. which Ne" Workers
have heard twice at concerts Of the ora
torio Society and once In tn original
Italian and under the direction Of t." COM
poser at Sunday night concert in N"
metropolitan Opera House shorl- befor"
the close Of the opera season. was now
here and. indeed the only novelty ~ !are"
dimensions on the festival scheme. Mr..
Whitehill sang the barytouc solos. and
Mrs. Ryder-Kclsoy the small but gracious
part allotted 10 the solo soprano.
The childrcr's cautata figured Oh tho pro-
Grammo Of the festival If 1.rf Nr Van
der Stucker. who was q pupil of IN" COM
poser and adUires him greatly not only
for his genius but also because lie Is
Flamand tas Mr.. Van der Stucken would
have been had his parents not cmigrated
70 America before he vas horn) produced
Into the World" a. charity concert in
May. 1897, and repeated ir 1T On. festival
Of 1a0f-thc first which us oonl-ctcd. It's
success was so great that "Dliidrcu'-
night became an established aturo %
the biennial meetings TIL s-.itcang"
and value of this feature in respect Of tn"
future Of the festivals ar" iucdicUlahic. is
present artistic merit greater than that Of
the adult choir. so far - every. ing con-
nccted with technical execution ia con-
oerned This was shown al the icrform-
ances OF Piorue's "Thr Chii1reh's CRU
sade" at the eighteenth and nineteenth
festivals. In which the youngsters wor"
brought into direct riyalry with tu' grown
ups as they We're tonight iu La Vita
Nuova." For this credit must bc given TO
Walter H. Aiken, supervisor. and Alfred
Hartzel. teacher Of music, for tn, manner
in which they have preserved traditions
and a reputation which 2o la.k half a
century.
Like Wagner "Kaisermars,h." Mr.. Van
der Stuch,ue prologue concludes with
chorus. his t.-Ine being the old German
church hymn of rejoicing. "Nun dank"t ale
Colt"
There is nothing but praise to he spoken
OF the performance. Mrs Rider-kclsey and
Mr.. Whitehili gave the nu"st exhibition OF
musical style heard since the opening night.
showing keen appreciation Of the spirit Of
the exquisite work. Wit Us mystical, mo
dicval mood Nj Whitch! has been sur
fering all week from an affection u the
throat. bur this dill not prevent him from
singing the extremely trying music with
convincing and moving eIolucncc reaching
the climax. as did SiEuor Amato at the last
New York performance In the final sonnet.
In which The grief Of th" past .'cau-r al
the death Of Beatrice finds uttcrsnce ia
,hoked and broken tones Except W.or,
the range Of the music put a strain upon
the sopranos of th- adult choir. the body
OF vocal tone was homogeneous and bcAlu-
full.
1t would be idle 10 attempt 10 describe tho
thrilling effect OF thg chillren's choir IN
the cautata. or the enthusiasm which Il
aroused in the listeners All that ~, said
Of the surprisingly excellent and amazing
work Of the little chOristers OF Thursday
afternoon might truthfully See repeated with
emphasis The great hall was crowded ana
spectators got FIVE and six times the face
value for the tickets which they had 90
offer. No doubt thousand more listeners
would have heard tho music had there been
room T. accommodate them H. r.. n.