New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-16
"Acis and Galatea" Per-
formed After a Lapse
of Twenty Years.
AN ENGLISH NOVELTY
ALSO BROUGHT OUT
Hamilton Harty's Setting OF "A
Mystic Trumpeter."
BY II. II. KREHBIEL.

Il has variousy been called, was proue"'
forward by the Columbia University
Chorus under the direction OF waiter
Henry Hall; also a sitting OF Walt Whit-
mans "The Mystic Trumpeter," by ham
uton Harty n British composer. The lat-
ter work. which was composed Tor tno
Leeds Festival OF last year, had JUS nrS'
performance in America. the FORMER No
first performance in New YORK since Apin
% 1892. Professor Hall announced u as
n revival, and properly enough IL az
opera that has sfumbered ever anu
anon for three or i've years at
time must be revived" whenever II
Il Is produced. then the performance OF
n choral work which has lain dormant
and moribund for nearly quarter Oh
a century can well be called revival
Though the work was revived last nlshl
its hero was not; Acs was still lying
dead beneath the "massy rock when
Professor Hall hurried tho work TO con-
cIusion by Gliding the words or GaIatea
which IN the serenata call him back 10
life and give him immortality. IL MI
Beddoe. who was tho Acis OF tho occa-
sion. did not mind his fate, neither ala
the listeners who had already endured
very much too much OF the untunerui
and inartistic singing OF Nine. Cecile
Talma, and were glad TO be spared even
the few measures which were essential
TO give the old pastoral legend its proper
ending. Mr.. Beddoe's singing and that OF
the chorus OF three hundred well bal
anced, euphonous and admirably obedl-
ent voices were, in fact, the only inspirit-
ing features of the concert, for Professor
Hall had little control of the orchestra
Mr.. T. Foster Why sang dryly. though
he phrased well, and Mr.. Douty. with
all its intelligence and taste, often COM
mended IN this journal, especially III
music OF the eighteenth century, was
lacking in most Of the music which called
for the use Of the lower register OF his
voice.
Handel conceived the work for perform
ance in the oratorio style. but when IT
was last heard in New York at a Handel
festival given by the Oratorio Society
under the direction OF Mr.. Walter Dam
rosch an attempt was made to add to It's
interest by giving II scenery and a little
action. For this proceeding Mr.. Dam
rosch had the sanction in degree or
Handel himself, who once performed II
thus 10 Offset an unauthorized production
OF II as a drama which had been made by
Thomas Arne Gather OF the more famous
DIR. Arne), whose daughter (who became
the wife Of Colley Cibber) took part in it.
Handel contented himself with giving the
work, which he insisted should be called
a serenata, with a stage picture, allowing
no attempt at action, but dressing his
chorus as nymphs and shepherds and dis
posing them picturesquely amid the locks
groves, fountains and grottos of "a rural
prospect." In 1912 Macready gave a
sumptuous stage performance Of II at
Drury Lane
There are some amusing memories con-
nected with the last New York perform
ance. I'm 1892 Mr.. Damroschs stage pict-
ure had nothing suggestive OF the pas
toral scene which Handel used in 1872.
His chorus OF nymphs and shepherds
danced on and off the stage at Intervals
and the people of the play-Acis. Galaua'
Damon and Polyphemus-sang to and
about each other sometimes simultane-
ously and while locked in each other
arms. This walking on and off and ad-
dressing each other now in the first then
I'm the third person made up tho bulk OF
the action of the piece-all of 1t in fact
until the close. Then, however, there
came a bit of action which startled the
champions of poetic verify and grieved
the souls Of the lovers of the classic
stories:
Fly swift thou messy ruin, nyl
Die, presumptuous Acis, die!
sang Emil Fischer in the character OF
Polyphemus, and then. instead Of heav-
ing the legendary rock, he dubbed the
amorous swain (Mr. Rieger) to death
with his staff-just as Fafner kills Fa-
solt IN Wagner's "Rheingold" Galatea,
however was not deceived. She knew
what was essential TO the outcome of
the story. and while Acis lay dead,
measuring his length on the fiat ground
in full view of ALL she sang piteously;
Must I my Acis still bemoan.
Notorious crushed beneath that stoneI
Then the moon rose over the Mediter-
ranean Sea and the choristers grouped
themselves artisticaIy in pale Artemiss
light and sang their comfort TO the soul
Of Galatea with such eloquent pathos that
the audience was entranced and enthusl-
astically demanded a sight before the
curtain Of Mr.. Damrosch and the princl-
pal singers Foolish as all this was, II
vet found favor; but Mr.. Damrosch was
too wise ever to repeat the experiment.
Whitmans poem is admirably adapted
for music, and II is bit singular that It
has not, so far as we know. attracted
more than one composer before Mr..
Harty took 1t in hand. 1t is a series Of
mood pictures, palpably suggestive,
and the words lend themselves admirably
10 descriptive music. An American. Mr..
Converse, made II the basis OF an or
chestral piece, which has been heard In
New York, and his muted trumpet was
heard sounding in Mr.. Hartz's orches-
trail part The cantata is admirably set
for voices (barytone solo and chorus).
The varied mood pictures are reflected
in the music with directness, clear
ness, and In parts, as in the
stanza descriptive of the holy calm Of
the celestial country. II rises to heights
of unusual beauty. When the disem-
bodied trumpeter awakens thoughts IN
the poet of the pageantry Of feudal times
jousting knights. singing minstrels and
the tumultuous armies OF crusaders the
music breaks into the swing OF POM
nous nolonaise with thrilling effect The