The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-29
BEETHOYEN'S MASS
AT CARNEGIE FALL
The Great Work Brought For
ward Once More by Ora
tOriO Society.
PERFORMANCE EXCELLENT
Music Again Makes Impression
Of Extraordinary Beauty
and Eloquence.
PERFORMANCE EXCELLENT

Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis'' was
given at Carnegie Hal, last evening by
the Oratorio Society. The work was pre-
viously sung by this organization on De-
cember 2. 1903, and before that in 1905.
80 that last evenings was the Oratorio
socistys third essay at the composition
II need hardly DO said that the mass is
rarely presented because Of it's great din
Guilty. The music rises far beyond the
level OF church possibilities and the com
poser has set aside all traditions Pos
sibly no better notion can be formed OF
this composition than that to be gained
from the words OF Wagner
I'm the Missa Soiemnis III gives a
strictly symphonic work Of the truest
Beethovenian spirit. Here the vocal parts
are handled quito In that sense Of musical
instruments which Schopenhauer very
rightly wishes to see alone assigned to
them. When presented as a musical art
work the text TO which these great church
compositions are set is never seized by us
according to the letter. but simply serves
as material for singing, and II has no
disturbing effect on our musical impress
sion. for the simple reason that II starts
no train Of inductive thought. but affects
us solely through well known symbolic
formula Of faith. as indeed Is conditioned
by its churchly character"
Moreover. the experience that a piece
Of music loses nothing Of its character
even when the most diverse texts are
laid beneath II shows the relation OF
poetry to music to he a sheer illusion
For II trahspires that in vocal music IL
is not the poetic thought that one seizes-
which In choral singing does not even get
intelligibly articulated-but at most that
MAO etas a
clan when IL moved him TO music"
Wagner was prone to write profound
conclusions about musical art formed at
the moment of writing. and We need not
be astonished at reading a announcement
on vocal music entirely at variance with
his theory 81 organic union OF text and
music in a perfect song speech. sought
and often attained In his great music
dramas. But II is none the less true that
Beethoven's 'Missa Solemnis" justifies
the thought which arose in Wagner
mind. IL Is regardness OF minor textual
dictations and indeed for the most part
uses the liturgical proclamations Of the
mass merely as suggestions for tremsn-
dous musical mood pictures. II IL also
unmistakable that Beethoven demanded
Of the voices, as he did in the Ninth Sym
phony purely musical results, planned not
as particulars thrown into high relief but
az details falling into their poiyphonic
places ~ parts Of a majestic whole.
The solo voices are written as solo parts
in large instrumental score would be,
and the chorus In in a sense treated or
chestrally. as may be seen in the plan
ming OF the soprano part. which scars con-
tinuaily to high b fiat and even then calls
for articulation and repetition perfectly
practicable only to instruments. That
technical shortcomings will invade any
performance OF this mass is inevitable. but
flIrnDkN IA D.
above them one cannot fail To perceive
the eNorhitant demands OF the set vitam
ventura" but none the less the imagina-
ton In fired and the emotions touched by
the ineffable musical eloquence of II.
Indeed one forgets after a time to con-
slider this score as the workmanship of a
master musician or the proclamation Of
an intellectual giant. one bows before
II as before the prostrating eloquence OF
prophet, the utterance of a mighty
spirit moved by the contemplation Of
things unseen save by the eye OF faith
IL. then. last nights presentation con
tained the defects commonly found in
performances of the mass IL nevertheless
served to make public once more the up
lifting glory OF a masterpiece especially
characteristics OF the most independent
and aggressive genius in music,
The chorus sang fairly well, though
tho sopranos naturally tagged in the
prolonged flights among the regions above
the clef. The solo parts We're commend
ably done as a whole. Helen Stani,y
had been engaged to sing the soprano
part but she was i'll and Nine. Clemcn-
tine de We're was called upon To MI her
place. Nine. de We're sang well in these
circumstances Ouillic Metzger gave
breadth and weight to the cOntrslo part
Reed Miller sang the tenor part credit
ably. but with his recognized limitations
on tonal quality. Herbert Wltharspoon was
excellent In the bass. The orchestra was
by no means smooth. and there was often
too much OF 1t. Louis koemmenich con-
Quoted.