New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-25
c,.,ence Whitehill and
m aI,ve Kline Sing in Wolf
Ferrari Cantata.
SrcoND DAY OF
MUSICAL FESTIVAL
..,,ssy's Re Deum and Bruch
woln Concerto Features
of Programme.
Nv He. KREHBIEL.

u.....,,r. Sept. ga more mop
-. time for music festival than
ri. 0,.et could scarcely be imagined
hsu better calculated TO emphs-
,Ss aiseomforts which the weather
80. than Mechanics Hall, The sec
5,v Of the ffty-seventh meeting Of
y. Wonoester County Musical Ascot
80, has for these reasons passed list
'.,.ly. though it centred in itself the
IN of what is srtisticslly interesting
-5 vslusble in the festival scheme.
sEliiah.o with which the festival
...,.5 on Wednesday evening, is so
s,n;l,sr that only an extraordinary
,.yformance can make it a topic for
E,,p,siou. A convontionally good
.,,fornsnee like that Of night before
H., leaves the wide observer Of musi-
= affairs with nothing to say except
~ conventional compliments to the
,soristers and soloists. They have
ian spoken. To-days second concert
- IN 4 different case, for it gave the
worcester public its first opportunity
!. kssr Wolf-Ferrsri's "Vita Nuova,
though the records Of the festivals
,Asw no resplendent achievements dur
~ tie last decade, they have been
IA 10 q high purpose, from 8 choral
,sist % view, BIZ DR.. Mees during the
even years Of his artistic consulshlp.
h, list OF novelties IS q notably proud
re- embracing Beethoven's Mass in ID,
b,rlioz's "Te Deum," Cigars "Caracta-
u, LISTS "Missa Solemnis," Pierne's
Isl Francis OF Assist and George
Sbumsnns Ruth.
/ doubt if a single orstorio society
IA the country can match this.
Thus the best ideals have been reso-
mtely pursued in the face of a de-
slorable tendency in public taste away
ron choral epics. Wolf-Ferrari's can
"a is interesting in many ways but in
zone more so than its daring attempt
a solution Of the problem which be-
"a singing societies and composers.
4 sysids the fault into which Pierne's
81 Francis" fell of being neither
spjcsl nor dramatical, neither an ora
torio nor an opcra. Ii is as unique in
arm as il is in spirit. The composer
,,ssyed what literary scholars would
have told him was an imposSibility
vben he gave a musical setting to
Dsnte's rhspsodic poetry, but / have
ut several times under the charm of
AS music and each time have wondered
more Al the manner in which the
music expresses the ecstacy of the
cords. al how modern musical idioms
lave been made to sound like a
ma5Rvsl eNhalatiou. There is some
thing almost inefable in its tenderness,
something which lulls the mind into
iorgetfulness Of the historic gap be-
tween past and composer, something
that compels a communion the nature
d which one does not wish to snalyze.
n, though the work was heard to-
iight under trying circumstances. 1t
BET brought its message of lofty pleas
We.
So far as the performance went,
nuch Of this pleasure came from the
truly noble manner in which Clarence
Witehill sang the very difficult barry
tone solos and the charm Of Miss Olive
Eline's voice. A young singer IS Miss
Kline, but one Of fine promise IN a
ted which needs such gifts as hers. A
choir Of boys from the public schools
ID eficient service.
The festival also has shown appre-
cation Of its duties and opportunities
toward this agency Of musical culture
bit has this year been handicapped by
temporary conditions. and, ] fear, also
- L. IN
features Of the festival. So we have
had no singing from school children
outside of this cantata. There is a
great need Of another work like
herne's "Childrcn's Crusade" which,
however, is still on the waiting list At
Worcester One per 'ormance of II
rould be worth Il dozen Of the artists
nights" which make TIE strongest ap-
peal here.
TIE novelty was followed by a per
Torrance Of Bruckner's broad, moving
thoroughly religious "Tc Deum," in
which the solo parts were sung by
Olive Kline, Christine Schultz, William
3, Psgdin and Mr.. Whitehill. II had
sesn sung here nine years ago, so its
PREPARATION must also be put on the
credit side Of Dr. Mees's ledger.
IN the afternoon thee was . miscel'
aheous concert, at which Ef-em zim-
otllst played Bruch's first violin con-
1elso IN a manner which was techni-
sily far from impeccaJle, and which
asked distinction and Miss Mildred
Potter sang a wofully uninterestine
an BY List entitled, "Joan Of Arc. .
~ Gustav Strube conducted, and one
q the three orchestral numbers was
DC symphonic poem "Lorelei," q piece
disclosing many mv eL.ents Of effective
eeauty.