New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-06


nation OF the factions was accomplished.
This is the new phase OF the situation
entered upon tonight. All the artistic
forces except the solo singers at the les
tval are local. They represent Cincin-
nati's skill. enterprise and achievement;
and the festival will therefore have a
greater significance than that represented
by the popular patronage. For the first
time the orchestra as well as the chorus
must occupy the attention of the critical
visitor from afar.
Orchestra Of Ninety.
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has
been considerably augmented to make
up the festival band. Tonight 1t num-
bered ninety men. but for Mahler's third
symphony, which is to have Its nrst
American hearing Saturday, 1t Will num-
Der about 10 Under DIR. kunwald
obviously wise and strict discipline II
has become an extremely capable organ
ization. though one. fancy. with greater
efficiency in the lurid passages OF mod
ern music than in the compositions OF
the classical and romantic masters OF the
eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries
In the East conductors have been striV-
ing for years for euphony In the wooo-
wind sections of their orchestra, and II Is
this quality chiefly which is lacking here
not only In the wind instruments OF WOOD
and brass. but also in the body OF strings.
This criticism, however. must be under
stood as applying to the festival band as
bAIa To Cincinnati sXmnhOnY
orchestra. 1t may be that the defect OF
it should turn out. after better acqualnt-
ance. to be due in part TO tempera-
mental quality Of DR.. Kunwald, who to-
night seemed to care more for broad dis
temper effects than either refinement OF
nuance and tone or precision.
Dr. Kunwald is plainly a man Of large
enthusiasms. He is fonder OF hurting
thunderbolts than OF talking in that still
small voice" in which sometimes the most
eloquent proclamations are made; and not
infrequently he fails to keep that tight
rein on his own emotions which an inter-
pretative artist must II he wishes to preach
the composers evangel. Ii is possible.
too, that he has little love for Berliozs
muse and little consideration for the
wishes of the other artists concerned in
the performance. l should be sorry to
think that Signor Amato, who sang the
music OF Mephistophles tonight. was re-
sponsible for so fragrant a misconception
OF II.
Had he had perfect command OF the
English language he could not have rr-
ticulated the words In the furious pace
which the conductor set for him, and
had he articulated them the melodic line
would still have been blurred and the
humor of the song dissipated. The close
OF Rakoczy March. too. became a devil
take -hindmost race between the in
struments. For this there was small
wonder, for DR.. Kunwald as a conductor
of the emotionally delineative kind. one
who transmits his feelings to his forces
with graphic gestures, not unlike those,
/ imagine with which the ancient leader
controlled the singing multitude in a
Byzantine hippodrome, and most unmis-
takably like those OF the ''rah, rah, rah"
captain at a college football game. His
violent gesticulations are graceful and in
spiriting, but often they fail TO convey
Ifldt tSStnlldl billuSf q uf'ASi'' bNhN' ~
the singers and players, and so momen-
tary confusion frequently results.
As he sends in the full sonorities OF the
orchestra. so he demands volume first OF
all from the choristers. The sylphs shout
ed their sumber song into the ears OF the
sleeping Faust tonight. and made one
wish that conductor and singers might
have heard and seen the pretty picture
with the aerial ballet when Berlioz's piece
was presented in romantic form at the
Metropolitan opera House some years
ago.
That the chorus was capable OF express
sive singing was plainly enough dis
closed in tho delightful pianissimo with
which the slumber song was brought 10 d
close 1t was indeed as efficient a choir
as has sung at a festival since the early
s0s-weIl balanced as TO parts. the BASES
full and orotund the tenors Jealous and
able, though a trife strident in their will
ingness to meet the conductors demands
the sopranos bright and incisive and the
contraltos more than ample in volume. 7
could only have wished that all the sing
ers had been invited to moderate their
voices occasionally into. the key which
publishes beauty OF tone as well as ex-
preston.
The solo singers were Nine. Gluck.
Evan Williams, Douglass Powell. a local
barytone, who sang Brander's Song OF
the Rat" and sgnor Amato. Mr.. Will
iamss performance was the most notably
excellent and indeed was one OF the best
which I have ever heard from him. Miss
Glucks phenomenally beautiful voice
made It's customary appeal, though her
singing was somewhat deficient In emo
tional warmth. as II always has been.
Signor Amatos singing high notes were
inspiriting and he threw the necessary
dramatic spirit into his singing. but the
most OF the text, even as he detained ii.
was unintelligble.
Altogether the festival had what from
many points OF view must be set down as a
most suspicious opening. The hall was
crowded with an audience in gala attire
and presented . brilliant and inspiring