The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-31

'"'p'esslNe. All mat Is required 10 a
correct style, backed by a sincere rever-
ehce Tor the work. n technical defects
are round In he presentation one readily
iorslves them IL the general conception
and treatment OF the music are In agree
ment with the masters manifest pur-
pose.
We ere bound to recollect that the
ecclesiastical works of Bach are the
highest musical expression Of the
Protestant faith. just precisely as those
OF ialestrina are the most beautiful en-
nodiment Of the belief Of Catholicism.
faIestrina wrote his Marcelline Mass
some years after Luther's highest ac-
tivity had been reached, that activity
wh.tn laid the foundations for the work
OF Bach. Roman church music had been
marching along Its slow path Of devel-
opfnent ever since Pope Julian had
founded his Schola Cantorum in the
beginning OF the fourth century.
Protestant music began with the Lu-
theran hymns. and their children. the
bacn chorales, are determining factors
IN me character OF these Passion COM
positions.
A tenor voice narrates the story. the
other solo voices entering to sing the
u%tterances Of the actor, in the dr,m,
or to deliver those arias IN which the
embodies the thoughts and
emotions or the Christian soul con-
templating the history before II. The
chorus represents the people concerned
IN the drama. But the chorals Ia the
great proclamation Of the Protestant
'hurch itself and for this reason be-
comes the congregational portion OF the
service. The congregation, or audience.
AZ the Bethlehem festivals rises and
Sings the chorales. Just as their prede-
teSSOra did La
Leipsic. ~
Naturally there are no chora,es in
'ne = minor mass, and here arises the
question why Bach. a Protestant To
tne core composed this work. lie was
living In the domain Of the Duke 81
SaN"hy' who was n Roman Catholic.
rs were many other Germans. Tho
great master wrote hve masses. OF
Wnich MY the r minor is OF the frst
,ank among his creations. But just as
ne utilized materials from his Profess
liant cantatas In making these lesser
masses, 80 did he preserve in the n
MINOR work the style OF his mighty
ohoruses In the Passions. The result 4.
something utterly unlike any Roman
music. something publishing the spirit
OF the Reformation in such n manner
tnat the work has been well christencd
the Protestant mass.
"'c " lIt TWO maaterntecel Sc
lec'ed for the tenth Bach festival and
their performance had merits Of a high
order as well as shortcomings perhap.
inescapable. The chief difficulty In pre-
senting such works to-day In to get
solois;s who can sing them. The mar
rator'c part m the st. John. as in the
st. Matthew. Passion is cruelty diff
cult. Mr.. Douty on the whole deserved
credit. though he would have deserved
t,anrn haI 10 A~u -
sentiment out OF every phrase. Louis
Kreidler, late OF the Century Operi
Company. disclosed small acquaintance
with the spirit OF Bach and less with
the style Of his music. But nothing 10
TO he gained by scrutiriizing the art Of
the soloist. Every one In the world Of
music knows that oratorio singers are
few and Bach specialists still fewer
The Bethlehem choir. which is now
twice as large as II was in the begin
ming. contains good material and II
has been we'll ~rehearsod. THE members
OF this chorus love their duties and
study all winter with enthusiasm. Some
Of their singing. as In the great opening
chorus OF the st. John Passion. Lord.
our I,edeemer." was superb In its splen-
dor Of tone. in the clarity OF its treat
ment Of the polyphony. In its variety OF
accent n color and in it's firmness Of
ltNtuTc. olntr cNordl nuI1UeTs, II tnls
Man were not ar evildoer." the fugato
I'VE lave a law" and we salute thee
were also admirably delivered. The
mass naturally went well It is the
battle horse Of the Bethlehem chorus.
TIE members OF the Philadelphia Or
chestra played excellently.
Let II he added with the respect duo
to the subject hat Or. Wolfe has grown
In grace since 1905. In his Bach in
90, fHa.. 90 ia. ~.
uVerturn of the whole festival scheme
there were mannerisms which he de-
clared to be law and gospel. but over
which judicial strangers within the
Moravian gates mourned loudly. rs
p~ecial.y heavy n overbalancing were
the ~:etardations with which he brought
each humble TO a close. Or. Wolfe
has hecome less insls;ent on his own
ideas and more cons!derate n those of
Bach. The reading OF tho st. John
Passion was highly commendable and
brought out most of the beauties Of the
work without violation OF long estab-
lisheG traditions or undue elevation OF
the directors personality.
or the place and significance Of music
festivals In this country something may
he said hereafter. AT present It Is
necessary only to note that in great
| communities, which enjoy a continual
buNThuT VI inu'i'' ~ itStiNhi Hluot Y
solve itself into a series Of con-
certS of music OF one master
by the musical forces. as In
the Instances OF the Beethoven
and Brahms festivals given by the Sym
phony Society OF New York. In ether
cities or towns festivals OF various
composers are given. Many OF these No.
called festivals have little real value.
since they display no coherent artistic
plan. Because OF It's concentration OF
aim and It's sincerity OF spirit the Beth
,ehem festival occupies a most i'm