davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23
Bv Arthur Mees

~ ORDER 10 interpret the solo num-
hers Of Handel's oratorios in general
j and Of his sacred oratorios in par
.i.,|ar. not only correctly but also in such
manner as to produce on the hearers of
Iss present day the impressions which it
rs the composers intention that they
should produce on those Of his time, 1t is
necessary for the singer to grasp the spirit
q these oratorios so completely as TO be
,5le 10 reflect it truthfully, unfettered on
he one hand by considerations Of so-called
traditions which would make Handel's
,-storios antiquated dust-covered relics
Z the past. and unaffected on the other
n new readings which would impart TO
TEN a modern flavor foreign to their nat
re and form. In other words, the singer
INST re-create these masterpieces of vocal
n with that spontaneity which can be
u1ured only after the most careful study
Of their technical structure and their emo
tonal content. and presupposes that per-
feet control Of the art of singing which
u Handel's time was considered indispen-
sable.
This cannot be accomplished without a
thorough knowledge Of the composers in
ayiduality. Of the musical tendencies Of
be period in which he lived, Of the infu-
uces to which he was subjected, Of the
rotyes which actuated him in choosing
particular sphere Of musical creativeness
md Of the objects he had in view in so
iong. Especially is this the case with
Handel as an oratorio composer, for. as
viii appear later on. he was induced to
enter on this line of activity not from
choice but i'm consequence Of failure in his
iwOrite career of opera composer.
Handel was a man Of such unusual per
,onality that il would be difficult among
he great musicians TO find one who could
e compared 10 him i'm this respect. Self
.onfdent, fearless, proud yet jovial, fully
mscious of possessing the most eXtraor-
.nary gifts i'm many directions, Uncom-
Promising, yet thoroughly practical in the
pursuit Of his ideals, masterful yet tender
md charitable, endowed with a keen, swift
1iellect which enabled him to divine what
.hers could discover only after patient
rsearch and analysis. he exerted an in
'uence social as well as artistic which
made him a force TO be reckoned with.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23
The Edihcatory Purpose of The
/ Messiah" Has Been Read Into 1t

r. \. Streatfeild in his biography of
Handel has this to say in regard to The
Messiah:
"The aim Of The Messiah is purely ar
tistic. IL has 10 didactic purpose. II is not
a sermon, but song, magnificent effort OF
the human Imagination. exercised upon the
greatest and most inspiring of all conceiv-
able subjects (the picture OF human destiny,
the dream Of human redemption Incl
dentally, il is also extremely edifying, but its
obligatory purpose has been read into /, by
modern hearers, who have found in The Mes
siah' what they wished 10 find, rather than
what the composer meant them 10 find.
"The stupendous masterpiece in which
Handel released Christianity from the bond
age Of fact and rewrote the romance OF
human redemption in characters Of immortal
fire is now degraded TO the leye. OF mild
digestive, which helps the struggling non
conformist conscience to tide over the festiv-
tiles of Christmas.
"The ceremony Of attending performance
Of The Messiah is TO the average Englishmsn
as immutable a Christmas institution as
going TO church or eating slice OF turkey.
If YOU tell him that The Messiah is "A work
of art, you either amuse or shock him"
And finally, these passages from Ro-
main Rollands Handel deserve quota
ton:
"The first oratorios he composed were real
~ acted. And If Handel abstained
from theatrical representston-whicha alone
gives value to certain scenes-on the other
hand, he stood firmly for having his orstorios
at the theatre and not In the church. There
were not wanting churches any less than dis
senting chspes in which he could give his
works. and by not doing so he turned against
himself the opinion OF religious people, who
considered il saerilegious 20 carry pious sub
iects onto the stage; but he continued 70
affirm that he did not write FOR the church,
bu. worked for the theatre free theatre.
By singers, frightfully correct and
pious, without any feeling or intimacy there
has been established that tradition Of Mes.
siah' performances which makes Handel
church musician after the style OF Louis XIV.
all decoration. pompous columns, noble and
cold statues ard pictures By lie Brun.'
There need be no apprehension on the
part of any one that when performed in
the large human spirit in which it was
written, with due appreciation of its mon
umental greatness as an art work, a series
of poetic tone pictures Of the episodes
which make up the story of human re-
demption, Handers Messiah" would be
deprived in the slightest degree OF its i'm
pressiveness or Of its effect on those hear
ers who would listen to it in devotional
mood. ANY attempt to satisfy the more
or less hay preconceived wishes OF such
hearers would only result in detracting
from its dignity and power without offer
ing anything in compensation.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

rr1v rocls ago DR.. arthur Mets
5.l,r,~rd tic foUorring address be-
rro,s of Herbert Udhcrspoo'ts
r" ~, IN Hr. WHterspoon's studio. The
,i,,ss. rii-F, as the reader 'rH t'd,
'a'''.. ,e,. end most significant light
p'y u,rdei made a deep impression
~" ,..to heard t. Or. MeeS points out
{" " y.,6ll was not the solemn re-
e.:.,s 'ype Of composer at ALL bH'' con-
~ popular conception, ,cdS a re'y
g ,...,, and irorldly sort, 'rho nored an
800, Of princes and kings, and 'cho
. PBjr0l subjects because they
80 better than the ouiCorn themes
-t..f Supplied Italian opera. A COM
Ito, has called Handel "on eigh-
.,,r,I century pagan
account Of tho impression made By
~, ~lwortnb'c address reached The
,-ygrs Pcrie.r, and, coHson0nt 'rith
=. ,oliry TO present to is readers sig
.,s.ort addresses Of ere,y sort as con-
.a,,,,irg items Of important ne,cS, a re-
-, ,rgs sent TO Dr.. Mecs for per0lis-
,.g 70 print the essay on Handel The
.,,,,sf net gJf5 foror. The article IS
,,5a,,iaiy timc'A ha ricw Of The added
tie o-1foyio duy.iUC the
rlrs.mos season. Incidentally, singers
IN discover here suggestions 1chich
gsg prorc rolaobie to them,
Dr., Mes. rio has been prominent ~
.,.icol circles for a great many years
n, ros. for one thing, Theodore
7iorqs's assistant for tlrcnty gears,
/, ror conductor Of the tiro annual fes-
s,ols qircu OF Norfolk, Conn, and at
Torces'cr, Mass.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23
7 Iandel Himself Was Singer
l l of Peculiar Charm

Without a voice of any consequence
Handel could sing so artistically and
touchingly that on one occasion on record
a celebrated singer feared to challenge the
comparison which might be instituted If
he sang after him. How much Importance
Handel attached to artistic and genuinely
emotional Interpretation is proved by the
fact that in his oratoros at least, where
actual impersonaton could be dispensed
with, he apparently Unfortunately as
signed the same arias to male or female
voices, Transporting them when necessary,
regardless of the abrupt changes of key
cccasioned thereby, with the sole object of
having them sung in proper style and with
the necessary expression.
=, the scores of "The Messiah" from
which Handel conducted there are to be
found in his own handwriting the names
of soprano and tenor, alto and bass SOLO
lists to whom he on various occasions al
lotted one and the same aria, whatever may
have been the class of voice he had in
mind originally. So, for instance, above
the well-known opening rectative in "The
Messiah" Comfort Ye," which was COM
posed for a tenor, are to be found pen
cilled by Handel the names Mr. Beard,
Mr.. Lowe (tenors) and Signora Avolio
Csoprano), indicating that he permitted it
to be sung by soprano as well as a tenor.
Almost every aria in this oratorio was
given by the composer at different times
to different artists, according as he con-
sidered this or that singer best fitted to
bring out its meaning, regardless of the
class Of the voice.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

ment TO this Office Of trust and response
bility, and was credited in the local paper
with a promotion to the police force at Camp
Devens At first we were kept amused by
the possibility Of more glass-eyed and active
tuberculosis draftees staying week longer;
they were sent up By patriotic local boards
who wanted TO have record quota; that
they succeeded in this laudable ambition IS
being earnestly claimed by the physicians
in camp. | must confess myself to mild
and innocent curiosity as TO how much hash
| will get when | am the 18th in the cafe
terra line Of $50, or how clean the dishwater
in the two little pans will be under similar
circumstances.
eyes. a few draftees are rejected and sent
back. strange to say, TO normal life; they
are the pieces Of the game that seem. some
how, back in the closet laid. An apt simile,
this: q veritable checkerboard of nights and
DAYS. That some one knows about 1t all we
do not doubt. for orders come, men go. But
as we are hither and thither moved, we out
grow a bit the sodden pessimism Of Omar,
and the expectancy of the unexpected, the
hone of the improbable, give US gentle an
ticipatons Of the morrow.
81 suppose before long great-hearted and
rcsolute-wilcd-an very supplemented r.
men will 90 lecturing around the country
about this military life, bringing us (as II
has brought other soldiers bang up against
the great fundamentals of life. the eternal
verities. the main, central, simple obJectives'
This is earnest and we'll meant rhetoric; one
might wish it were true, but ! hope 1t VIII
be sharply challenged by our minds before
We draw our conclusions.
81 cannot speak for the fighting soldiers
10 be sure They say they are having soul
cleansing and rich glowing experiences such
war doubtless offers 10 some boys. | re-
member reading a college lads letter. lie
described himself as lounging under mu-
nitions truck, reading 'Snappy Stories while
shrapnel and shells were playfully bursting
about him. lie took time TO scribble this
note in which he said: I'm thankful for
What this war is doing for me. II has grown
hair on my chest, taught me TO obey DIS
agreeable orders graciously. and wiped away
the damn superficial attitude Of college
am reminded of the statements OF officers to
the effect that at last they had sloughed OF
the conventionalities. the veneer; their lives
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

Of the Duke Of ChandoS, robleman who
maintained an establishment in regal
Splendor at CanEons, was invited TO as
sumo the responsibility Of supervising the
artistic conduct Of the new company, and
seeing in this offer long coveted oppor-
tunity TO satisfy his ambition as a COM
poser Of dramatic music, retired from his
otherwise highly satisfactory position at
Cannons TO accept it.
For twenty years thereafter he devoted
his energies almost exclusively TO Italian
opera in London, composing operas in
rapid succession, searching the Continent
for the greatest singers of the time. study
ing their parts with them, conducting re-
hcarsalS and performances, acting as bus
mess manager Of this company until he
was driven out by intrigues which created
OBJECTIONS, and then organizing and inanc-
ing companies Of his own in defiance Of
the efforts Of the nobility and aristocracy
to ruin him.
The net results Of these labors, which
only one endowed with the most indomi-
table courage and with inexhaustible
physical powers could endure. were bank
ruptcy. and at last loss of health Yet
even then Handel could not give up all
hope Of rehabilitating Italian opera in
London. Partially restored by a course Of
treatment at Aix-la-Chapelle so heroic
that only constitution of iron could un-
dergo it, he returned to the metropolis and
once more made an attempt TO produce
newly composed operas. The result was
SO disastrous that he was compelled, TO his
sorrow, to conclude that there was no
longer any hope for him as an operate
composer and impresario, and TO decide to
turn his activity into other channels. In
1741 he therefore took his farewell from
the operate stage forever.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23
LIE Treated Kings Not AS
! / Superiors. but Equals

A gentleman among gentlemen, he
ubbed elbows with dukes, princes and
Kings who were ambitious to rule the
l1usical destiuies of England, treating
hem not as superiors but at best as
qlals if not as mentally inferior, yet al
bays with due regard for their rank and
the grand, courtly manner which he
auld assume to perfection when occasion
emanded.
He lived not only the life of a great
susician, but that of d grand, superb man
IS well not only the life of an artist COM
nuning with himself, but also that Of a
sosnopolite who keeps in close touch with
his environments, knows how TO adapt
ahself TO circumstances and whose out
COX is not blurred by too constant intro
Pection.
As a composer; conductor, organist,
lAyer Of the harpsichord he had no peers
ave one, Sebastian Bach, who, however,
|.eeping aloof from public gaze, was con-
PEN 10 live in comparative obscurity as
ne cantor Of a cathedral school. As a
nan Of affairs his reputation for honesty
Pa business acumen was such that
aoagh bankrupt twice-once as an opera
epTeSario and again as an Oratorio i'm
'esario-only a single one of his credi-
rs ever threatened TO sue him, with the
suit that Handel's friends came TO his
scue and, organizing against his will a
'aeert for his benefit, provided much
greater sum than was requisite to satisfy
0e importunate creditor.
In l720 there was formed in London
F0r The purpose Of encouraging perform
fAees Of Italian opera on a grand scale,
E"mpany under the patronage Of King
gorge |, entitled, by special permission,
re Royal Academy of Music. Handel,
20 was at the time the musical director
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

In order, therefore, to arrive at proper
cor copton of the manner in which IN
particular the solo numbers in Handles
oratorios should be sung it is necessary
to turn to those in his operas, for. as
Krctzschmar has pointed out, Handefs
oratorios. even "The Messiah" have moth
ing TO do with the Church, but arc TO be
looked upon as music dramas pure and
simple, in basing some of which on Bibli-
cal subject matter Handel was not
a,tuated by a misplaced interest in church
music, but by the consideration that the
people at large to whom he wished to adj
dress himself were more conversant with
the history Of the Jewish heroes than with
the NEUROLOGICAL fables with which the
Italian opera of that period had sought to
interest an exclusive and pampered nobil-
ity and aristocracy. Although Handles
historical status as composer rests prin-
cirally on the oratorio, the fact must be
borne in mind that he remains in this
sphere what he chose to be above every
thing else, and what he remained to the
end: a dramatic composer.
In writing his operas Handel made no
effort to introduce reforms. He had
served his apprenticeship as operate COM
poser in Italy and to the very last abided
by the principles and purposes Of the
Italian opera. such as they were up to the
eighteenth century. Handel was in this
field what his sanest biographer, Chry
sander, called him. the greatest Italian.
While the native-born Italian composers
may have cxcellcd him in consciousness
and grace they were incapable of COM
peting with him in the expression of gem
uine depth of passion and intensity Of
emotion which he achieved without sub
stantially changing the forms and meth
DDS which had in the course of time be-
come stereotype in the old Italian opera
and which he subsequently transplanted
into the oratorio, with such changes as he
found necessary.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

hundred Turing seas right at hand. These
are things not lightly relinquished for the
simple relief Of compulson in even a worthy
single cause So one must candidly say
that the characteristic spirit Of the camp Is
not one OF spontaneous enthusiasm or gay
abandon Yes, it is a sorry business; but 1t
must apparently be done, so, Of course, 1t
is TO be done. Whatever is due to come will
be borne doubtless in the same patient way.
Mr. Bourne calls this acquiescence. SO II
is. but there is no shame in that, to be sure;
the attitude can be criticised only on grounds
Of inheXiblity and lack Of humor, never
for any lack of high and worthy seriousness.
The troubles are being packed away honest
" and courageously in the old hit bag. how
ever wan the smile may be. What light
heartedness appears is Of that pathetic or
brutal sort which justifes calling the men
philosophers in the definition implied by the
gentle-minded lady who said BE philosophi-
cal, my dear; resolve just not to think
about it,
"Uncertanty breeds humor however. and
the drabness is touched up with gayer flashes.
Where Do We Go From Here. Boys" is a
very significant song; it can be sung with
real feeling when men make up their packs
on a few hours notice, hastily telegraph
home and are entrained for parts darkly
guessed at. - means, we surmlse'
that YOU will be taken right to the river
bank and dropped on transports with steam
up: but it may be Camp -, which
means France sooner or later. but little
later: or it may be simply the prospect OF
a strange. drawing winter in Georgia. This
is great uncertainty that keeps spark
Of nervous humor thrilling in even the most
calloused sensibility.
MANY are the minor uncertainties. one
is when the leggings will arrive, so you can
meet your best girl with killing effect next
Sunday Speaking Of next Sunday. the query
arises whether an unkind providence IN the
person OF the first sergeant Will put you on
kitchen police duty for that date. thus ruin
ing the one welcomed day in seven. Being
on kitchen police is no joke, IN spite OF
OHara. OIara. it seems. was naughty. and
50 received as punishment kitchen police duty
for week He wrote home OF his appoint
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23
7 Jandel Turned to Biblical Themes
l Because People Wanted Them

Realizing that the people at large upon
whom he had to rely for the necessary
patronage took little interest in the fables
and legends Of classic and romantic my
tho!cgy on which most of the books of the
operas of the period were based, Handel
cast about for better known subject mat
ter for his new dramatic works and found
it in the Biblical stories. He was encour-
aged to make this choice by the fact that
his experience in treating these stories in
semi-dramatic form under the designa-
tor of oratorio early in his career had
beer altogether favorable. 1t was, there
fore not with the conscious purpose of
developing an old art form or creating a
now one but from motives Of expediency
that Handel now set about composing ora
torios. simply substituting for the myth
illogical heroes and heroines Of his ltal-
ian operas the heroes and heroines of the
Scriptures, without in any way deviating
from his purposes as dramatic composer
oc altering his methods except for the
freer and more frequent employment Of
tho chorus which the epic character Of the
text invited
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

dared gansay him or question his author
ity. On occasions one or the other singer
would indeed complain Of the Ineffective
ness of this or that aria, and even demur
to singing it unless changes were made,
only to yield when Handel had shown how
il should and could be sung; how, by fol-
lowing his instructions, sensational sue
cess with that very aria might be
achieved
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

thing they may stand
as the reactions Of 4
class rather than as
merely the reactions Of
an individual. The SEN
timents are strictly
American; they repre-
sent a slice Of that
newer. America which
was just becoming al
ticulate, in a compre-
hensive and graspable
manner. at the out
break of the war. But
Mr.. Agard goes even
further than the initial
promise of the present
article, for he poises
and contemplates as
well the effect Of war
and the grim processes
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

called collectively the great American de-
mocracy. These then, are the rookie re-
actions:
$50 psychological commission is now en-
Gagged in measuring our mental aptitude and
adaptabilitv for various types Of service in
the National Army. Who can guess what in
credible revelations may be brought about
bv these vocational experts? We who have
been paperhangcrs it may be are better TT
ted by far for the signal corps, and we for
mer professors Of Greek perhaps have that
unique intellectual equipment which makes
one wellnigh invaluable as a camp cook
All honor to this attempt at efficiency and
fairness i'm military organization! Yet many
Of us have already been analyzing the re-
action of our own minds to this eXtraordi-
nary condition Of living in our camp, and,
being chiefly New England men, we are nstur-
ally and tradtionsly experts in introspec-
ton. So it may well appear that We strike
unusual depth in our reflections. As for
myself, ! cannot say with certainty yet
what branch Of the service ! am peculiarly
fitted for. but ] have a sneakng suspicion
that il is for the Red Cross rather than
the heavy field artillery.
"The prevailing attitude among the men
on the roll Of honor of our new army | arm
very sure is stoicism. yerging on fatalism
This war is sorry business; it's no joke
being torn away from a home long enjoyed,
or, infinitely worse, one just started; giving
up a career in business lately assured after
long uncertainty; leaving as memories only
an asthetic argosy. gay and poignant voy-
ages in color and sound sensation, with I.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23
w Handel "Eighteenth Century Pagan, Should Be Sung

posing il had no other object in view than
the creation Of such work on the same or
similar lines which ne had followed for
many years. So it came about that little
by little this oratorio was robbed in large
measure Of its native forcefulness in the
effort TO graft on il meaning quite for
eign to it in the mind OF the composer.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-23

TNHESE reactions. by Walter r.
Agard. which appeared in THE
New Republic are interesting
from a number Of standpoints, as the
reader will himself discover. For one
Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-19
WOMAN SICK
TWO YEARS
Could Do No Work.
Now Strong as a
aa Man.

Chicago, Ill.-tsFor about two years
I suffered from female trouble so |