Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-09
DACHCHO|RS|NGS
THE B MINOR MASS
Gives Finest Performance In Its
History Of Baoh's Great
est Choral Work
|PERFEcTIoN IN TRAINING
By q sfar Correspondent

Bv star Correspondent
Bethlehem, Pa, June s.-The Bach
|Choir Of Bethlehem concluded the four
Eteenth festival Of its history on Satur-
fday with the twelfth performance OF
}the gigantic Mass in B minor, the work
H that disputes honors as the greatest
choral composition Of all time with
] iBeethoven's "Messe Solennelle," the
Ninth Symphony and Brahms's Re
QUEEN. 1t will be noticed incidentally
that three Of these four are works based
4 on religious subjects.
The Mass is largely choral COM
position, requiring little solo work as
compared with the cantatas presented
on Friday, but what solo work there
n must be Of the highest order. The
soloists for the Mass were Florence
Hinkle, soprano; Merle Alcock, con-
ktralto; Nicholas Douty. tenor, and Cap
tain Charles Trowbridse Tittman, bass.
Miss Hinkle's voice was high, flexible
and Of beautiful quality, although at
times there might have been more vol
ume. Miss Alcock Is one Of the finest
altos as to voice and artistry that has
yet been presented at the Bach, festi-
vals. Her singing of the "Christe
Eleison' in the "Kyrie" With Miss
Hinkle and of the "Agnus Del" was
especially beautiful. Mr.. Douty re-
peated his success of Friday. He did
Il not seem to be in such good voice as
on the previous day, but displayed the
4 same artistry of Interpretation and de-
I livery, the same keen understanding OF
Bach, and deep religious feeling. which
made his performance a notable one.
Captain Tittman also sang well. again
showing his remarkably fine upper reg
lister, although there was here and there
a tendency to sing off the key In the
middle and lower notes.
Augmented Orchestra
The orchestra required for the mass
Is larger than that for the cantatas,
and was therefore augmented by eight
| or ten men, all in the strings. The
members of the orchestra were OBJ
! viously familiar with the music Of the
mass and played with precision and
Runity that added much to the beauty Of
the performance. OF especial merit was
the violin obligato played by Emil f.
Schmidt: the oboe obligato to the con-
tralto solo, played by Marcel Tabuteau,
and the French horn solo in the Gloria.
played by Anton Hornor. This latter is
especially difficult. as it lies very high
/ and contains trill, very unusual and
4 difficult effect on an instrument ordi-
l narily used only for melody or orches-
tral color.
However, these were incidentals. but
In great work like the B Minor Mass
every element must be perfect to in
sure a satisfactory performance. As
lhas been said, the mass Is distinctly a
Ichoral work and 1t is therefore on the
Chorus that the main burden lies. As
was the case on Friday. the Bach choir
showed that this year it is better bal
yanced and has more fine voices than
ever before in its history. There is ne
weakness in any section, and the tenors,
Of which there is usually a scarcity in
a large volunteer choir, are especially
nne in quality and in numbers balance
we'll with the other voices, which are
generally much easier to secure.
As to the training Of the choir, it Is
perfection itself. From the first an
n sished cry, In the Kyrie, to the last
4 ,atained note at the close Of the Agnus
ki, there was not the semblance OF
ID error, either in entries, releases Of
notes or intonation, while the shading
was nothing short Of phenomenal. The
Bach choir knows the B Minor Mass
AZ well as 1t Is possible for any large
musical organization to know an ex.
tended composition.
Entry Is Difficult
Bach had as keen a knowledge of the
value Of contrasts and as fine an in
stinct for dramatic values as any com
poser who has ever lived. This is shown
repeatedly in the mass. and Doctor
Wolfe has studied these things with th'
care which he bestows on all the work.
o., the Leipsic master, and brough
them out with tremendous effect. On
~ the finest moments In the entire worl
Is at the very beginning, where tn
full chorus and orchestra enter on tn
concluding note of the chorale playe'
outside by the trombone choir OF tn
aMorayian church. The entry is difficult
sas It is taken very loud, but the choru
responded beautifully, and the efec
was overpowering.
Still another is in the Credo. at thu
close of the "Crucifxus." At the poin
narrating the passing and the buria
Of the Christ, the chorus (unaccom
panied) sang in pianissimo so incredi
bIy soft, for body Of more than 20t
singers, that it could scarcely be heart
al the end of the church, and yet thu
notes of the chords were all perceptibl
Immediately followed one Of thos,
titanic contrasts which Bach knew
40 well how to employ. With full voice
Of the entire chorus and orchestra came
the ''Et resurrexit," in a vigorou!
allegro narrating the resurrection agar
with enormous effect.
These are only two Of the series o.