New-York tribune., 1920-01-18
By H. E. Krehbiel

Performances Of two choral classics
ono secular and the other religious
are promised at the concert Of the
Schola Cantorum, under the direction
of Mr.. Kurt SCHNEIDER, next Wednesday
evening in Carnegie Hall. They are
Handel's lode on st. Cecilia's Day"
and Mozart's Requiem" Practically
they win be novelties to all except vet
eran concertgoers. To recall a perform
ance Of the former one must have a
memory going back thirty-nine years,
Of the latter twenty-five years at least.
Handers setting Of Dryden's familiar
poem may have been performed before
this In Manhattan. but. If so, we have
no knowledge Of the fact The only
performance which lives in our mem
ory, and our records. was one given by
the Philharmonic Society Of Brooklyn,
under the direction Of Theodore
Thomas, on December 1s, 1880. By a
significant coincidence, the first per
formancs which We heard In this city
Of Mozart's Requiem" was also given
BY Mr.. Thomas and the Brooklyn Phil
harmonic Society, on December 20, 1884.
The oraterio Society performed 1t
twice. under the direction Of Mr.. Wal
ter Damrosch. IN 1887. since which time
It has had no hearing (ss public son-
cert, ut loast), except . very unsatis-
factory one 1t . service Of the Church
Choral Society. conducted by Richard
Henry Warren, In the Church Of Zion
and St. Timothy, on December 20, 1894.
The absence Of the sOds on st. Co.
cilia's Day" from local concert nsts
may have It's explanation IN the annual
performances Of "The Messiah" which
hsve made the production Of even such
\ masterpieces a. ''Israel In Egypt" "
"Samson" and Judas Maccabeuss sx-
ceedingly rare events. Why the
Requiem" has been 50 sadly neglected
We do not know, unless It be because
the conductors Of our choral societies
are fearful about all extended liturRical
compositions except Verdi's "Mass for
the Dead" and Rossini's "Stabat Mater. y
whose popularity lies in the theatrical
character Of the music. However this
may be. there is something interesting,
as we'll as timely. to be said about the
compositions which arc TO be heard
next Wednesday.
Handles Setting Of DEyden's Poem
Handel composed the "Ods on st.
A. no IN L.
the saint, which falls annually on No
vember 22. in the year 1889. In this
he followed custom inaugurated In
England by Purcell In 1853. Prior TO
that elmo there had been no public
celebration Of the anniversary of
ST. Cecilia, whom the traditions Of tho
Church describe as martyr and who.
because o. storied skill in music. had
become tho patron saint Of musicians.
Purcell. in 1888, wrote three odes on
the day and thereby set . fashion
which lived for mons than half . csn-
tury. Dryden wrote bis ode IN 1887
and II was given for competition TO an
italian named Draghi. In 1885 Handel
made = setting Of Dryden's second
ODE, ~Alexandsr's Feast" which cele-
brAtes the power Of music q sxemnif-
ned In the tale Of Timotheus. Its suc-
cess led him, three years later. TO take
up ths sariier pcein and give Il the
M0Tsny musical treatment which II had
not rsesivsd. He began tho work OF
eomposition on Ssptsmbsy is. 1856. and
c1mplstsA 81 nine days later. Tho drst
performance was snnOuncsd by SThs
London Dslly Pestr on November II
OF ths same years, ss follows:
zAAhs Tbsstss pcysI ii Hneoln's