New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-04
Details of This Weeks
Concerts at the Armorv

music festival to be held at the list
Regiment Armory during this week:
1t Is possible to underestimate as
we'll as to overestimate the value of a
festival in these days.
Since NY fathers great music fes-
tival in 1881 New York has developed so
tremendously and there is such an a
lanchc of excellent musical entertain
ment during the winter hat the SEN
satIonal side of a festival week of mu-
sic no longer looms up with the same
force as formerly.
But enough remains to make it we'll
worth while if viewed from a more Sc
rious standpoint.
posing in their number, but not so
large as to be artistically unwieldy.
"ln the Elijah the entire festival
chorus Of 1000 will take part, but FOR
the R~achmaninoff evening and for the
Pilgrims Progress have selected 600
singers, to which will be added a school
children's chorus of 600. For the latter
the festival should be a real musical
stimulant and inspiration.
"In The Damnat{on of Faust the
male chorus will number $50, and they
should make a splendid showing in the
famous Soldiers Chorus.
"Finally, the very large demand for
tickets indicates that a large public
exists for choral music, if cultivated
IN festival fashion, and / am very keen
to have this interest kept alive and
properly no~urished."
The New York Music Festival, which
opens next Tuesday at the list Regi-
nent Armory, announces through the
Oratorio Society that the concerts are
scheduled to begin on daylight saw
ing time. This announcement is made
for the benefit of those who may
come to the festival from great dis
tances, arriving in New York on
through trains running on Eastern
standard time.
The Order of the Programs
"Elijah," Tuesday evening, will be
gin at Sis p. ~; the Rachmaninotf
program Wednesday evening, S:15
p. m. (Thursday will be devoted to
private rehearsals); the "Pilgrim's
Progress" Friday evening, 1915 p. m;
Bach, Beethoven and Brahms
Saturday afternoon, $3.50 p. m. (Thc
Moravian Trombone Choir, however,
will start to play old Bach chorales
on the parapet outside of the fist
1.-THE Damnation Of Faust" Saturday
- Il. III. dlu ~ Gil
program with Tetrazzini Sunday after
noon at 3 o'clock.
Oliver Edel, fourteen, is said to be
the best boy soprano in New York. In
competition with hundreds Of other
boy singers, young Edel has been
selected by Walter Damrosch to sing
the part Of the Shepherd in Edgar
Stillman kelley's oratorio, "Pilgrim's
Progress" which will be done for the
first time in New York at the Music
Festival at list Regiment Armory, Fri
day evening.
A special feature Of the music festi-
va! at the list Regiment Armory for
the afternoon Of Saturday, April 10,
when the concert will be devoted to
Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, Will be
the celebrated Moravian Trombone
Choir, OF Bethlehem.
Trombone Choir to Participate
The Moravian Trombone Choir will
travel over from Bethlehem for the
festival with the no less famous Bach
Choir. 1t is planned by the manage
ment Of the festival to place the from
bonists with their trumpets high up on
the parapet at the Thirty-fourth Street
and Park Avenue corner of the fist
Regiment Armory building, where they
will play old Bach chora es to The OUT
side world for one-half hour before
the concert commences within.
The music festival viii be opened at
the list Regiment Armory with a per-
Torrance of the oratorio Elijah, -
Tuesday evening, with Fricda Hon
rel, Merle A%lcoch, Rachel Norton
Harris, Edward Johnson and Louis
Gravcure as s~oloists and the festival
chorus Of 1900 voices; also the New
York Symphony Orchestra augmented
for this occasion to $50 pieces. Walter
Damrosch, as conductor IN chief Of the
festival. will direct.
The idea Of writing an oratorio
founded upon the Bible story of Elijah
occurred to Mendelssohn nine years
before thc work was actually begun. III
1S45. The following year it had its
first production at the Birmingham
festival. Rehearsals were he'd in Lon
don, and the artists, amid great enthu-
siasm, left for Birmingham on a spe-
cial train. The band and chorus all
told numbered 1896. The concert was
given az 1880 in the morning.
Then. as now, the impresario had his
troubles. Mendelssohn's soprano in
sisted thai Hear Yc, Israeli be trans.
posed d whole tone down and that Ger
tain changes be made to suit her par
ticular style Of voice. She declared
that it was not a lady's song" The
mposer, with fine tact, told her that
the song was written for the principal
SODrano hut off Won do NOT like -