New-York tribune., 1920-11-12

the concert world in practicable
form only twenty years ago. The his
tory of the work forms an interesting
Biographical note In 1883 Mozart, who
was wooing Constance Won Weber, reg
istered vow "in his heart" Gas he
said) that if he brought her home to
Sslzburg as his wife he would pro-
duce q new mass as q votive gift He
won her, and the mass in C minor was
performed in the Church of St. Peter
on August % of that year. But it was
incomplete, only four of its divisions
Kyrie, Gloria. Sanctus and Benedictus
being finished.
Constance sang the soprano solos,
pei, for that was among the un-
completed portions. Nevertheless, we
fancy that it WAS conceived either
for her or for her gifted sister,
Aloysia. with whom Mozart was in love
before he turned to her sister. Its
voice part was wholly writer out, and
so were the obligNto parts for the wood
winds in what we imagine must be the
most amazing piece of missal writing
in musical literature. 1t is bravura
music of the most light-hearted and
brilliant kind, full of sclntillant scales
and ingenious passages, all vocalized
"factus," yet its text is that portion Of
the creed which proclams that Jesus
Christ was "incarnate by tho Holy
Ghost of the Virgin Mary and made
man. profoundly solemn conception
to composers since church music be-
gan, but accepted by Mozart in the
spirit of Christmas rejoicing.
Mozart never finished the mass, but
despoiled several of it's numbers for a
cantata for three voices and orchestra.
entitled "Davidde penitente,' which he
made for concert given to enrich the
pension fund for musicians widows IN
Vienna in 1885. copy of the four
completed divisions was found in Ba-
varian monastery by Andre (Mo2art's
publisher), and in 1891 Alois Schmidt
brought out the work in complete form,
carrying out Mozarts sketches where
ne found them, and supplying the rest
from other masses by Mozart.
There could scarcely be too much
praise for the manne. in which Nine
hempel sang the EFT incarnatus est
and later, the great forid air from "Die
Lntfuhrung aus dem Serial" or, since
she sang the Italian text. III Seraglio.'
1t vas the most astonishing feat Of
bravura which we have ever heard her
pcrform and as pure and noble in style
as it was brilliant and ravishing in
vocal quality. No singer known to US
could have rvalled il.
The program prepared by Mr.. Stran
sky for the Philharmonic Society was
made up Of Liszt's Dante Symphony"
the Bacchanale from "Tannhauser,'
spinning scene from "The Flying
Dutchman" and Ride Of the Nalkyrior
from Die Walkjirc' In all Of these
Plumbers, except the last. the orchestra
lad the cooperation of the st. Cecilia
Club, Of which Mr.. Victor Harris is
Conductor. All the music has been
familiar to local concert lists for Il
long time-the work by List for just
fifty years. The Philharmonic Society
gave 1t its first American performance
and the concluding "Magnihcat' was
hen sung by the boy choir of Trinity
Church.
The seXless voices Of boys are bet
ter adapted for the serene, ctherial,
1assionlcss effects aimed at by the com
poser than the mature voices Of women;
5ut the club sang we'll in this number,
with precision, a fairly well-balanccd
body Of tone. The sopranos sagged in
pi,ch on the high tones, but not so
dlsmally and distressfully as the por-
ion Of the choir that sang the song of
he sirens eff stage in the Bacchanale
This number, # it is performed in con-
cert at all, would be more effective if
accompanied by moving pictures; We
wish the observation taken in all seri-
BUSINESS. There was adequate pre-
c.sion in the bands playing and some
noticeable improvements over last sea-
son in the vood-wind choir. But the
muscularity and full tone of the strings
which we used to admire in the old
philharmonic is no longer there.