New-York tribune., 1922-10-29
Oratorio Society to Present Work on Biblical The
Prize Winner
Opens Season OF
OratoriOSociety
The Apocalypse To Be Civ.
en al Carnegie HallNov.2 %;
Dramatic Power Of Work
With a Biblical Libresto

sesic which won the $4,000 prize re-
Gently offered by the National fedora
ion Of Musical Clubs. viii be the fifss
Offering of the orstorio Society Of New
York In its series of concerts for che
crescent season. II will be produced In
Carnegie Hall on the evening Of
Wednesday, November 20.
Upon the tremendous theme, based
on the books Of Daniel and the Reveis-
tion, ccnceived by Pauline Arncux Mac
Arshur and Henri Pierre Roche, Paolo
Calico has built a composition which
has been universally compared With
erntorios which have endured for cen
turies. Credit for the conception in
the first instance belongs to Mrs. Mac
Arthur. who, writing while the war was
seili pursuing its devastating course,
offered !s TO composers Of this country
as poetic stimulus for score for
which the National Federation Vt
Musical Clubs offered prize Of
$4,000.
Be9ors dipping into the description
Of the content and symbolism Of "The
Apocalypse" 1t is we'll 20 speak q word
Of its style. u is designated rs a ''dra-
matte orstorio" and there has been
wids appreciation Of It's poteutialities
for drama. II lie full Of suggestive pos
sib,llty for an opera and should prove
tremendously effective with embeiiish-
nents Of scenery and action as we'll AZ
~ the static manner Of conventional
rasorio. There is more than musical
grandeur In this work, containing. as
Is does, vitality, striking color and
elasticity which are oE the drama.
The form Of "The Apocalypse" is
Hoiogue and three parts. The respec-
i've titles are "Belshszzar's Feast"
"Armageddon," Babylon" and "The
Millennium" In fashioning the libretto
she authors have drawn not only from
ReVelation but also from the Book OF
Daniel and there are number of i'm
aginstive passages which are derived
not al all from Holy Writ. In point
Re shazzsr's Feast and Babylon"
are made up almost wholly Of original
yerses from the pen Of Pauline Mic
Arthur, and "Armageddon" is the work !
II Henri Pierre Roche.
Throughout The frst three acts Of
the composition the role of interpreter
Is taken by character designated as
Narrator" role designed for bass
Toice. In the prologue the Narrator"
announces that "E3elshazzar, the king,
made great feast to a thousand of
his lords and drank wine before the
thousand" This admits of the intro
dSction of group of men lauding
@ine, and OF characters conceived as
Spectre" and the Spirit of Drunken
ness" and "Giuttony." which reprove, in
cynical fashion, the excesses of the
+ 8elshaz2aran orgy, But the feast and
/ sevei Of license go on, reaching sn
orgiastic cresceHdo in the dance OF
eoncubines and slaves with choral
( supplement, hymning tho licentious de-
lights. Then "IdoIatry" walks upon the
scene and remarks upon the inutility
" the vessels and things Of precious
metals which are the equipment Of the
house of the Lord and which are now
brought cut. The crowd of iicentiases
ysucousiy approve "idolasry's" senti-
ments when he loudly denies God. 1t
~ in the darkness that falls on the
jewelers. and the handwriting on the
vail appears with this portentous
message: "Mene. meme. tekei, upharsin."
"Armageddon," the first act. opens
wjth the story Of Gains staying of
Aaei' as sYtabclie introduction Of the
var theme. This narrative Is re-
cited by the Narrator" and then the
Spirit of War enuneiates his code Of
hatred and destruction. The part of
she oraeorio called Babylon" is sym
soiised eg "s woman sitting upon
scsrlet-colcred beast and having in her
FSaHAS EVioSn cup aQi4 OF dpOfnfnH~
tiens.H She ie the scarlet woman, the
hariot who exalts ever her insidious
power over men. But there comes
finally realization to her that he-
power is broken and that inveluntari,,
she haa fulfilled a proheey, that she
npst bear forever the living wound o,
s&sn's seorn.
In "The millennium" the elimination
q all beauty. of goodness, of happi.
ssss comics, expressed in the triumph.
ant ii am Alpha and Omega. the be.
ginning and the end. the rst snd the
asst. The chorus tnterpress eompie.
ten and perfection in the dsvont In
fenAfscn Of THE Grace of Our Lord
9esus Christ be With you all. Amer. =
of her iibretto, Mrs Macarthur saws
that Il il istended TO focus attention
apea the subtle forces that have besn
destructive frcro the haeinning -