Scan 15
Musical Courier 1892-05-25: Vol 24 Iss 640, 1892
67 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 16. See the scan on archive.org.
1degree, polyphonic, i.e., by three parts—discant, alt and basso) style was used. These early plays were on the model of the Greek play, and a survival of this class we see in the Oberammergau "Passionspiele," and the children's performances at Ara Coeli on the Capitol Hill, Rome, on Christmas morn. We then find a more purely musical work—that of Keiser (of the great Hamburg school, comprising Telemann, Mattheson, Händel, Pastor Brockes and Keiser). It was a passion with soliloquia or ruminative monody. The chorales in works of this nature were originally sung by the congregation.
3Bach, in addition to writing motets, cantatas, organ and clavecin music without end, had the ambition to raise the low artistic level of Lutheran song service in St. Thomas' Church, Leipzig, and among other things this great monument of Protestant worship the "Passion Music" (five in number, the chief being according to St. Matthew and St. Mark)—was written at the instigation of Pastor Deyling for "Char Freitag." The Riedel Society produced the other seldom heard "Passions," but they proved less weighty and are rarely sung. Of the most interesting perennial musically monumental performances in Europe those of Mozart's masses in St. Stephen's Dom, Vienna; the miserere either of Basili, Allegri, Baj, Baini or some mass of Palestrina at Rome, and the "Passion Music" at Leipzig, are the most important. In that quaint, gabled and dim old St. Thomas' with the old organ upon which the grand magister Bach was wont himself to play, and with the famous choir trained in his day by him, the music grows from a performance into a sacrament and a profound impression (usually absent at our fashionable festivals) overwhelms an audience of all nations every Good Friday.
5We have a quaint relic of olden time worship (some think Druidical) in the "Guignolée," a charity begging tour, with song, customary for many centuries in old France with the cry "Gui l'an neuf" (See, new year), corrupted in New France (Quebec, Canada) into the "Guignolée." Le gui is the mistletoe. The masquerade in Quebec on that occasion is really a copy of the Roman "Befana." I mention this interesting perpetuation by the early foresters—voyageurs—of Canada as a species of New Year's "waits" or charity serenades at the winter solstice, as are the fires of St. John at the summer solstice (also a custom of Quebec). We have so few ancient customs in this giddy whirl of the 1890's that they are worthy of being studied. In this above beautiful celebration we see the wandering singers of the early Latin and cloistral schools of Germany born anew. History again repeats itself, for, as Grimm wrote, "The songs of the people never die."
7THIRD NIGHT.
9LA DIVINA TRAGEDIA—THE "ST. MATTHEW PASSION MUSIC."
11Certainly the great Jupiter Pluvius is jealous of Apollo's fame in Chicago, for a third night of rain, wind and mud was a piling of Pelion upon Ossa of hard luck. I rejoice to say, however, that the house was full, the chorus far better than the night before, and a genuine whiff of the genuine art love atmosphere seemed to flutter through the divine and mighty arch of America's most imperial Odeon. Lloyd was in superb voice, and this peculiar Chicago wet weather must suit his English trained throat, for he surpassed his Cincinnati "Evangelist" work. His rôle or part is so trying that occasional imperfections must occur, e.g., the admirable presence of mind of Bendix in giving him by a well nigh inaudible twang of a string the note when in temporary distress in the passage "they parted his garments, casting lots." The intervallic progressions are at times so excruciatingly difficult that only an infallible singer could hope to leave no flaw in the part of "Evangelist."
13The chorales were nobly sung, and O Tomlins! even if thou dost make false passes as an orchestral choral conductor thou art still Tomlins, chief of the Apollos. These grand corner stones of musical faith carried me back to the dim, musty old German churches, such as the Heiligengeist Kirche of Heidelberg, where I used to practice organ as a boy and to the mighty chorale singing at the Worms Luther monument opening—the like of which I never dare hope to hear again. When dear Mrs. Joachim sang her "Thou, dear Redeemer, Thou," I was carried back to the old Thomas Kirche, Leipzig, where I first heard her in this work in 1874, and her noble services to art make her sacred to my heart and to my pen! True, her low register (how rich, mellow and resonant it was in those days) is well nigh gone, but the soul is there, and the woman is a monument of pure artistic zeal in the history of sacred music. O Amalia Joachim, America gives thee respectful homage, and may thy Jesu grant thee a peaceful requiem aeternam.
15Mrs. Genevra Johnston-Bishop was pure and sweetly devotional in her "Although my heart" and "Never will my heart refuse thee," and won her due of heartfelt appreciation by sterling, vocal and heart work that does her most infinite credit. Our old musical friend Ludwig did better than we ever have known him to do. As the "Divine Voice" he was pathetic, noble and stirring. His natural instinct is dramatic—operatic—but to-night he was fervently religious and ascetic and his fiery Mephistophelesistic delivery was attuned to loftier strains. Messrs. Lamson and Maish evidently caught the inspiration of the hour and sang better than in any other work in which we have heard them.
17Thomas is mellowing with age, and he in no one instance could be accused of failing to appreciate and support the soloists. The ineffably beautiful violin solos were played with genuine beauty by Bendix, and I honor the youthful artist of America who gave himself such religious pains to support the greatest oratorio contralto of the age in her solos. Have my readers fully appreciated the superhuman painting of the stern old cantor of that scene in Gethsemane and on Golgotha? Plain and unadorned it stands—masterly, divine, holy! The audience were hushed to reverential awe, and Chicago honored her own noble taste in that this stern, classically ideal, sacred tragedy met with a reception not surpassed in the tradition saturated St. Thomas of Leipzig itself.
19I am overjoyed to notice that Tomlin's children (1,000) will repeat their beautiful singing on May 28, and I only regret that I shall be unable to hear them, as I shall be in Cincinnati listening to their May Festival in the interests of the thousands of readers of the greatest musical journal of the world, THE MUSICAL COURIER.
21TOPICS OF THE TIME.
23The great convention of delegates from all the women's clubs of America has been the subject of wide interest and much comment. One wit has remarked that "When the Woman's Club shall have been cultivated until on a par with men's clubs, both sides of the house may suddenly find out that it would be best for them to link arms and go home." A terse and apt application of a homely truth.
25"L" road rolling stock in motion, testing that new feature of Chicago's transportation.
27Dr. Harper, the omnipresent helmsman of the "Spokes" University (spokes is a tender idea of my very own; if Boston is the hub, Chicago is the spokes), has interested all our leading women in the great women's hotel scheme for the fair in his own desire for a woman's hall or college at the university, and presto—change! the educational magician will in all probability have a fine building next the university, to be a permanency. Bravissimo, Herr Doktor! Go along with the times. Have a "Merton," "Canterbury" or Gloucester, a "Queen's" or "Christ" college at Chicago, as England has long had at Oxford or Cambridge, and we may yet see a woman President of the United States. We have seen many queens on the throne and one Pope in the Sedia—why not a Frau Presidentin?
29If Congress proves stingy, our wealthy men are determined that they will, unaided, make the fair the success of the ages, and then, O dullard legislators! where will be your shadows? I am glad our fair folk are no longer begging, but rather claiming their just rights.
31SUMMING UP.
33To read some of the festival criticisms of local scribes one would think that they have the motto attributed to the critic by that scathing critic of his critics, the playwright Goldoni, as their very raison d'etre: "I know nothing, I have not studied, I do not enjoy and I hear not (aright), but I presume to criticise and to judge of things."
35Indiscriminate and o'er fulsome eulogy, even for such work as is bad in performances, is the unkindest service the critic can render to the Apollo and its conductor. It is quite right to encourage home talent and to frequently give them the benefit of any doubt there may be, but in honest criticism the daily press cannot "take both of two cross roads at once;" "catch two hares at once" (Arab), or "carry two watermelons under one arm" (Greek). As surely as the cuckoo, thrush and nightingale warble predominately in minor thirds, the lark in major thirds and fifths; as surely as there is a tonal spectrum analysis analogous with the scale of colors; as surely as the progression of the major third signifies appeal, the fourth descending more emphatic appeal, the minor and major fifths prayer, menace or desire, the sixth being the interval of passion, the augmented sixth pain, the seventh grief or excess of suffering; as surely as the fourth ascending typifies command, decision, affirmation; as surely as music has a clearly defined grammar, with its component parts of speech, as well as the most exquisite form, theory and development, so surely did the Apollos have their moments of glorious achievement, choral perfection side by side with most unfortunate errors in attentiveness (they watch their parts too closely and the conductor insufficiently).
37However, homo sum—and so are they all—and errare, &c. The "Requiem" and "Passion," at any rate, undoubtedly add to their already lustrious fame at home and abroad. At present we may quote the old saw concerning dear romantic Heidelberg given by Longfellow in his "Hyperion" as fitting Chicago like a glove! "It's a jolly place when it's not raining there." one of two readings
38However, homo sum—and so are they all—and errare, &c. The "Requiem" and "Passion," at any rate, undoubtedly add to their already lustrous fame at home and abroad. At present we may quote the old saw concerning dear romantic Heidelberg given by Longfellow in his "Hyperion" as fitting Chicago like a glove! "It's a jolly place when it's not raining there." one of two readings
40Scripsi.
42W. WAUGH LAUDER.
44The Burgemeister Concert.—Master Albert Burgemeister, the talented boy pianist, who has studied several years at the Grand Conservatory of Music, will give his first annual concert at Hardman Hall, Saturday evening next. He will play the A minor concerto by Hummel and Beethoven's C minor concerto, the second rhapsody and "Midsummernight's Dream" by Liszt, and numbers by Bach, Chopin, Schumann, Rubinstein and Brahms. He will be assisted by Miss Dorothea Haar, soprano, and the Grand Conservatory Young Ladies' Double Quartet.
46Brooklyn News.
48A MUSICAL SENSATION CREATED IN CHURCH CIRCLES IN BROOKLYN BY THE INTERESTING FACTS BROUGHT OUT IN THE MUSICAL COURIER RELATING TO ORCHESTRAL MUSIC IN CHURCHES AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE SINGING MUSIC AT THE CLUBS—OTHER GOSSP FROM MUSICAL BROOKLYN—NEW HOME FOR THE BROOKLYN MAENNERCHOR—A NEW FEATURE IN MUSIC TO BE STARTED IN BROOKLYN.
50BUREAU OF THE MUSICAL COURIER,
51No. 284 Fulton street,
52BROOKLYN, May 30, 1892.
54A GENUINE musical sensation has been created in church circles in Brooklyn during the last fortnight, owing to the announcement of the interesting fact that orchestral music is being more and more introduced into the churches of Brooklyn for the purpose of assisting congregations in the worship of song by aid of both string and brass instruments. THE MUSICAL COURIER has already alluded to the fact that in Dr. Meredith's Congregational Church fragments of an orchestra are already in use; that in Dr. Gunning's church on Bedford avenue a tolerably complete orchestra is in use on certain occasions, while in several of the larger churches full orchestras are often employed for the more effective rendition of such grand sacred oratorios as "The Messiah," which, by the way, was recently given in fashionable St. Luke's Church.
56Happening to meet a prominent Brooklyn clergyman in my musical rambles your correspondent was not a little impressed at hearing him confirm recent statements made in THE MUSICAL COURIER in the following language in substance: "You may put me down as saying that the day is not far distant when the churches will all be forced to employ orchestral music precisely as organs are now used for congregational music."
58For the purpose of ascertaining the truth of such a statement I called upon several notable ministers in the city, who are themselves intelligent discriminators in musical matters. They were unanimously of the opinion that there was a steady development in instrumental music in the churches; that it was a great aid to both the choir and the congregation; an inspiration to the clergyman, and a noble ally to true Christian worship in its most effective form. The Rev. Miller Hageman, the Rev. Lyman Abbott, the Rev. Dr. Gunning, the Rev. Cuthbert Hall, the Rev. Dr. Adams, Father Malone, the minister of the Lee Avenue Congregational Church, the Rev. Dr. Meredith and many others coincided substantially in the same general subject, namely, that all prejudice against the introduction of instrumental music in churches was rapidly disappearing. Such prejudice is founded only on the ignorance of uneducated people, and vanishes before the intelligence of the church when appealed to as mist flies before the sun.
60In the early times music in the churches was confined to its severest forms of expression only and was rendered only by the people themselves. Any appeal to instrumental music whatever, both by the ministers and the laity, especially in the Scotch Presbyterian churches, was regarded as sensational, secular and highly sacrilegious. Little by little the innovation has come and the tides of progress have swept away one after another of these vestiges of bigotry, until at last that splendid mandate of the Almighty has come to be more fully understood: "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord; praise Him on the cymbals; praise Him on the harp; praise Him on the deep sounding viol," &c.
62There can be no doubt that a musical reformation has set in in Brooklyn and that it is largely influencing the churches in other parts of the country. Brooklyn has led for many years not only in the pulpit but also in the musical world. Mr. Beecher's collection of musical hymns known as the "Plymouth Collection" gave a fresh impetus to congregational singing. That work, carefully compiled by no less a composer and musician than John Zundel, the late organist of Plymouth Church, carried great weight in the formation of a new hymnology of the whole country.
64Any advance in the art of church music as developed in Brooklyn is hailed with respect by the church at large, for there is no other city in the Union where more musical bodies are at work and more intelligent composers engaged in directing and developing the worship of the church than in Brooklyn.
66The very best proof that can possibly be given of the musical activity going on in Brooklyn is to be found in the constant changes that take place, from time to time, in church choirs. If music were in a low state choir masters and churches would remain satisfied with their head singer from year to year. But the fact really is that in music, as in every other profession, singers find it more difficult with each succeeding year to hold their place in the front rank of their profession. This is in accordance with the law of musical competition and precisely what it should be for the good of all concerned. Should a church find itself unable or unwilling properly to remunerate a singer for his or her services there will always be found, as a court of musical appeal, some other church that will extend to that
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