Grand Musical Festival: 6th

Includes performers and program.

“The utmost capacity of Steinway Hall and its extensions was severely tested last night at the performance of Elijah by the immense chorus and orchestra that has been engaged for Harrison’s grand festival. Mrs. Dalimore, Mme. Rosa, Miss Hutchings, Mrs. Reed, Miss Harrison, Simpson, Lombardi and Tucker were the soloists, and Mr. F. J. Ritter guided the whole through this tasking work with complete success. There is nothing in oratorio more dramatic and telling than this, the greatest work of Mendelssohn, and the performance last night was worthy to rank with the efforts of any European festival. It was a striking example of the progress of music in America, and each number was received with enthusiasm by the crowded and fashionable audience.”

“The series of performances given under Mr. Harrison’s direction every night this week, at Steinway Hall, have rightly attracted much attention.  The need of a larger music hall for this city has been demonstrated by the inadequacy of this auditorium for the comfortable accommodation of the throngs in attendance every evening, whom neither the sultry weather nor the inadequate ventilation of the hall could keep away.  For making it so obvious that musical entertainments of a high order and on a large scale will be generously patronized, Mr. Harrison deserves our thanks.  Hereafter it should be understood that oratorio music is sure of enthusiastic appreciation here, whenever it shall be properly produced.  What has been accomplished during the past week is not, therefore, lost to the cause of musical culture, although—as we have before said—the actual performance has come far short of what, we trust, will ere long be demanded.

     The performance of ‘Elijah’ last night is subject to the same general criticism as that which we made upon the production of the ‘Messiah.’  As its music is less familiar than that of the latter, there were more symptoms of deficient training in concerted singing and instrumentation.”

“…To the “Messiah” and “Creation” that had their hearing earlier in the Festival, as we have noted, succeeded Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” which was given last evening to the greatest attendance yet.  “Elijah” is, without doubt, the grandest of the two grand oratorios, which were not composed by Handel, while it is the youngest of all these sublime inspirations.  But one thing is certain—music so full of beauties, so melodious and so truthfully expressive as that of “Elijah” has only to become familiar to be appreciated and loved.  Whenever it catches the ear, it goes straight to the heart and remains there.  More happily situated than Handel, Mendelssohn was not compelled to speculate with his works, to curtail or interpolate for the sake of propitiating slow understandings or frivolous tastes, as the former did only too often. He lived in better times than the giant who was forced to [track?] and deface his colossal ‘Israel,’ because in consequence of what is essentially greatest in ‘Israel,’ just as in ‘Elijah,’ its many and wonderful choruses, it could be made to ‘draw.’ The performance of “Elijah” last evening, was certainly satisfactory to the most fastidious ear, and altogether inspiring.  Mr. Ritter directed with solicitude, intelligence and decision, and the vast body of singers from the Harmonic Society and the grand orchestra were most spirited and enthusiastic in the performance of their arduous tasks.  From “Help the Lord” and “The Deeps offered no Water”—the agonized cry of the afflicted people, to the unparalleled “Thanks be to God,”—the exultant hymn of gratitude for their relief in the first part, and from the vigorous “Be not Afraid” to the exultant climax “Then shall your Light” of the second part, all was good.  It is unnecessary to go into details, but a word may be given for the performance of the orchestral interlude—so impressive in its terrible and abiding gloom which separates this opening denunciation of Elijah from the first chorus of the people.  It was magnificent from first to last.  The management of the gradual crescendo, from the commencement of the fugue to the end, was perfect, and when, after the exciting phrase for the violins in the coda, the first chords of the splendid chorus “Help, Lord!” were heard, the affect was indescribably grand and impressive.  The solo parts were allotted to Mme. Parepa Rosa, Miss Hutchings, Mrs. Reed, Miss Alice Harrison, Mrs. W. J. Dalimore, Mr. George Simpson, Mr. W. J. Dalimore, Mr. Jules Lumbard, and Mr. Henry Tucker.  The opening solo of the second part “Hear ye Israel” was probably never so thrillingly uttered as last evening by Mme. Rosa, a lady who stands alone in her sphere as mistress of the oratorio school of singing.  Miss Hutchings sang the devotional air “O Rest in the Lord” with much sweetness of tone and unaffected expression.  Miss Hutchings’ style is refined, and her manner always prepossessingly unobtrusive.  Whatever she does she does well, and this was markedly the case in the number under notice as well as in that plaintive admonition of the Jewish women, “Woe to Israel.”  Mr. Simpson was heard at his best in the [illeg.] air, “Then Shall the Righteous Shine Forth,” and there was a show of feeling in his delivery of the consolatory admonition of the prophet, “If with All Your Hearts You Truly Love.”  The angelic quartet, “Cast Thy Burden” was deliciously rendered and received the questionable compliment of an encore—an unmitigated nuisance at any time, but more particularly when it occurs in the midst of an oratorio and on a pitilessly warm night.”  

“For the fifth evening of the week Music has triumphed over June, and Steinway’s Hall has been crowded in tribute to a feast of good things. The thousands who every night have listened with Summer-like fervor to the choral oracles, have been a multitudinous test of the influence of sound and heat. Under these circumstances, a warm appreciation of Music is unavoidable. If Haydn’s Seasons were in the order or programme, we should ask that all vocal, instrumental, and critical stress should be laid upon that part of it having reference to the heated [term?]. As it is, Haydn’s second world-work, much to our regret, is not in prospect, and the present season must needs pass away without a formal eulogy of its temperature. Mendelssohn’s Elijah, chorused last night, concluded the festival list of oratorios.

     This is perhaps, the chef d’oeuvre of a composer who, in sympathy and chorus, has given us countless proofs of an almost inexhaustible artistic and poetic genius. Elijah never reaches the solid sublimity of Handel, or the exalted cheerfulness of Haydn; yet it has great and individual merits. It is as truly a musical poem as either The Messiah or The Creation. As compared to these ancients of musical beauty, it is a strongly modernized work which is not to say, however, that it is equally mannerized. Mendelssohn’s presents us with all the wealth of the latter-day orchestra, as its bards, and not its poetasters have found it. Some ideas with which Handel and Haydn supplied the world it would be almost impossible for another composer to produce in kind. Notwithstanding, this Mendelssohn has breathed a new and original spirit into his chorus and orchestra. They are less vigorous than the cyclopean forms of Handel, but many-minded, many-winged, and poetic. All the special quality of the Tennyson of music, which is that of the warmest and purest ideality, has its representation in Elijah. The full charms of last night’s renderings would appear dull in the statement. To speak as we must, briefly, the concerted music was, on the whole, most attractively given. The double quartet, “For he shall give his Angels,” sung by Madame Rosa, Miss Hutchings, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Dalimore, and Messrs. Simpson, Dalimore, Thomas, and Tucker—we mention them all as comprising an unusual and fortunate gathering of singers—was most exhilarating. In this famous quartet, as in the similar form of “Cast thy burden,” and more particularly the delightful trio, “Lift thine eyes,” Mendelssohn has shown a charm of combination and a perfection of feeling that can only be compared to Mozart. The full three or four numbers, including what we shall call the Baal music, through which Mr. Jules Lumbard’s accomplished bass bore itself so well, were as well shaded by orchestra and otherwise as any that we remember of the work. The thirty-fifth number recitative, quartet and chorus, with four lady soloists, was more showy as a passage of vocalization, but not so good or suggestive in itself. Mme. Rosa sang with her accustomed power and delicacy. In the rare pathos of the air, “Oh, rest in the Lord,” Miss Hutching’s contralto had desirable opportunity, which she improved, to applause. There are very many to praise for the pleasure of last night’s novelty, but we ought not to omit high mention of Mr. Ritter whose conductorship has progressed with every occasion, and the Harmonic Society, which has so thoroughly enjoyed the feast which it has given.”

(…) Mendelssohn’s “Elias” oratorium was just as successful with the audience as Haydn’s “Creation” last Wednesday evening. (…)

The concerts of the Musikfest were a big success on a material level. The venue was too small to fit all the people that wished to attend. The events also proved that there is an abundance of gifted and accomplished musicians and singers available. This does not fully apply to the chorus, however. Unusual for events such as this, the impresario favored one chorus to perform at all concerts. Apart from the fact that mass choruses are usually used for big concerts, the Harmonic Society’s performance was not only less powerful due to a limited amount of members, but it was also lacking in skill. In general, the concerts were missing an atmosphere of sacredness and solemnity; something that accompanies music festivals of other nations. This large event was simply a row of ordinary concerts with the only specialness of offering an oratorio, as it has developed in three consecutive epochs. (…)

“…anticipated by many as the grand central point of interest in the whole course.  Unfortunately the heat was most intolerable.  A remarkably high degree of enjoyment could not be afforded by the finest performance in the world to such a sweltering mass of people as those four walls contained.  It was a mystery how the performers could possibly endure the exertion they were obliged to make; yet they did endure it, and gave, on the whole, a very good rendering of the oratorio.  The part of Elijah was sung with appreciation by Mr. Lumbard, whose magnificent voice appeared to great advantage in some of the solos.”