Madrigal Concert

“Another of those refining and charming madrigal concerts, in which the Vocal Society is winning so enviable a fame, was given on Thursday evening at Steinway Hall.

The programme was strictly vocal, and was made up with exceeding tact, consisting of madrigals, German part songs, a motette by Mozart, some of Mendelssohn’s ‘Antigone’ music, and a chorus for female voices from Schumann’s ‘Paradise and the Peri’—a noble work that is too little known in this city. There were—Allah be praised!—no Italian cavatinas to break the charm. The incidental ballads were drawn from English sources undefiled, and harmonized with the other pieces in the programme, which were so skillfully contrasted that there was no monotony. Saving a little slip in the chorus from Mendelssohn’s ‘Antigone,’ where certain voices missed the beat and came in at the wrong time (an accident that will sometimes happen in the best disciplined chorus), everything went smoothly and well.

A madrigal by glorious John Wilbye ‘Stay, Corydon, thou Swain!’  was deliciously given—with such sweetness, tenderness, and gentleness in the opening measures as are seldom heard from a large body of voices. There is a fine intelligence in the way that this Society renders the thought of those learned madrigal writers that marks it as a highly artistic body of singers, not mere singers of written notes, but interpreters of the inner meaning.

One of the pleasantest pieces of the evening was a glee of Hatton’s, ‘The Happiest Land,’ which we commend to the attention of those who love four-part songs. It is for male voices, an alto, two tenors, and bass, and was sung by Messrs. Bush, Powers, Baird, and Aiken. It requires, however, that very exceptional quality of voice, the male alto. It is common enough in England, but very rare with us. Mr. Bush, who sang the part, has a tenor voice of remarkable sweetness and delicacy, and sufficiently high in register to fulfill the requirements of the music. He is, moreover, a most reliable singer.

Among the madrigals sung was one composed by Mr. Florio, the young accompanist of the Society, and, we are informed, an American. Whatever his nationality, he has produced a work of remarkable spirit. Of course he has imitated the effects of the old madrigal composers; but so did they imitate each other. Mr. Florio, however, is no servile imitator. His thought is clear, broad and original; his treatment skillful and artistic; the separate parts are well worked out in detail, not in accompaniment, but with independent melodic motives, and the whole has been scored in the most musicianly way.

The ballad-singing at this concert was, as we have said, in keeping with the rest of the entertainment. Mr. Rockwood’s efforts, however, had rather too strong a flavor of burnt cork about them. Certainly so good a singer might have found some stronger compositions in the great treasure-house of English song than the weak and trivial ballads that he gave the audience. What little fragrance they ever possessed exhaled long since in the negro minstrel halls.

The male portion of the chorus sang, besides the ‘Antigone music,’ a beautiful chorus from Schubert’s ‘Rosamunde’ and Mendelssohn’s spirited ‘Rhine Wine Song,’ which last, to our thinking, Mr. Mosenthal led too slowly. It lost by retarding the tempo in vitality what it gained in distinctness. This chorus, if ever one did, needs dash and freedom. It is the expression of effervescent spirit and pulses quickened with generous wine, and it suggests the open air and sparkling cups grasped and clinked together by manly right hands.”