National Saengerfest of the Northeastern Saengerbund of America: 12th

Morning rehearsals for tonight’s concert; picnic in Central Park; excursions on the Hudson and East rivers; 2 pm meeting, Arion Hall; program for tonight’s concert.

This week’s invasion of loud or sweet-voiced singers from adjoining cities; beneficial influence of a festival of this kind.

“We fear very much that the open-handed hospitality of New York displayed towards the visiting societies will subject these singers to a severe course of discipline and penitential exercises on their return to their homes. This hospitality militated terribly against the proper rendering of the programme last night. There were only three vocal works on the bill—‘Praise of Music’ (Billeter), to be sung by the eleven Baltimore societies; Waeckel’s ‘Song of Spring,’ for which twenty-two Philadelphia societies were responsible, and Gernsheim’s dramatic and soul-stirring ‘Salamis, the Triumphal song of the Greeks,’ rendered by the full chorus of all the societies. This programme was not carried out, as the Baltimoreans forgot to bring their music books, and therefore could not sing a note, and the Philadelphians made one of the most inexcusable fiascos it has ever been our experience to listen to. This fiasco was caused by some of the tenors, just at that time, singing out of tune and wandering about hopelessly in search of the lost key. We regret this very much, especially as some of the Philadelphia societies acquitted themselves very creditably in the prize singing. The composition they selected was not an agreeable one either, and at the best they could not have produced any effect with it. As an offset to the forgetfulness of the Baltimoreans Mr. Paur gave the grand chorus, Rietz’s ‘Morgenlied,’ the same that was sung on the preceding evening. The effect was not more than one-third of what was produced on the former occasion. Even Gernsheim’s war song, that created such a furor when sung by the Liederkranz Society in their own hall, did not seem to be delivered with the requisite fire and spirit, and certainly the body of tone that came from the crowd of singers on the stage was no more powerful than we have heard frequently at Liederkranz Hall. This may be caused by the enormous space necessary to fill at the Rink, but we think that it was partly due to the fact that no small proportion of the chorus did not take any active part in the music.

The only part of the programme that was deserving of critical praise and was absolutely faultless was the orchestral. Dr. Leopold Damrosch was the conductor, and the magnetism of his artistic spirit was felt at once. The two orchestral works were noble ones—Liszt’s ‘Preludes’ and Wagner’s ‘Rienzi’ overture. They go far toward effacing some of the glaring offenses against true art of both composers in their other works. They were splendidly performed and as heartily applauded.

During the day the various New York societies and their guests went on excursions, visits and picnics to the various suburban resorts. The Liederkranz Society took the Baltimore Liederkranz, Buffalo Liedertafel, Hartford Quartet Club and Chicago Concordia off on a drive through the Park. Forty carriages left the club house in Fourth Street at two o’clock and an hour later they drew up at Schultz & Walker’s ‘Spa’ in the Park. After remaining here for some time they next proceeded to Lion Park, on Eighth avenue, and picknicked for an hour or two, sandwiching the eating and drinking between enthusiastic speeches and assurances of ‘Brüderschaft.’ Staten Island, Brooklyn, and even the distant shore of Jersey had a large proportion of the Teutons, and in the evening many found their way to Central Park Garden, where Thomas’ orchestra discoursed sweet sounds, and to Terrace Garden, to listen to Jullien’s admirable band.”

[Preceded by comments on the quantities of food and beverages consumed by the singers since their arrival]. “In hard prosaic fact the Titanic kneipen (anglico revel) in which our German visitors and their hospitable entertainers have been steadily engaged since their arrival, has had its natural effect on voices, digestion and discipline, and the final concert suffered in consequence. Large numbers of the ‘mass chorus’ were, like the horse in the anecdote, very hard to catch, and not particularly valuable when caught. At the opening of the concert, after the performance of Liszt’s eccentric and fanciful overture ‘Les Preludes,’ the Baltimore Special Union should have sung Billeter’s ‘Hymne an die Tonkunst,’ but failed to put in an appearance, and some spell more potent than punctuality or artist glory was needed to rouse them from Circean dreams in the caverns of old Gambrinus. Their place was taken by the Philadelphia Special Union, who performed Woeckel’s ‘Spring Song;’ but doubtless from some secret sympathy and regretful longings for their bibulous brethren of Baltimore, sang in a rather sleepy and muddled fashion, got tangled wherever tangle was possible, and altogether acquitted themselves in a musically eccentric manner. The song itself, though pretty for a quartet or double quartet choir, is not fitted for a chorus of some hundreds.

Wagner’s noisy but martial Rienzi overture ended, the mass chorus good-naturedly came forward to fill up the gap with the ever-beautiful ‘Morning Song’ of the former concert, which was well rendered, and of course encored. By this time the stragglers of the Baltimore army had been brought into the field by the desperate exertions of their leaders, and ranged in something like battle array. Ashamed of their defection at the right moment, and heroically resolved to do or die this time, they plunged blindly at the key, and, naturally enough, got all wrong, and had to be brought up and started again. The rest of the execution was much in unison with the beginning.

Again the mass chorus filled the platform, or part of it, and Gernsheim’s spirited and melodious chorus of ‘Salamis’ was well given, though with rather less life and smoothness than the ‘Frithiof’ of the day before. Mr. Vierling, too, in his short solo, showed the festive influences of the time, and gave his earlier notes, at least, with less truth than usual.

But every one went away smiling. It seemed by tacit agreement understood that art may allowably at times be merged in joviality, and that Cicero’s favorite quotation may for such anniversary occasions be read—Inter pocula silent musae. The general opinion of the more judicious spectators seemed to be that in many of its features the concert was best treated as a large musical joke, of a humor in proportion with the size of the building.

Of the joyous revel which went on throughout the various quarters of the city afterward, discretion forbids more than the vaguest mention. Of our own experience at the headquarters of the Philadelphia Saengerbund, we can only say that the jolly minstrels in the flow of sparkling Rhine wine, the clash of glasses, the deep swell of the chorus, and the thunder of toasts and ‘Dreimal hoch!’ were throughout the same good singers and good fellows our fancy loves to paint them. Though feast and song were kept up far into the small hours, while the late—or early—car conductors knew much of their words and deeds, the roundsman and station house did not.” 

“The second monster concert took place at the Skating Rink last evening, and was very fully attended. It was not a very creditable affair, musically considered. Portions of it indeed were so bad that no doubt the societies concerned were heartily ashamed of their part in it. The following was the programme [see above].

The order of this was not strictly adhered to. The Baltimore societies not being in readiness, the [Philadelphians?] sang their Spring song for the second piece. After the Rienzi overture the united chorus sang Rietz’s ‘Morgenlied,’ the same piece that was so favorably received on Monday evening. Then the Baltimoreans gathered together and commenced Billeter’s Praise of Music. This begins in [illegible] form, the theme being taken up by the parts one after the other. Before many bars the singers were in a state of perfect confusion, and uttered the wildest discords. Finally their conductor rapped for them to stop. The orchestra then gave them the pitch, which they had completely lost, and they commenced again with better success, for they succeeded in floundering through the chorus. We cannot dignify the effort by any better name, for singing it was not.

The excuse probably is, so far as any excuse is possible for so lamentable an exhibition, that the Baltimoreans were used up. Voices give way after two or three days of constant use in the open air and elsewhere and not only the Baltimore societies showed the results of too much festival, but all the others did also. The Morgenlied was not so well sung as on Monday evening, and as for Salamis it was a pity to hear so glorious a composition given so ineffectively. Mr. Vierling who had the baritone solo part assigned to him, not only sang out of tune but he sang the wrong notes altogether, and had there not been an orchestral accompaniment to keep the chorus in the key, there would beyond a doubt have been such another fiasco as the Baltimore combined societies made.

It is unpleasant to have to speak so plainly of these faults, but art is art, and festival is festival, and it is quite possible for the one to kill the other. If the Northeastern Bund calls eight or ten thousand persons together to hear them sing at the Rink, they of course are prepared to have the candid truth told as to how well they perform what they profess to do.” 

“The Rink was about half filled during the second and last concert of the present Feast of Song last night. The programme offered was composed thus [see above].

Although the orchestra was not more numerous than on Monday, it was to be foreseen that the main interest of the affair would fasten upon the instrumental selections. The choice of the conductor no less than the merit of the pieces warranted this anticipation, which events fully justified. For the interpretation of German music, including that called classical as well as the works of the reform school, Dr. Damrosch is by sympathy and science the foremost of leaders now in our midst. All that could be accomplished with an orchestra new in a measure to the guiding hand, was attained to by him last evening. ‘Les Preludes’ was played with an appreciation of its meaning never before disclosed, and the overture to ‘Rienzi’ was recited with admirable intelligence, and was the only number of the evening of which a repetition was deservedly asked. Hearty commendation, indeed, cannot extend to any other feature of the bill. Billeter’s ‘Praise of Music’ was badly sung, and though a second hearing of ‘The Song of Spring’ was fairly creditable to the performers, it was still an uneven affair. As for the pretentious composition with which the concert ended, the butchery of the baritone’s solo made an estimate of its merit resting upon a smooth exposition impossible. These are hard words wherewith to end the musical record of the Saengerfest, but they are not uncalled for. A year’s preparation for two or three public entertainments ought certainly to be fraught with more satisfying results than this festival has added to our recollections of annual German assemblies.”

“The concert at the rink in the evening drew a fine audience and passed off merrily, though not altogether well. Whatever it may have lacked in artistic finish may be accounted for by the incidents natural to a week’s junketing, and was excused by an assemblage quite ready to be pleased, and to sip its ice-cream and eat its oranges without too much bother over the niceties of musical expression. The programme was not strictly followed. Liszt’s ‘Les Preludes’ opened the concert. Its performance was directed by Dr. Leopold Damrosch, and though the orchestra at his command was not half big enough for the place, and not very good even for its size, he produced with a fair effect, and confirmed the high opinion which connoisseurs had already formed of his ability. The overture to ‘Rienzi,’ which he led later in the evening, was still more creditable. The first vocal piece was Wöckel’s ‘Spring Song,’ given by the united societies of Philadelphia, &c, under Mr. Hartmann. It was not well rendered, and not a very happy selection. The chorus numbered about 150. The Morgenlied of Rietz, which was so generally relished on Monday night, was twice repeated last night, though it was not on the programme. It was given by the full force of about 2,000 voices, under direction of Mr. Paur, and was the best feature of the evening, though not equal to Monday’s performance. The Baltimore Union, under Mr. Tillmann, which was to have appeared in the forefront of the evening, now came upon the stage, late, and languid, and weak in numbers, and began Billeter’s ‘Praise of Music,’ but in a few minutes broke down, amid the unrestrained mirth of the orchestra and a good part of the audience. The singers then began again, and, to do them justice, went through very well indeed. The concert closed about 10 o’clock with Gernsheim’s Triumphal Song entitled ‘Salamis,’ given by the full chorus, with the baritone solo by Mr. Vierling.”

From the Weekly Review, July 1: “The last concert, also at the Rink, was in reference to the singing a complete failure. The spirit of the festival told its tale, and it was a lamentable one. Little else were the performances of the orchestra, composed of the most heterogeneous elements, and little able to play such compositions as ‘Les Preludes.’ Mr. Damrosch, the conductor, did all that he could under the circumstances, and achieved as much success as could be reasonably expected from him. In conclusion, let us say, that this Saengerfest was very suggestive. We wonder whether it will teach anything to those who take particular interest in these festivals.”