Church Music Association Concert

“The third season of this highly fashionable society took place last evening at Steinway Hall before one of the largest and most refined audiences that ever graced that temple of music. The eye of a modiste would have been delighted with the display of fashions and the magnificent toilets set forth in the auditorium, and also on the soprano and contralto tiers on the stage, and on every side the eye found something pretty and pleasant to rest upon. An apparently endless line of carriages filled up Fourteenth street and Union square, and the crème de la crème of metropolitan society honored the occasion with their presence. The programme consisted of Raff’s overture, ‘Eine feste Burg,’ Haydn’s second mass and Weber’s ‘Preciosa,’ and the chorus and orchestra were guided through the mazes of these well known works by the skillful baton of Dr. James Pech. The soloists were [see above]. The performance was highly creditable both to the performers and to the conductor of this society, and gave evidence of long and painstaking rehearsals. The magnificent work of Haydn was given with precision and due expression; and ‘Preciosa,’ which created such an impression last season at the concerts of this society, brought out the hearty enthusiasm of the audience. Dr. Pech deserves the highest praise for his efforts in the cause of music in this city, especially as those efforts have been always directed toward the best and most elevated standard of art.”

“The success of this organization has this season been without precedent. Not only have all the required subscriptions been paid up, but the directors for want of space in the hall, have found it necessary to decline further subscriptions to the amount of three thousand dollars.

 

The concert of last night at Steinway Hall was a superb affair, and by drawing away many of the leading stockholders seriously decreased the attendance at the Academy of Music, where Nilsson was singing in ‘Faust.’ The auditorium of Steinway’s presented a most brilliant appearance, the audience attending in full evening dress. The ranks of the chorus were as attractive as ever.

 

Of the performance, which was as usual ably directed by Dr. Pech, the very crowded state of our columns will only permit us to say a few words. Raff’s overture on Luther’s chorale, ‘Ein feste Burg,’ opened the programme, and was listened to with interest as a masterly work, though its performance was not felicitous. To this followed Haydn’s Second Mass, a work full of delightful melody, and of a light, sunshiny character. It is well-known to many amateurs. It received excellent treatment last night from the chorus-singers, as well as from the vocalists, Mrs. Gulager, Mrs. Kempton and Mr. Leggat and Mr. Remmertz.

 

The concert concluded with Weber’s ‘Preciosa,’ music which had been received with special favor last season. Mrs. Kempton sang the only solo in the piece, receiving the honor of an encore. The orchestral writing in ‘Preciosa’ is one of its chiefest charms, and was listened to last night with close attention.”

“The Church Music Association gave its first concert on Tuesday evening, when an audience was assembled distinguished for quality as well as remarkable in number. The performance consisted of a new overture by Raff, of that species not accepted by orthodox musicians, wherein a chorus is used as an additional class of instruments; of Haydn’s Second Mass, and of some selections from Weber’s ‘Preciosa.’

 

Brilliant as is the Second Mass, it is written mainly for the orchestra, the succession of elegant motives of which it consists being all worked out there, while the voices are used with Haydn’s accustomed grace to intensify and chasten strains otherwise too florid for the words and the subject. The quartet of soloists, Mme. Gulager, Mrs. Jenny Kempton, Mr. Leggatt and Mr. Remmertz, sang all that was allotted to them smoothly and well, and the chorus may be described as respectable. We are unable to discover any sound principle on which the programmes of these concerts are arranged, and fear that a great opportunity will be lost if the governing powers continue to indulge their own fancies instead of considering the interests of art. The object of the Association is to enable the most cultivated audience in New-York to hear music of the highest order, which is not otherwise attainable. The laying out of a good programme is an art in itself, and one of its first rules is to place the numbers in that order whereby they may be heard to the best advantage. The older music should, therefore, be placed first, so that the greater force, variety, and resonance of modern productions should not be cast an air of poorness and thinness on that which is to follow. This rule the Church Music Association always reverses. Raff’s overture, with its choral passages interspersed, is written on the same old Lutheran chorale which we hear from time to time all through Meyerbeer’s ‘Huguenots.’ It is a fine work, of the modern school, but its production belongs not to the Church Music Association, but to the Philharmonic Society, which has the means of performing it properly, and its rendering on Tuesday only had the effect of greatly injuring the after performance of Haydn’s Mass. Then, the second part of the concert consisted of fragments of Weber’s weakest opera, ‘Preciosa.’ Last year, in the same order, his ‘Oberon’ was performed at the very time that another performance of it took place at the Academy. Of the selections from ‘Preciosa,’ we can only say that they were very pretty, and would just suit Mr. Theodore Thomas’ garden orchestra. Meanwhile, time is passing, the Church Music Association has reached its third year, and what has been done? Three great Masses; nothing else worthy of their opportunities. Are we never to have anything Mozart’s, the much-desired Requiem, for example? Is it impossible to get up a Psalm of Mendelssohn’s, or a cantata of Handel’s, or a vocal work of the neglected Spohr, or, in fine, any of those numberless works classed as motetts, which were promised, but have not been performed? It is true that, rich as we are in competent part-singers, New-York is woefully deficient in the rank and file of a great chorus. Many things, among others the difficulties of street travel in the evening, go to account for this; but it was understood that the Church Music Association was instituted with the intention of supplying this need, of encouraging the growth of a chorus, and we submit that one way to encourage a chorus and attract recruits thereto is to employ it in the study of really interesting, legitimate choral music.”

“The first concert of the Church Music Association took place last Tuesday at Steinway Hall before the usual large audience of the representatives of fashion, wealth, and refinement, exceeding in number some 2,000 persons. This is the more surprising when it is known that on the evening the elements were not propitious, and that a snow storm had steadily set in and continued during a greater part of the day and night. ‘Faust’ had also been set up for that evening at the Academy of Music; but on this occasion the counter attractions at Steinway Hall had materially emptied the house, fully convincing the most skeptical that at least one of our local institutions is not without a vitality that can make itself felt when occasion requires.

 

The success of the Church Music Association is apparent to everyone, and we heartily congratulate its members on the good they are conferring upon the community by steadily persisting in a good course.

 

At the same time we could wish that, as the society progresses in the estimation of musicians and the public, it would address its attention to works of yet a higher order than those attempted. It is true the works given are very good of their kind; nothing could be more admirably selected than the last programme, but still there must arise opportunities in the future by which the works of Bach and Handel and some more modern, but equally learned musicians’ works could be presented.

 

The elements composing the organization are extremely good. The chorus is now well balanced and composed of the freshest voices to be obtained in the city, and drawn too from a circle of society well sustained by wealth and comfort. The orchestra is large in numbers, never less than seventy performers, and the best that can be obtained; while the musical director and conductor, Dr. James Pech, although we cannot always agree with what he says in his analytical programmes, nor even, sometimes, with his reading and interpretation of the works performed—is a man of erudition, experience and culture in the profession he follows, and is sure, whatever he does, to do it with much intellect and ability.

 

The Preciosa Music was, perhaps, delivered better than any other portion of the programme. There was more life and vigor displayed in the attack of the chorus and as a curiosity, the Orchestra played the accompaniments with more grace and lightness than our Orchestras are accustomed to do in this city. And here we must say, that from the numbers of the Chorus—there could not have been less than 300—the attack and body of tone ought to have been stronger and larger. This, probably, will be achieved in the course of time. The singing of the chorus on Tuesday night, however, was certainly better than on any previous occasion during the existence of the organization, which now bids fair to become the best singing society in the city.

 

The principal parts were taken by [see above]. If these names are not very wide-spread in the world, they are known and esteemed here as vocal singers of great respectability. They very evidently united their efforts in the best way they could with those of the Chorus, Orchestra and Conductor in an endeavor to give the most finished interpretation to the works of the composers set down for performance.

 

Altogether the concert was an enjoyable one, and if in the performance there was much to object to, as there must always be in connection with almost any effort in art, still there was much deserving our highest commendation and encouragement. Dr. James Pech, upon whom so much devolves, most decidedly deserves the best encouragement and thanks of the community for the earnest devotion he is giving to the highest interests of musical art in this city.” [Reprinted from N. Y. Weekly Review, Dec. 23]