Serenades were given"on various evenings in Josefplatz, which is enclosed on three sides by the National library, part of.the Imperial Palace, ind. by "the classical: Pallavicini Palace ca the fourth,' making one of the most beautiful squares of the The streets in the immediate, vicinity had been roped off and a small admission to the square w charged with perhaps a thousand seats available at, varying prices, Thousands stood fcr the whole concert outside the restraining ropes and almost as many more strolled about the square, which was lighted by the illuminated library and the blazing candelabra of the palace, "The Immortal Franz," an cperatcommemorating the genius of Entrance to house where Schubert was born, not f centre of Viena Schubert, was sung at the Volks Theatre and at the Stadt Theatre. Alfred Piccaver, the popular Anierican tenor of the State Opera cave guest performances in the role of Schubert, the hero of "Drei Mader! Haus," Known in England as "Lilac Time" Franz Lehar conducted his opera "The Czarewitch" in the Johann Strauss Theatre and Richard Strauss on his birthday, June 11, conducted the opening performance in Vienna of "The Exyptian Helen, in which Jeritza sang the title role. Of course hose we claim that this ceeasion was to all intents a first performance since it followed the Dresden premier so closely.
Other attractions of Vienna were not overlooked during these two weeks, as there were Intrnational Horse Races to amuse visitors, golf tournaments, polo. a regatta. or two on the Danube, frolics in the Prater Amusement Park, on Old Vienra Fiacre Parade, Rose Festivals and fates in neighboring towns.
One may frankly say that the programme was popular, and intention ally so. Schubert will always appeal to everybody. Moreover he is Vienna's own son and every citizen claims a part in hig celebration. He expresses the most lovable quali-tes of the Viennese and it was easy for them to develop a picturesque memorial. To compare this festival with the" Beethoven celebration of last year is hardly fair, they were diferent. Schubert, the genius of the lyric, appeals so irresistibly through his songs that one feels ungracious to ask for more.
One Hundfed Thousand Singers Vienna has Schubert to thank for bringing the tenth quadrennial convention of the Union of Germ Singers here this summer. The festival would hardly have been held outside Germany had not a singing pilgrimage to the home of this supreme lyrist appealed to the musicians as an appropriate commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of his death. Austria has the largest number of members of the Union outside Germany but the German-speaking districts of Europe were well represented. America sent delegations from California, the middle west and New York. De patriotes from Riga, Lithuania, Brazil and South Africa returned to sing their native songs.
Estimates of the numbers entertained in Vienna during the festival (July 19-23) rose as high as the mercury on these first sizzling days. As the temperature providentially dropped, the number. of visitor: shrunk from three to two hundred assigned by the competent entettainment committes to smaller hosteries, pensions and private lodzings or quartered in empty school houses equipped with mattresses and Yinen loaned. by. the Austrian. and German War Departments. Some had to go as far as Hendon for housing accommodations.
The "lotus" hotels indeed showed 1 disposition to sniff at the frankly middle class tourists who formed the main body of the convention, id Vienna—what part had not yet Med to its summer' retrents—was 51 Nusadorferstrasse. somewhat inclined to singing invaders. Merch: conied them effusively, official all the proper gestures; but the "old inhabitants" held a bit aloof from the thousands of blue vizored capped, chauffeur-like German singers and their undistinguished families, Unprecedented Crowds They were a bit underfoot to be sare. It was impossible to find place in the trams, taxis were commanileered, and every sight-seeing automobile worked—triple-time. Restaurants were crowded and ing Vienna was vocal drinking—choruses—this, however, with no real drunken. ness.
Tt was in the immense hall at the Prater, however, that one really caught the spirit of this gathering. This enormous wooden ed fice senting.
40,000 singers on its tiered stage and an equal number of auditors, rose directly from the ground, witl simple benches for seats and doors So cleverly was it took but ten minutes to get the $0,000 singers on the stage, ani by means of loud speakers ju clously distributed even the most diminuendo passages could be appreciated in any part of the hall.
The effect of the great massed chorus was inescapably impressive. Its unity was marvellous. When it sang of Schubert's "Linden Tree" OF romanticized: "Schoen ist die Jugend, sie kommt nicht mohr," the audience was spellbound in' sympathy. At the close of the concerts chorus and audience joined spontaneously in singing "Deutschland, Deutschland neber Alles." not aggressively, but prayerfully, almost sadly.
There were three monster concerts given with many standing who could not get seats, crowds outside the hall hearing the programme through loud-speakers and Europe listening. in by radio, Half a dozen other gatherings, partly for speech-making, were held here and innumerable smaller concerts were given in every concert hall of the city—"hour concerts" so that every organization might have its opportunity to offer its interpretation of Schubert. Besides the concerts there were any number of reunions and informal evenings of song. 'The amusement laces and retaurents in the Prater-stayed' open till. morning and by the final dav of the procession the singers were pretty well worn out, 'The giant procession (one had. think in superlatives' during the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.