nds
almost alone among instrumental masses, which nearly always sacrifice
religious feeling to technical display."

After an introduction, which gives out the subject of the opening
movement,--a slow, mournful, solemn theme,--the first number begins with
the impressive strain, "Requiem aeternam dona eis," which gradually
brightens in the phrase, "Et Lux perpetua," and reaches a splendid burst
of exultation in the "Te decet hymnus," of which Oublichieff, the Russian
critic, says: "One seems to hear the voice of an archangel, and Saint
Cecilia herself with her organ sounding a fugued accompaniment which the
most laborious efforts of mortals never could have power to reach." After
a repetition of the "Requiem aeternam," the number closes with the "Kyrie
eleison," a slow and complicated fugue, which is sublime in its effect,
though very sombre in color, as befits the subject.

The next number is the "Dies Irae," written for chorus in simple
counterpoint, and very dramatic in its character, the orchestral part
being constantly vigorous, impetuous, and agitated, and reaching intense
energy on the verse, "Quantus tremor est futurus," the whole presenting a
vivid picture in tones of the terrors of the last judgment. In the "Tuba
mirum" the spirit of the music changes from the church form to the
secular. It is written for solo voices, ending in a quartet. The bass
begins with the "Tuba mirum," set to a portentous trombone accompaniment;
then follow the tenor ("Mors stupebit"), the alto ("Judex ergo"), and the
soprano ("Quid sum miser"). This number is particularly remarkable for
the manner in which the music is shaded down from the almost supernatural
character of the opening bass solo to the beauty and sweetness of the
soprano solo. From this extraordinary group we pass to the sublime
chorus, "Rex tremendae majestatis," once more in the church style, which
closes with the prayer, "Salva me," in canonical form. With rare skill is
this last appeal of humanity woven out of the thunder-crashes of sound in
the judgment-music.

The "Dies Irae" is followed by the "Recordare," written, like the "Tuba
mirum," as a quartet for solo voices. The vocal parts are in canon form
and are combined with marvellous skill, relieved here and there with
solos in purely melodic style, as in the "Quaerens me," while the
orchestral part is an independent fugue, with several subjects worked up
with every form of instrumental embellishment, the fugu