Classical Soiree: 1st

“The first classical soiree of Edward Mollenhauer’s Conservatory took place last night at the hall corner of Fifth avenue and Fourteenth street. This institution is an imitation of the well known European conservatory and numbers among its members some excellent professors, and already over seven hundred pupils. The concert showed very satisfactory results in the training of the pupils, and first class talent on the part of the professors. The programme consisted of Beethoven’s quartet in C minor, sonata, opus 26 and trio in B flat, opus 97, Haydn’s sonata in B flat, first movement; Ah mon Fernand, from Favorita, and La Sylphide, by Mollenhauer. The artists were Messrs. Edward, Henry, and Bernard Mollenhauer, Madame Bouligny, Miss Emily Kohl, Messrs. Kirpol and Nuss and A. Steinhaus. The great attraction was the admirable violin performances of Edward Mollenhauer. The concert was very largely attended, and the programme was in general unexceptionably rendered. Mr. A. F. Lejeal officiated as conductor.”

“The hall of the New York Conservatory of Music, corner of Fifth avenue and Fourteenth street, was uncomfortably packed last evening, on the occasion of the first classical soirée of the Conservatory. The programme consisted of two parts--first, performances of the teachers, and secondly, those by the pupils. The first number was richly worth an attendance--Beethoven’s quartet in C minor, performed by Edward, Henry and Bernard Mollenhauer and Herr Nuss. It was a rare pleasure to listen to so thorough and exquisite a performance of a work which is not often faithfully interpreted. This pleasure compensated for the discomfort of standing up in a thickly packed crowd without the door of the hall, where one could occasionally catch a glimpse of the audience within but not of the performers. Not caring to endure this throughout the evening we were obliged to miss the performances of the pupils, one of whom, Miss Emily Kohl, was assigned a sonata by Haydn, and another, Master Augustus Steinhaus, Beethoven’s ‘March Funebre and Rondeau.’ We do not doubt that those performances were worth hearing.

We are rejoiced to learn that the Conservatory, under its present management, is in a most flourishing condition.”

The concert attracted a large audience. The quartet opening was performed very well. Mme Bouligny delighted the audience with her performance of Donizetti’s aria. Emilie Kohl, an eight-year-old girl, played the difficult Haydn Sonata with confidence and accuracy, which casts a good light onto her instructor.