Harrison Sunday Concert: 6th

“The sixth Sunday Concert at Steinway Hall, ‘starred,’ as the term goes, Mrs. Jenny Kempton and Mr. Oscar Pfeiffer. No better artists in their respective spheres can be listened to; but it is to be regretted that the gentleman does not enlarge his repertoire. Broad and brilliant as his playing is—and the piano certainly responds to his touch as to a master’s—one would like have a greater variety of pieces from him. The “Andante and Rondo’ which he gave at this concert, with the aid of Mr. Thomas’ orchestra, was so good a taste of what he can do with a difficult subject that we should like to have more of that sort of work from him. Mrs. Kempton sang ‘Ah! quil guiome,’[sic] from ‘Semiramide,’ and two ballads—‘I was Musing, at the Window,’ and ‘Thou art Another’s now,’ better than three-fourths of the singers now before the public could do the same. Mr. Thomas’ orchestra finished out the programme with the usual number of piedes—Mendelssohn's ‘Trumpet Overture’ being the newest of the number, and, it need scarcely be added—as beautiful as any. ”

“Oscar Pfeiffer, the celebrated South American pianist, appeared again at Steinway Hall last night. He played his andante and rondo with the orchestra, an exquisite little polka for encore, a fantasia on Lucretia and another on Dinorah, introducing the beautiful mazurka. His massive orchestral-like power and touch and his artistic rendering of such subjects made him the chief attraction. Mrs. Jenny Kempton sang an aria from Semiramide and a couple of ballads better than ever we have heard her before. The orchestral selections were from Beethoven, Hadyn, Mendelssohn and Liszt.”

“The weather was not favorable last night, yet Steinway Hall was well filled. The attractions were manifold, chiefly concentrating in Mr. Oscar Pfeiffer, who as a pianist occupies a special ground in these days of simpering, whining piano-forte playing. His style was broad, large and powerful as the tone which he knows how to draw from the piano-forte. In fact, as to this latter quality, we could scarcely name a pianist who could rival him. There is something healthy and sound about his performances, something which denotes a solid musical education, and solid views about music. Mr. Pfeiffer must have been brought up in a good school, in one of which substantiality is the principal feature. He is eminently a substantial player, full of earnest thoughts, yet not wanting in gracefulness of expression. His Andante and Rondo, which he played last night, for the second time, recalls the good old times when a pianist could not come forward, without showing at least in one piece of his own his knowledge of the resources of the orchestra. The two movements are in character not eminently modern, but they contain vigorous thoughts, artistically framed. They were very well received by the audience, so well, that Mr. Pfeiffer had to play as an encore another piece of his, a polka, which is most happily conceived, very brilliant, and will soon be a favorite piece of our advanced amateurs. In the second part of the concert Mr. Pfeiffer performed his fantasia on themes from ‘Lucrezia Borgia,’ which gave full scope to the display of his marvelous technics and his powerful wrist. He was not less successful with this piece than with his first. Mrs. Jenny Kempton sang in her usual effective style the well-known aria from ‘Semiramide,’ and a German song by Graben Hoffmann. A feature of uncommon interest was the performance by Mr. Theodore Thomas’s orchestra of Mendelssohn’s so-called Trumpet-overture, which was heard on this occasion for the first time. It is a posthumous work, recalling some strains of his other overtures, very elaborate, but on the whole lacking in inspiration.”

“Mr. Oscar Pfeiffer made his second appearance this season last Sunday, at Steinway Hall. He repeated his andante and rondo for orchestra and piano, which won him renewed sympathy and applause on the part of the audience, which seemed so well satisfied with the performance that it insisted upon an encore. Mr. Pfeiffer complied by rendering a new and charming polka of his, which perhaps better than anything else reflects the vigorous style of this pianist. The polka is brilliant, dashing, and very effective. In the second part of the concert, he gave his ‘Lucrezia Borgia’ fantasia and, as encore, his ‘Pardon de Ploërmel.’ His success was such as his extraordinary technic, his powerful touch, in fact, his remarkable piano-playing fully deserve. For the first time, in this concert, we heard Mendelssohn’s ‘Trumpet’ overture, a very elaborate work, deficient in ideas, and not at all likely to enhance the reputation of the master. Mrs. Jenny Kempton sang several times. She has many good qualities, but her delivery is such as will, in our opinion, rather impair than enhance the beauty of her voice.”