Thomas Symphony Soiree: 5th

“The weather was extremely unfavorable on Saturday evening, but there was a fair attendance at the symphony soirée at Steinway Hall, which concluded Mr. Theodore Thomas’s season. These soirées have come to constitute one of the most prominent and essential features of our musical entertainments. Although not so well sustained during the past season as they should have been, Mr. Thomas has not allowed the character of his performances to deteriorate, but has labored assiduously and successfully to produce the best music in the most thorough and satisfactory style. His orchestra, as during the previous seasons, has been made up of the best material in the city, the majority of the performers being soloists of at least respectable standing. Under the spirited leadership of Mr. Thomas, they have interpreted for us during the season a large number of the greatest compositions of modern times, always in a way to give pleasure, and sometimes with signal effectiveness. If the patronage has not been so liberal as it should have been, it has been large enough to indicate a growing taste for classical music and to encourage Mr. Thomas to continue his efforts to elevate and cultivate the popular taste.

The concert of Saturday evening was notable chiefly for the performance of the symphony of Beethoven which is perhaps most generally appreciated—the ‘Heroic.’ It is worth a great deal to the cause of musical art to have a production so full of grand and inspiring thoughts, so faithfully interpreted as this was. It appropriately closed the season, leaving behind pleasing recollections of a series of performances in which there has been far more to admire than to criticize.”

“The fifth and last of Mr. Theodore Thomas’ orchestral concerts took place at Steinway Hall, Saturday evening. On such a hyperborean occasion it was unreasonable to expect a large attendance. There were more devotees, however, than could have been expected. The program opened with the overture to ‘Benvenuto Cellini,’ by Berlioz. The work has all the characteristics of the famous master of orchestral effect. Its motives are clear, and they are developed with the steady hand of an expert. The school of the future has borrowed much from Berlioz, who, in the estimation of many, already belongs to the school of the past. In one respect neither Wagner nor Liszt can approach him—in the power of arriving at a grand climax by steadily measured strides. Berlioz is never out of breath, nor does he turn somersaults on the highways for coppers. His mind is occupied with an object, and the romantic fancies that surround it help him to its attainment. The present overture is one of the best, as it is also one of the longest, from his pen. 

The Gretchen movement, from the ‘Faust’ Symphony by Liszt, was the instrumental piece which succeeded the above. The entire work was given last season by Mr. Thomas, when, if we remember rightly, the verdict was on the whole favorable. There are some things in the world which must be bolted bodily—such, for instance as a bolus. To take it periodically in portions destroys not only the effect which might be produced by the whole, but excites a feeling which cannot be called agreeable. And this seems to be the case with the ‘Faust’ Symphony. The virtue of Gretchen is ghastly when separated from the philosophical scoundrelism of Faust and the triumphal deviltry of Mephistopheles. The movement describing the maiden’s plight opens with a dismal caiterwaul on the wood instruments—whence is elimitated a melody of no earthly proportions, but of such kind as to enable the composer to make himself at home in all the keys. Henceforth this is his purpose; not onward and climactric (like Berlioz,) but to climb or drop from twig to twig of the major and minor scales. There is immense skill displayed, and great deliberation required to the exercise, but it is rather tiresome in the end. Indeed, Liszt is rapidly becoming the Frankenstein of music. He is a monster whom we have raised in our midst, and who rages somewhat too furiously.

What pleasure to step from the foundry—where the tumult of industry drains the ears—into the fresh air, where genius deliberately takes its pleasure! How vast and immeasurable the distance between Liszt and Beethoven! The glorious ‘Eroica’ Symphony ended the concert, a work open and free as the heavens, human as the heart of man, wise as the world would have wisdom, and, withal, playful as a child. It is only necessary to say of this work, as indeed, we may add of those already noticed, that the execution was admirable.

The vocalist was Mme. Parepa-Rosa. She sang an effective scena and aria by Rubinstein (very much in the style of Mendelssohn) in a way which secured its acceptance. The piece is well built, but the slow movement is pretty almost to triviality. Mme. Rosa also sang the eternal cavatina ‘Und ob die Wolke’ from ‘Der Freyschutz.’”  

“The fifth symphony soiree at Steinway Hall on Saturday evening closed the present season of a series of concerts which deserve a much more liberal patronage than they have ever received. We believe, however, the taste for instrumental music in its higher and more scientific forms is gradually being developed in New York and by next season we trust that Mr. Thomas’s enterprise will be rewarded not only by the thanks of the educated few but by the dollars of the many. His programme for the last concert was upon the whole an interesting one, though it was hardly judicious to give us both Berlioz and Liszt on the same evening. The overture to ‘Benvenuto Cellini,’ by the former composer, was played for the first time in this country, though the whole opera has not only been known in Europe for thirty years but in some parts of Germany has been represented with success. We cannot like the overture. It is a strange, agglomeration of sensational effects without intelligible form and without real beauty. Often the composer’s conceptions narrowly miss being beautiful, but they always do miss it. He has a remarkable mastery over the resources of the orchestra, and ingenuity in producing original effects with his instruments, but his music is utterly without grace; and of the highest power of his art—the power to touch the feelings and inspire the heart—he shows here no understanding. Liszt has some of the same faults as Berlioz, but he has merits to which Berlioz has never attained. In his wildest vagaries there is apt to be a charm which no eccentricity can quite destroy. The selection from the ‘Faust’ symphony given on Saturday is an illustration of the character and story of Margaret; and deficient it certainly is in the simplicity and delicacy with which Gounod has painted the poem, it has a great deal of dramatic and descriptive force which we cannot help admiring, though little of it is really pretty. A fantastic passage for the reeds, running into a clarinet solo with violin accompaniment, may be understood as a picture of the tranquil happiness of Margaret’s youth before the trumpeter appears upon the scene; a dreamy pianissimo movement for all the instruments, followed by a succession of broken reveries, we may take as a representation of the sweet but troubled dream of love, and a swelling half-rapturous crescendo at its culmination. This crescendo, like some of the music of Berlioz, is always beautiful; but it does not rise to one of those grand climaxes in which Liszt is so superb, and the graceful and tender movement which closes the mournful story, impresses us with a sense of relief, as if through a tumult of fragmentary fancies we had come at last upon something with definite form and substance. The third orchestral selection was Beethoven’s Heroic symphony—not only one of the greatest, but also one of the most pleasing of all the great master’s works. It is so well known here that we need only remark that the performance of it, though not excellent, was correct and spirited. There was a lack of delicacy in the playing, a defect of inspiration. The best movements were the scherzo and the allegro molto (finale). 

After the overture Madame Rosa sang a scena and aria of Rubinstein’s for the first time. The scena is effective, and the aria, especially an andante movement in it, very beautiful and expressive. After the Liszt symphony she gave a cavatina from ‘Der Freyschutz.’ As usual, she was superb in both.”  

The attendance of the concert was scarce. Berlioz new overture ‘Benvenuto Cellini’ was received in a rather cool fashion by the audience. If Berlioz’ intention was to portray the contrast between the two characters of the goldsmith and the Roman patriot, he was successful. However, this was all there was about the rather bizarr and unattractive composition.

“The last of Theo. Thomas’ Symphony Soirées was given on March 21st. We wish the pecuniary results of this season were more in accordance with the admirable and superior quality of the concerts. The pressure of the ‘times’ has seemed to bear peculiarly upon classical music this winter. We learn that the dividends of the Philharmonic Society have been nearly $2,000 less this season than during the fearful panic of 1857.”