Venue(s):
Steinway Hall
Price: $1.50 reserved; $1
Performance Forces:
Instrumental, Vocal
Status:
Published
Last Updated:
18 September 2017
“Last evening at Steinway Hall, Mr. Alfred H. Pease gave his fifth annual concert, and was rewarded with a fine attendance. The gentleman deserves the best patronage of the public, and particularly of that portion which watches with interest the progress of a studious and capable worker. Mr. Pease, in the few years that he has been in New-York, and they are numbered by his annual concerts, has produced many works, and has achieved a position both as a writer for the piano and as a pianist. He was assisted last evening by Mme. Parepa-Rosa, Mlle. Toedt, Mr. Hill, Miss Gilbert, Mr. S. B. Mills, Mr. J. N. Pattison and Mr. G. W. Colby. Of Mme. Parepa-Rosa it is enough to say that she was in excellent voice. She sang a charming composition by Millard called ‘Waiting,’ which obtained a vociferous encore. In the second part she gave a very pleasing work by Mr. A. H. Pease, called ‘A Year’s Spinning.’ Another song by the same gentleman, called ‘Autumn Song,’ was sung by Mr. HILL, and was redemanded. Miss Toedt performed two solos on the violin with great skill and unusual cleanness. Naturally, on an occasion like the present, the piano music occupied a prominent position in the programme. Mr. Pease possesses a happy fancy for arrangement, especially for two pianos. There is a dearth of such pieces, and hence it is a musical boon to find some one who is willing and able to write them. The novelty last evening was a duo on themes from Offenbach's ‘Grand Duchess,’ played by Messrs. S. B. Mills and Pease. Three or four of the principal themes are ingeniously connected, and embroidered with every device of the piano and invention of the pianist. The airy gracefulness of the music is pleasantly preserved, albeit the technical difficulties of the composition are by no means slight. The duo is a brilliant and telling concert piece. It was magnificently played by the two gentlemen we have named, and, of course, was encored, when Gounod's charming Serenade took its place. Later in the programme occurred a quartette for four pianos on themes from Meyerbeer's ‘L’Etoile du Nord.’ Beyond a certain sonority there is little to be gained by adding the number of pianos employed in the execution of any one piece of music. In this respect the instrument differs from the violin family. Nevertheless Mr. Pease has produced a very showy piece, which was finely played by himself, Mr. Pattison, Miss Gilbert and Mr. Colby. There was still another duo on Godfrey's Mabel Waltz, and finally Mr. Pease played successfully the Andante Caprice by Kontski [sic].”