Ole Bull Farewell Concert: 1st

“The admired Norwegian violinist is to return to Europe in a few days, and on Saturday evening gave the first of three farewell concerts at Steinway Hall. He was received with the same enthusiasm which greets him wherever he goes, though his selections presented no points of novelty and were not the pieces in which his characteristic pathos is best displayed. He played Paganini’s well known Adagio and Rondo with his usual silver touch and brilliancy, and his own ‘Nightingale’ fantasia and other compositions. Among the pieces which he gave in compliance with emphatic recalls was an arrangement of “The Last Rose of Summer’ with one of his famous preludes in three and four part harmonics, and later in the evening he displayed his wonderful performance of an air with pizzicato accompaniment. His mastery over the difficulties of the instrument, as in the manipulation of intricate harmonies and the fingering of independent accompaniments, is something marvelous, but the highest excellence of his playing lies rather in the voice-like character of his tones and the exquisitely fine pathos of his style. The assistance which he received on Saturday from Miss Landsmann was listened to with a great deal of favor, and Mr. Lansing’s performance of Pauer’s ‘Cascade’ was warmly applauded. The second concert takes place to-night, when we are glad to learn that Mr. G. W. Morgan will appear.”