Venue(s):
Steinway Hall
Conductor(s):
George W. Colby
Price: $1; $1.50 reserved
Performance Forces:
Instrumental, Vocal
Status:
Published
Last Updated:
1 February 2018
“The concert last night at Steinway Hall, with all its excellence, was rather a melancholy celebration, being a leave-taking between one of the most estimable vocalists who have ever visited us, and a public who have been for several years her admirers and friends. Madame Rosa has enjoyed an almost unparalleled popularity in New-York, and she has richly deserved it. She has sung for us in every style of music, and in all has sung superbly. She has given to the concert-room a brilliancy to which it is not too familiar. She has illustrated the lyric stage with several performances of unexpected excellence; and in the grand strains of the Oratorio she has won a glory which no woman in America ever won before. We shall miss her deeply during her absence, and it will be hard for any one else to please us in her place. Last night to bid her good-by she had a fine audience, and they seemed to enter into the spirit of the good old song ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ which, with others of her departing troupe, she gave at the end of the evening. This is an inconstant world (as somebody remarks somewhere), but in her case we may be pretty sure that old acquaintance will not be forgot. Her part of the programme last night included several ballads, Gounod’s ‘Ave Maria,’ with violin, piano, and organ accompaniment, and a cavatina from ‘Semiramide.’ Mr. Carl Rosa played unusually well, with both fire and delicacy. He selected for this occasion Artot’s variations on the Russian hymn, and on being recalled displayed his dexterity and neatness in the use of the B string. Mr. G. W. Morgan performed two organ solos. Mr. J. N. Pattison produced a sensation with his ‘Grand Polka de Concert;’ Mr. Toulmin favored us with a disguise of ‘Home, Sweet Home,’ on the harp; Mr. Dawson contributed a piano forte fantasia; Mr. Simpson and Mr. J. R. Thomas were excellent in two or three ballads; and there was some poor singing by Mr. George Keck and Mr. Brookhouse Bowler, chiefly remarkable for a bold disregard of the promises of the programme.”