Central Park Band Concert

Event Information

Venue(s):
Central Park Mall

Conductor(s):
Harvey Bradley Dodworth

Event Type:
Band

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
22 April 2020

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

20 Jun 1868, 4:00 PM

Program Details

Reminiscences of Bellini: [arranger not identified]. Themes from Norma, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, La sonnamula, I puritani, Beatrice di Tenda, and Il pirata.

Performers and/or Works Performed

2)
aka Park march, The; Central Park; Central Park music; Salutory park march; Salutary park march; Concert-Signal March; Proem; Attention; Introductory march
Composer(s): Dodworth
3)
aka Wunderwasser, Das
Composer(s): Flotow
5)
Composer(s): Dodworth
7)
Composer(s): Godfrey
8)
Composer(s): Godfrey
9)
Composer(s): Bishop
Text Author: Terry
10)
Composer(s): Kuppf
12)
Composer(s): Rossini
13)
aka Bunch of melodies on chords; String of melodies potpourri
Composer(s): Dodworth
14)
aka Parisian Life; Vie parisienne quadrille
Composer(s): Mariot
15)
Composer(s): Offenbach
16)
Composer(s): Parlow
17)
aka National pot pouri; National potpourri; National medley; National airs
Composer(s): Dodworth

Citations

1)
Announcement: New York Post, 19 June 1868, 4.

Includes program.

2)
Review: New York Herald, 21 June 1868, 7.

“The third concert of the season, for which the public are indebted to the Commissioners for arranging and Dodworth’s superb band for executing, came off with brilliant éclat yesterday afternoon. The day was perhaps the hottest of the summer; but what did the public care when they could dodge under the mammoth tents and marques that dotted the verdant meadows, or retreat within the shady arbors and amid the beautiful flowers, commune with nature and their God while waiting for the strains of music to awake the hills and dells around them! What if old Sol’s touch was of an impudent kind, and burned fair cheeks and scorched the hands of velvet softness! The musical treat, all seemed to think, fully repaid them for all the little vexations of heated, overcrowded cars, absence of zephyr breezes, &c. that they encountered ere they reached the pavilion.

“For the nonce all the usual favorite resorts of the Park—the museum, the lakes, the casino, the rural bowers that cap the rocky point—were deserted, and probably twenty thousand people, from all the walks of life, gathered within a radius of a quarter of a mile about the stand.

“Long before the hour for the opening of the programme all the tents had been filled and thousands were driven to the meadow, which lettered edicts no longer proclaimed to be ‘forbidden ground,’ and throwing themselves upon the soft green sward, beneath the shadows of the oak and elm, awaited the expected event, while children and nurses gamboled upon the common, heedless of the burning sun that left his hot breath upon everything he touched.

“About four o’clock the welcome tapping of the drum was heard and before the strolling groups who loitered in the shady walks could be seated the sweet strains of thirty pieces awoke an echo in the adjacent dells with Flotow’s overture, ‘Das Wunderwasser,’ which was quickly followed by the passage, ‘Les Militaire,’ of the Grand Duchess, whose melodious notes delighted the ears of the vast auditory present.

“The second part opened with Themes from Bellini’s ‘Norma,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘Il Pirati,’ ‘Il Puritani,’ ‘Beatrice di Tenra [i.e., Tenda],’ &c., followed by a lively gallop, ‘The Jockey,’ Bishop’s ‘When Winds Whistle Cold’ and ‘Citizens’ March.’  

“The third part opened with Rossini’s beautiful overture ‘Tancredi;’ a collocation by Dodsworth followed, which included some simple gems appreciated alike by connoisseurs and novices.  A few of Offenbach’s classic airs were beautifully rendered and the concert closed with the ‘National.’    

x

3)
Review: New York Sun, 22 June 1868, 2.

“The third weekly concert of the season was given in the Central Park on Saturday evening. There was an unusually large concourse of person present. The cars running from the city were crowded with persons of every class and grade, who hurried from the dust, and din, and suffocating heart of the streets, to enjoy the balmy zephyrs which floated over the ‘Central,’ which rustled through the trees, kissed the surface of the cool lakes, and stole from the flowers some of their sweet fragrance. Leaving behind all the worrying cares of busy life, and that execrable thirst for gold, which is the incurable concert of human enjoyment, they come to stake their thirst for music at Fount “Dodsworth” and commune for a time with Nature, as she there appeared in all her virgin loveliness. Vehicles and carriages, in every style of four-wheeled fashion, with gay gallants, and ladies fair, rolled along in all their pride of wealth and luxury and everything went merry as a marriage bell, when the signal tap of the drum heralded the advance of that captivating band which soon held spell-bound in the magic strains of ‘Das Wunder’ the listening throng who to the number of about 15,000 had encompassed the stand – some in tents, some on the greensward, some in chatty groups under the welcome shade of the leafy trees. They were soon aroused from their sweet repose by the lively passage ‘Les Militaire’ of the ‘Grande Duchesse’ which was rendered in splendid style. The second part opened with strains from Bellini’s ‘Norma,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘Il Pirati,’ ‘Il Puritani,’ ‘Beatrice di Tenda,’ which was followed by the gallops, ‘The Jockey,’ ‘When the Wind Whistles Cold,’ &c. If the band could have imparted something of the reality to its music blast just then it would have been almost as agreeable as the music. The third part commenced with Rossini’s overture ‘Tancredi,’ after which followed some sweet pieces from Dodworth, some of Offenbach’s and closed with the ‘National.’ A most agreeable evening was spend by the visitors to the Park, many of whom availed themselves of the Casino and other restaurants to regale themselves with cooling beverages and enjoy the luxury of ice cream.”