Mason-Thomas Chamber Music Soirée: 2nd

Program, performers, time, price.

Program, performers, etc.

     “Messrs. Mason and  Thomas gave their second concert of chamber music at Dodworth's Saloon on Tuesday evening, and we were glad to notice a full and fashionable audience. Entertainments of this kind are so exceptionally valuable as a means of elevating public taste that we watch with curiosity and satisfaction the increasing favor with which they are received. In London chamber music has obtained so firm a foothold that it has ceased to be a thing for the few, and is now forced to dissipate itself in a huge hall before a thousand greedy listeners. The quartette of players, although composed of world-known artists like Joachim, Schreners, Blacrove and Piatti , is not better than that furnished by Messrs. Mason and Thomas. Eight years of artistic devotion to this specialty by the last-named gentlemen, have resulted in a degree of proficiency which no company can surpass. It is a common occurrence at their entertainments to hear a piece played faultlessly, with a delicate precision that no amount of technical ability could improve, and generally with a clear and intelligent reading of the composer’s meaning. If public taste in New York had advanced to the London standard, Messrs. Mason and Thomas would undoubtedly require increased accomodations for their quartette of players. We are for one reason selfishly glad that it is not, for classical music is most enjoyable in a small apartment, and excessive prosperity would necessitate a change to grander quarters. The programme on Tuesday contained three pieces--Beethoven's Trio for stringed instruments in C minor (opus 9, N. 3); Schumann's Trio for piano, violin, and violoncello in D minor (opus 63); and Schubert's Quartette in D minor (a posthumous work). The scherzo and finale of the first, and the andante of the last-named work were played faultlessly and won the hearty applause of the audience. Schubert’s Quartette was by far the most enjoyable morceau of the programme, although, from the many repetitions contained in it and its length, it is a tax on the attention even of the composer’s greatest admirers. The themes are singularly melodious, and the treatment picturesque, but diffuse. Schumann's Trio belongs to his best period, and is a spirited production. The piano part was excellently played by Mr. Wm. Mason, who, as we have had frequent occasion to say, is the representative of this school of art in America. The concert was in all respects a success.” 

Gives the Beethoven as op.9, no.1. “The programme [was] not so effectively arranged as usual. . . . Maybe the mood was too monotonously minor. Schubert’s Trio, containing the tolerably well known ‘Song of Death,’ with variations on the air, seemed naturally enough, on account of its comparative familiarity, to be best appreciated by the audience, which was larger and more mixed than usual; we most enjoyed Schumann’s deeply poetic creation.”

[detailed programme]

     “We do not remember having heard the Trio by Beethoven (number 1 of the programme,) in any of the soirees, given by the above artists, or by others. We wonder at this, because these compositions not only offer a welcome change from the fullness and sonority of Beethoven’s quartets, but also prove very satisfactorily, that even as early as 1797, or there about, (the trios were published in 1798,) the master knew how to draw peculiar effects to him from the limited resources, offered by the trioform for violin, viola and violoncello. No doubt, the ideas are neither deep nor grand, they have here and there the Mozart touch, but they are treated in a manner, which no man of his age, at that time, would have been able to produce. The other two compositions have been performed before, Schubert's quartet even twice last winter.--The trio by Schumann pleased again best in its second, lively part, so full of spirit and humorous traits. One of the best criticism, we heard on the first part, in which there is truly so much of that ‘energy and passion,” with which it is headed, was by an intelligent amateur, who, after taking a full, deep breath, evidently in consequence of the deep interest, with which he had listened to the music,  exclaimed: ‘Ah, this is a real story!’ And so it is, only that every listener will give a different version of it. But that he can give one, is sufficient evidence of the weight of the music.

     Shubert’s quartet closed the soiree in a worthy manner. It would be needless, to refer again to the riches of fancy, to the constant flow of melody, to the wealth of modulation, with which the work abounds. We will only call attention to the fact, that all those who have not the score at hand, or its four-hand arrangement for Pianoforte, by R. Franz, can at least recall the beautiful motive of the slow movement by referring to Schubert's song, 'Der Tod und das Maedchen,' (Death and the girl*). It is in the accompaniment, where this beautiful idea occurs again.”

* No. 7 of Holle's edition.