Henrietta Markstein Concert

“On Wednesday evening at Steinway Hall, Miss Henreitta Markstein, the young pianist, gives her second concert, the list of performers including, besides her own, the names of Lanari, Hill, Wenzel Kapta [sic], Von Inten and Dressler.”

“The young pianist Henrietta Markstein, of whom we have spoken heretofore, is to give a concert to-morrow night at Steinway Hall. We are opposed on principle to the exhibition of juvenile prodigies, but this child undoubtedly possesses a maturity of talent far beyond her years, and is quite capable of giving pleasure to persons of musical taste as well as merely exciting wonder at her precocity.”

“Miss Henrietta Markstein, who made such a favorable impression at her debut a few months since, will give her second concert at Steinway Hall this evening, assisted by [lists participants]. The tickets are already in great demand.”

“This young lady, just past her thirteenth year, gave her second grand concert last evening. She played first a grand duo for two pianos, ‘L’Eclair,’ one of the best compositions of William Wallace, at which she was assisted by Prof. von Inten; then a fantasia on ‘La Muette de Portici,’ from Charles Mayer, most difficult and brilliant, requiring more than ordinary force and rapidity of execution; but she rendered it well and better than the most enthusiastic admirers of her talent had expected. Then followed, introducing Part 2, a fantasia on themes from ‘Rigoletto,’ by Liszt, and whoever knows the difficulty of playing well any of Liszt’s compositions, written by him for his own extraordinary skill, will admit that it is no small praise to say that Miss Henrietta was fully equal to the task. ‘Il Trovatore,’ arranged by Gottschalk, she played with the same perfection as all others. It was the general remark of the large audience that the masterly performance of one so youthful, the astonishing force, the sweetness of melody, delicacy of tough and correctness and clearness of intonation indicated that studious application and perseverance only assisted great natural talent. Wenzel Kopta gave some of his most exquisite solos on the violin, and Mr. W. J. Hill sang very sweetly two ballads and both were warmly applauded.”

“This talented young pianist gave a concert last evening at Steinway Hall. Miss Markstein appears to have made considerable progress in her studies since her last public appearance, and some of her octave passages and runs displayed remarkable powers of execution. There still remain, however, many crudities in her method which must be smoothed away before she can take rank among first-class concert-players, and before a fair subject for criticism. The prrogramme was filled out by the assistance of Mr. Wenzel Kopta, Mr. W. J. Hill, Mr. Von Inten, and Signora Lanari.”

“April 12.—On Wednesday evening Miss Henrietta Markstein, who made her first appearance last November, gave a second concert in Steinway Hall. She was assisted in a very miscellaneous programme by Mr. Von Inten (pianist), Mr. Kopta (violin), Mr. Hill (tenor), and Mme. Lanari (soprani [sic]). Miss Markstein has much force and considerable mechanical dexterity, but her playing entirely lacks elegance, and that well-bread quietude of manner which is characteristic of a thorough artist; she plays with her elbows and shoulders, and her convulsive movements are anything but satisfactory to the beholder. She selected (most injudiciously) as one of her solos, Mayer’s Fantasia on Masaniello, which has several times been played by Mr. Mills. The hall was occupied by a widely scattered audience, and the pecuniary result of the concert could scarcely have been gratifying to the pianist. The assisting artists acquitted themselves creditably.”