Thomas Popular Garden Concert: 1st

“Theodore Thomas’s concerts at the Central Park Garden will be resumed on Wednesday evening. They enjoyed a deserved popularity last Summer, and this year will probably be not less excellent. Mr. Levy the cornet player, has been engaged.”

Praises Theodore Thomas.

“CENTRAL PARK GARDEN.

Mr. Theodore Thomas’ fourth season of Summer orchestral concerts will open this evening at the Central Park Garden, which has been specially rearranged and decorated for the occasion. Mr. Levy’s name adds attractiveness to the programme for the opening night.”

“The Central Park Garden Concerts under the direction of Mr. Theodore Thomas, commence this evening. They are among the best of our Summer amusements and will no doubt be largely attended. Mr. Levy the cornet player has been engaged for them.”

“Theodore Thomas began last evening his series of summer concerts at the Central Park Garden, which has been improved and renovated during the winter. His programmes this week are good ones; and his list of soloists includes Mr. Levy, the celebrated cornet player; Mr. Siedler, the flutist, and Mr. Schmitz, the well-known performer on the French horn. The admission to these concerts is this season thirty-five cents.”

“The Summer season has been pleasantly inaugurated by Mr. Theodore Thomas and his associates at the Central Park Garden, where the best class of popular music may now be nightly enjoyed, with all the advantages of fresh air and ample space, which are denied to ordinary places of amusement at this time of the year. The first concert of the present series was given last Wednesday evening to an enormous audience, which testified in many ways its appreciation of the enterprise and liberal intentions of the managers. Certain beneficial changes have been made, since last year, in the interior arrangement of the hall and in the decoration of the garden, which latter, although not yet satisfying the highest horticultural ideal, possesses all the qualities of coolness, freedom and general comfort which are needed to complete the attractiveness of a resort of this character. The musical entertainments are of a very superior order. No better orchestra of its size has been heard in New York and the programmes are selected with all the good taste and judgment which have long distinguished Mr. Thomas’ concerts, here and elsewhere. A few novelties have been produced, among them a charming waltz by Strauss, the chief of modern writers of dance music, and an overture by Schubert, which appears to have been a merry caprice rather than a serious artistic effort of the composer. It is merely an imitation of the formal Italian style of half a century ago, and can claim no interest beyond that which Schubert’s name imparts to it. Mr. J. Levy contributes a couple of cornet solos each evening, and receives the applause to which his remarkable skill entitles him, and which unmistakably betokens wonder if not deep gratification.”