Thomas Symphony Soiree: 2nd

“Went to Steinway Hall.  Theo. Thomas’ concert. ‘Ein musikalische Charakterbild,’ Rubinstein, Op. 68. Trash, as might have been predicted from its senseless title. The character painted, however, was plainly weak, bad, fussy, frivolous, over-principled. ‘Fruhling-Phantasie,’ Gade, for vocal [illeg.] piano & orchestra a hybrid of piano concerto & oratorio [illeg.] & mildly melodic, & free from the preposterous spasms of Herr Rubinstein’s patient. Then we were amply repaid for what had [illeg.] by Beethoven’s wonderful 7th symphony. It was comforting to observe how much longer & louder the applause was at the end of each movement than after anything that went before him. The allegretto was nearly encored. People stopped applauding in full faith that it was to be repeated, but the orchestra dashed into the 3rd movement & disappointed the audience. That Allegretto is among the prime wonders of musical Art.”

“The second of those charming and elevating concerts of this, the fifth, season given by Theodore Thomas, came off last evening at Steinway Hall. That the hall was crowded is almost a needless remark; but the intelligence and eminence which characterized the assemblage are worthy of special note. The programme comprised selections . . . . The vocal quartet comprised Mlles Maria Brainard and Pauline Bimeler, soprano, Mr. William Groschell, tenor, and Mr. Marco Duschintz, basso, with Herr Von Inten as pianist. Such a selection, given by such acknowledged artists as those engaged, and all under the direction of Mr. Thomas, could not fail to give complete satisfaction to the audience, and to render comment unnecessary.”

“It is difficult to say whether Mr. Thomas had done much for the cause of popular or of classical music. In whatever direction he works, it is always in the interest of art. The programmes of his Central Park Garden concerts were necessarily of the most popular kind. The music was to be performed to the clink of lager bier glasses and the shuffling of feet; but it never descended to the lager bier level. On the contrary, the names of Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, and Schumann frequently graced the programmes. The popular theory has been that the great composers are difficult of comprehension. Mr. Thomas has done more than any other man—to convince the public that this is not a fact, and that, in point of truth, a man who really knows how write music, even if his name is Beethoven or Mozart, can be as interesting gas the worst composer that ever wrote. What he taught in his popular concerts, he confirms by his symphony or classical soirees. The programme of that given on Saturday evening was very short, comprising but three pieces. On the opposite page was printed that of the next concert of the series, to take place on the 13th of February. A writer in a leading daily paperwas misled by the circumstance into an appreciative critical notice of the whole programme, including the five pieces not performed, which notice appeared in the Sunday issue of the paper; the moral of which is, that though it may not be necessary to attend a concert to write a very excellent notice of it, it is as well to take a careful look beforehand at the date of the programme. The pieces actually performed, as we have said, were but three in number, one by Rubenstein, one by Gade, and the third and last, Beethoven’s seventh symphony.  The Gade and Rubenstein pieces were performed for the first time, and the former was an especially interesting work, being for vocal quartette, piano, and orchestra, a very unusal form of composition. It was a spring fantasie, in three allegro movements, and written with that conscientious fidelity to musical law that distinguishes this careful composer. But while, on the one hand, Gade never wearies one with empty stupidities, on the other, he seldom stirs the pulse. His works are those of a good musician but the ‘sacred fire’ genius seems to have been denied to him. His works neither excite enthusiasm nor invite criticism. Of course the weight of the programme was in the Beethoven symphony, by many thought the greatest of all the composer’s works, by all esteemed as among the greatest. The sublime andante movement impressed the audience greatly, and the applause at the close was so prolonged and the wish for its repetition so evident and earnest, that for a time it seemed as though Mr. Thomas would interrupt the symphony to repeat it. The foruth movement disclosed ot the audience where the great musical highwayman, John Offenbach, found his popular air, ‘J’aime le Militaire,’ in the ‘Grande Duchesse.’ It is appropriated, note for note, from the opening bars of this movement. The concert was very well attended. The next one, to be given, in February, promises to be of unusual interest.”

“The second Symphony Soiree of the fifth season was given by Mr. THEODORE THOMAS at Steinway Hall on Saturday evening. The attendance was not what it should have been. We regret to notice a growing indifference to these entertainments. It can be ascribed only to the fact that there are no public rehearsals, and therefore no opportunity to become acquainted with works which are often tough, and sometimes forbidden in their first aspect. Mr. THOMAS’ orchestra is not inferior to that of the Philharmonic Society, save in numbers, and the programmes of the Soirees are always interesting. It is not necessary to swallow everything, but it is pleasant at all events to have a curious dish proffered to us, and Mr. THOMAS rejoices in curious dishes. He ought to have public rehearsals, and then people could chat about them. About fifty, for instance, would enable a quick-witted person, undisturbed by other avocations, to find out what Mr. RUBINSTEIN means by his “musikalisches charakterbild” called Faust—provided, of course, he means anything at all, except effort. What can be perceived at once in the work is incoherence; a rapsodical, fragmentary, and muddled incongruence combined with natural coarseness. There are moments when the composer seems to have his finger on an idea, but it hops away before he has secured it. The work is without form and void; a very poor thing indeed. In strong contrast with this was the “Frulings Fantasie” by GADE, opus 23, played like the proceeding, for the first time in the country. The work has three movments, and is padded with a vocal quartette, a tenor solo, and a piano-forte part. The ideas are cheerful and sweet; the treatment is open and clear. We cannot, however, think that the quartette or the solo contribute to the delicate coloring of the orchestra. It is only negative praise to say that they do not disturb the flow of a very agreeable composition. The vocal quartette was not remarkable for steadiness, albeit led by that experienced and charming artiste, Miss MARIA BRAINARD. The solo was sung by Mr. GROESCHEL, who has a strong voice of unpleasant quality. Mr. VON INTEN was at the piano, and, we have no doubt, did full justice to the par[?]tion. He is a careful player, but in this fantasie, there is really nothing for him to do. Mr. THOMAS, like a good postilion, always saves a gallop for the end. He gives us novelties because the public craves novelty, but he has always something good in reserve.  Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony (op. 92) was the piece de resistence on this occasion, and brought the concert to an ending. Although it does not rank with the third, fifth, or sixth symphonies, it is better than any of the others. The beautiful allegretto and the surging presto are in the master’s happiest mood. The treatment throughout is admirable, and particularly so in the last movement, where the theme is the shallowest. One is always young in the presence of genius. He is a dreary being who cannot rejoice with BEETHOVEN. Mr. THEO. THOMAS handled the orchestra with his usual ability. The symphony (especially the second movement) went finely; and GADE’S fantasie could hardly have been given better.  ‘Faust’ (who it will be remembered, preferred lively devils to sedate ones, and selected Mephistopheles as the score of his superior vivacity) fell into the hands of the Philistines, who lugubriously sawed him into pieces. We urge upon Mr. THOMAS, once more, to have public rehearsals. They will draw. The next concert takes place on Feb. 19, when an unusually varied programme will be offered.”

“The second Symphony Soirée of Mr. Theodore Thomas’s fifth season took place on Saturday evening at Steinway Hall, and attracted, we are glad to say, a much larger and more appreciative audience than usual. There are few musical entertainments in New York which deserve more encouragement than these, or give more pleasure to people of musical taste and culture, and to find them growing in popularity is cheering in the highest degree. The programme on Saturday embraced two absolute novelties, Rubinstein’s Charakterbild on ‘Faust,’ and Gade’s Fruhlings (‘Spring’) Phantasie. The former is rather a dry work, displaying neither inspiration in thought, nor particularly happy treatment of instruments. The first part, with its snatches of sentimental melody for reed solos with orchestral accompaniment, reminds one frequently of Gounod; the second is more elaborate in structure, but the elaboration is like the straining after effects which are never reached. Gade’s little Spring symphony, if we may so call it, offered a delightful contrast to the composition that preceded it. It is for full orchestra, with a vocal quartette, admirably sung by Miss Maria Brainerd, Miss Pauline Bimeler, Mr. William Groschel, and Mr. Duschutz, and a piano obligato, which was intrusted to the competent hands of Herr von Inten. The melody is simple and spontaneous, the instrumentation is masterly, and the general effect is just charming. The concert closed with Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, in the allegretto, of which the playing was so good that an encore was called for, but not given. In the other movements the orchestra was rather coarse, but it was correct and vigorous as it almost always is, and the entertainment as a whole was  excellent.”

Program listed.

“On Saturday evening Theo. Thomas delighted us with his 2nd Symphony Soiree, which was attended by a large and well-behaved audience. Very agreeable were the serious attention and decorous quietness, showing a marked contrast to the loaferism at the Philharmonic on the preceding Saturday evening. This was Mr. Thomas’s programme {programme given] Of the first two numbers it is difficult to give a sound opinion, simply because one hearing is not a sufficient basis; however, I will give my impressions, which subsequent perfromacnes would doubtless develop into certainties.

“Rubinstein has more clearly and accurately painted, in tones, a Faust picture, than has any one who has thus far attempted the difficult task. Liszt failed lamentably (albeit the ‘Gretchen’ is very neat) while Rubinstein has to an extent succeeded. This work, then, while it belongs in a general way to the new school, has yet a continuity of prupose and melodious breathing places which are not characteristic of that school. The instrumentation, too, is effective, and altogheter the compositon made a favorable impression upon me.

“Gade’s ‘Spring Fantasia’ is a sort of symphony on a small scale, with piano and four voices thrown in. Very fresh and graceful, with neat bits of insturmentation, it added materially to the interest of the entertainment. It has three movements, the first in G minor, the second in C (opening in the minor and closing in the major), and 3d in G major. The 2nd movement, with some exquisite passages for the wood wind instruments has a strong Mendelssohn tinge, which indeed pervades the entire work.

“Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, best and most enjoyable of the nine closed this intersated Soiree. To praise this noble work, composed about 1813, and of which the composer never heard anything but the roll of the drums, is to go over ground already well troden. In the present age of musical taste and discernment, how strange does it appear to be reminded that, when it was first produced, a man no less great and true than Von Weber wrote, ‘That the extravagances of genius had reached their ne plus ultra, and that the author of usch a symphony was fully ripe for the madhouse.’ Weber’s judgment only proves to us how much Beethoven was in advance of his time. To say that the orchestra played well would be pleasant thing to do, but truth demands a contrary statement; the strings were reliable and accurate, as always, but the wind instruments uncertain. I refer particularly to the brass.”

“Theodore Thomas’ second symphony soiree was given Jan. 16. We fear these admirable concerts do not pay as they ought. Aside from the enjoyment of the very best music, some of which cannot be heard elsewhere in this country, the public should not forget the obligation it is under, for its own good, to sustain such a zealous laborer for the cause of Art, as Mr. Thomas proves himself to be.”

“Theo. Thomas’s second Symphony Soiree came off at Steinway’s on Jan. 16th.  The critics seem divided as to the beauties of certain compositions there presented by Rubinstein and Gade. When will these critics learn to remember that some music was composed for the public, and some for connoisseurs? It would not be fair to judge Shakespeare by the Mother Goose standard, and yet upon music, such profound kinds of judgment are pronounced every day by some ‘dailies.”