Philharmonic Society of New York: 4th Concert

“As a matter of course, as is always the case this season with this society, the concert of the Philharmonic Society last night at the Academy of Music was crowded to excess. Still it was not by any means equal to its predecessors in a musical point of view. The programme was as follows [see above]. The Mozart overture was the last of the entire programme. This is, to us, one of the most delightful of the great master’s works. The tender, sportive vein that pervades the entire opera comes out in bold relief in the overture. The magic flute is predominant throughout and gives a color to the work. It was magnificently played, and every gradation of light and shade was given with master touches. Under the direction of Carl Bergmann this orchestra of 100 performers rendered Mozart’s chef d’oeuvre in faultless style, and was entirely free from the hard, mechanical style in which it is ordinarily performed. The quintet was remarkable principally for an entire impersonality of the solo instruments, and the piece was by no means interesting. Mrs. Davison was encored after her aria (that terrible prayer from the ‘Freischütz,’ which so few know how to sing), and gave in response a little song by Haydn. She has a good voice, but a few years more training would not do it any harm. We do not like Schumann’s overture, not but that it is artistic, but there is nothing in it as regards unity of idea. It is merely a series of clever passages, such as one well acquainted with orchestral effects could produce, but as a work it shows neither genius nor positive talent. Beethoven’s symphony is tinctured from beginning to end with Mozart. Take the andante, and the third movement in particular, one can read ‘Don Giovanni’ throughout in it. Still there are croppings out of the grand spirit of the immortal Beethoven in it, and those startling episodes and constant changes so characteristic of him came forth to relieve the school under which he studied in his earlier days. Bergner played superbly and received a welcome which he well deserved.”

“The fourth Philharmonic concert of the season was given at the Academy of Music last evening. The audience was as numerous as ever, and their appreciation of the whole performance was unfeigned. The first appearance of Mrs. Davison was, however, the feature of the programme that appealed to most general interest. Mrs. Davison is an amateur of distinction, whom it would be pleasant to hear more frequently. Her voice is of exceeding sweetness, though rather deficient in volume and firmness. She uses it skillfully, save in respect of such husbandry as would have been advisable last evening. Mrs. Davison’s power of endurance is not very great, and singing the difficult scena ed aria from ‘Der Freischuetz,’ her execution of the smooth and joyous melody at the close was not marked by the ease we should have liked. The lady was recalled, though, and sang one of Haydn’s airs with great purity. The soloist who was listened to afterwards was F. Bergner, who interpreted on the violoncello a Russian air, with orchestral accompaniment, by Kummer. The instrumental music rendered during the evening included the overture to Mozart’s ‘Zauberfloete,’ a quintet for flute, oboe, clarionet, bassoon and horn, Schumann’s overture to ‘Genoveva,’ and Beethoven’s immortal symphony No. 5, in C minor.”

“The programme of the fourth Philharmonic Concert, which took place at the Academy of Music on Saturday night, was a peculiarly enjoyable, though a decidedly unpretentious one. There was no remarkable novelty, but every selection—with perhaps one exception—was well calculated to please the average Philharmonic listener. Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’ overture opened the list, and was followed by a quintet for flute, oboe, clarionet, bassoon and horn, played by Messrs. Boehm, Rietzel, Ohlemann, Sohst and Schmitz. It is a curious and exceedingly beautiful composition. The flute passages are especially melodious. A pizzicato stringed accompaniment, by the orchestra, gives variety to the work.

“rs. Emily Davison, who is announced as an amateur, sang the familiar scena from ‘Freischütz,’ revealing a peculiar rich, fresh voice, and a fair degree of culture. She was heartily encored, and in response sang a little song of Haydn’s.

“Mr. Bergner, the violoncellist, played in superb style Kummer’s fantasia for the ‘cello on the Russian National Hymn. The rapid variations, however, seem out of place on an instrument so specially adapted to slow movements. Schumann’s ‘Genoveva’ overture was coldly received, and failed to interest. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, on the other hand, was listened to with the closest attention, and gave unbounded satisfaction. It has never received a better interpretation here. Both performers and auditors seemed entirely absorbed in the majestic harmonies and rich melodies of this noble work.”

“The fourth Philharmonic concert took place on Saturday evening. The programme was interesting, though it offered no special novelty save the singing of Mrs. Davison, the rising star in the musical firmament, and one, if not of the first magnitude, at least of delicate, pure, and bright lustre.

“The chief pieces performed were the overture to the Magic Flute, unexceptionable doubtless, but familiar almost to wearisomeness; Schumann’s Genoveva overture, an interesting but by no means a great work; the Great C Minor Beethoven Symphony, which can no more tire one with repetition than can the ocean by being forever blue which only excites fresh wonder at every hearing and fresh reverence for the prodigious genius that conceived it. Besides these larger pieces, was the Russian National Hymn, arranged by Kummer, for a violoncello and orchestra, and prefaced by a noble introduction which Mr. Bergner played with his accustomed finish. This composition of Kummer’s is like the mermaid. Its beginning is symmetrical, beautiful and feminine, but it wiggles off toward the end in those snaky, formless, convolutions called variations. The violoncello is an instrument of complaint; in its place in the orchestra, it takes up the burden of sorrow, or often treating love, or of hopeless longing, and gives it soulful expression; set to work out rapid passages, diluting, varying and ringing the changes upon an air in feeble imitation of its superior, the violin, it becomes trivial, and forfeits the listener’s respect.

“A quintet of flute, oboe, clarionet, bassoon, and horn, the composition of Julius Rietz, was also played. These are all soft wind instruments, producing tones that, though of course they have individuality, still affect the air in the same way. Such a combination speedily becomes monotonous, and nothing but great art on the composer’s part in relieving it with the other instruments of the orchestra used as accompaniment prevented its becoming very tame. What Rietz gained by this combination was a lovely unity and blending of soft, reedy notes and harmonies that soothed the ear with sensuous beauty like the murmuring of doves. Finally, it remains only to refer to Mrs. Davison’s singing of the great scena and aria from the ‘Freischütz:’ ‘Wie nahte mir der Schlummer.’ The lady herself is from the West, and has been heard much of late in private musical parties, so that expectation has been kindled to hear her in public. Her personal graces won her at once the sympathy of the audience, and this was further assured by the very beautiful quality of her voice. So sweet and delicate and delicious a tone few singers that we have the good fortune to hear possess. There was no trace of hardness or harshness in it. If Mrs. Davison’s ability to use her voice were as great as the beauty of the voice itself, we should have only unqualified praise to offer. But she has not yet learned to sing. Even those elementary but all important parts of vocal method, such as when to take breath and how to hold it, she has not yet learned; and in the slow movement she marred the beauty of the song very much by the faultiness of method and finding her breath exhausted and insufficient to hold the tone out to its proper length. Mrs, Davison’s voice is not powerful, but this is more than compensated for by the purity of tone. Her high tones are especially weak, but what the upper register loses the lower register gains; besides, practice will add a note or two and strengthen those she already has. She does not vocalize well, but on the other hand she can sing a cantabile passage delightfully, and that is what a singer as renowned even as Carlotta Patti is incapable of doing. In a word, Mrs. Davison does not possess the art of singing, but the soul and the understanding and the capacity are all hers, and nothing is needed but well-directed application to make her an admirable artist.” [Reprinted, DJM, 03/12/70, p. 208]

“On Saturday evening, March 5^th we had the 4^th concert of our Society, with the assistance of Mr. Bergner (‘cello), and Mrs. Davison (soprano). I append the programme [see above].

“It seemed to me that Mr. Bergmann took the tempo of the ‘Magic Flute’ Overture a shade too rapidly, as was also the case with the concluding pages of the 4^th movement of the Symphony; otherwise the orchestral playing was quite up, perhaps, to its usual standard of excellence. The magnificent ‘Genoveva’ and the Andante from the Symphony were the especial orchestral excellencies of the evening.

“Mr. Bergner is so emphatically and unmistakably a true artist that is a pleasure to speak of anything in which he takes a prominent part. He played the ‘Air Russe’ with all his usual excellence of execution and clearness of tone, and won from the audience very warm demonstrations of satisfaction and delight. He replied to the encore merely by bowing, thereby setting a good example to ambitious amateurs who eagerly grasp anything which bears the remotest resemblance to a recall.

“Mrs. Davison is a lady possessing a very good soprano voice, which is as yet only in the early stages of cultivation (apparently). In the ‘Prayer’ and Aria from ‘Des Freischütz’ it was very evident that her voice was totally inadequate for the rapid and brilliant bravura passages of the Aria; possibly at some future time she will become a singer of ability and excellence, especially if in the meantime she devotes herself resolutely to study and practice. At present she is a very painstaking but quite mediocre vocalist, whose sphere is emphatically a moderate sized concert room.

“The quintet for wind instruments, with orchestral accompaniment, was very attractive and pleasing, although not strikingly original either in ideas or treatment. It was very neatly rendered by the five gentlemen (members of the Society) to whom it was entrusted.”