Concert of Classical and Modern Piano-forte Music

Includes program.

“The concert given by Miss Marie Krebs at Steinway Hall, last evening, was enjoyed by an audience whose approval seemed of unusual value. The youth and slightness of figure of Miss Krebs, as well as her genuine talent, caused her to interest from her earliest appearance here, and the attendance of yesterday, if not so large in numbers as genius and the echoes which managers well know to awake can summon, was at least well fitted to appreciate the entertainment. This had the merit a novel programme so rarely gives to modern affairs of the kind. The trio for piano, violin and violoncello, opus 49, in D minor—not one of Mendelssohn’s representative works, but susceptible of more effectiveness than it really had—opened the concert. More numerous rehearsals, we should say, would have endowed the performance with the absolute excellence of which a loose observance of tempo deprived it. Mme. Krebs-Michalesi contributed the second number, singing Schubert’s ‘Der Wanderer.’ Mme. Krebs-Michalesi has a contralto voice, rather worn, husky in some of the lower notes, but exceedingly rich and powerful in the higher register. A shortness of breath, or else an ill-division of the phrases was, however, a very unpleasant trait of the lady’s singing. The third number, for violoncello, was a prelude, an allemande, a sarabanda and a giga, by Corelli, whose compositions, written upwards of two centuries ago, are fresh and tuneful still under the bow Mr. Charles Werner. The solo playing of Miss Krebs has a clearness and fluency of execution equal to any demand, and a vigor of touch sufficient for a less free use of the pedal than she makes. One of Bach’s preludes and fugues was recited by her with faultless technique, the rather thankless feat of informing the work with characteristic confusion and symmetry, discord and beauty, being successfully achieved by the aid of an instrument, exhibiting the sonorous might of the organ as willingly as the highest trilling power of a flute. Schumann’s toccata in F was also interpreted with great skill. The second part of the concert was commenced with an andante from Wagner’s ‘Rienzi,’ sung by Mme. Krebs-Michalesi and redemanded. Miss Krebs next rendered Beethoven’s Opera No. 81, the sonata on ‘The Farewell—Absence—The Return,’ and the only specimen of programme music so indicated by its title. This composition has been arranged for a full orchestra, and its impressiveness can by no other means be appreciated. Miss Krebs read it with unswerving correctness and intelligence, but her sensibility is not of the liveliest order, and there was less expression in the poem than we could have wished. Mr. Hamm, a violinist new to us until now, followed Miss Krebs, and played with rare force and beauty of tone Spohr’s adagio in F major. Mr. Hamm, who is a very young artist, did not rival older players in Laub’s polonaise, but from the breadth and purity of his style in the first piece, we are convinced that in later years he will occupy a much higher position than a degradation of the violin by tricks could ever secure for him. The final numbers of the evening were a song, ‘Mein Hochland,’ by Mme. Krebs-Michalesi, and Miss Krebs’ execution of a barcarolle and an étude infernale—let us, to suitably describe the latter, literally translate the title, an infernal study—on false notes by Rubinstein. So many pianists introduce passages from this piece into every element of their repertory, that Rubinstein’s reduction of their misdeeds to a portable form was not needed.”

“Miss Marie Krebs gave her first New-York concert last night at Steinway Hall before such an audience as ought to delight the heart of any true artist. It was composed almost entirely of connoisseurs, who appreciated all the best points of the performances, and gave their applause freely in the right places. Nothing was lost upon them, and their approval was precious because it was discriminating and intelligent. The programme was worthy of the audience. It embraced nothing but genuine music—most of it of the highest kind—no trash to captivate the multitude, no empty compositions fit for nothing but to show the dexterity of the performer. The concert opened with Mendelssohn’s beautiful trio for piano, violin, and violoncello, in D minor, Miss Krebs, Mr. Hamm, and Mr. Werner, taking the three instruments. The sure, brilliant, and delicate touch of the fair young pianist, her keen [illegible] perceptions, and the genuine artistic [instinct?] which teaches her to think more of the interpretation of the composer than the display of her own proficiency, here charmed everybody, and more than once, in the course of the piece, the gratification of the audience found vent in warm tributes of applause. In Beethoven’s ‘Sonata Characterisque,’ during the latter part of the evening, Miss Krebs played not only with the most exquisite accuracy, but with a grace and delicacy that we hardly expected of her. We cannot go so far as to say that she gave expression to all the deep poetry of this most subtle of composers—we never met with a very young performer who could do that—but she rendered the difficult piece beautifully, and was loudly recalled at the end of it. There were other portions of her programme, however, which were simply perfect. A prelude and fugue of Bach’s, never before publicly performed in this country, were given with a breadth of expression and a faultless accuracy of rhythm which one seldom finds, even in Bach’s most enthusiastic interpreters, and a Toccata of Schumann’s, a work of immense difficulty, also unknown to our concert [illegible], was rendered with a brilliancy and [sympathetic ease?] which we can call no less than triumphant. Miss Krebs had already made an excellent impression by her few performances at the Nilsson concerts; but last night she gave us a taste of her higher qualities, which will greatly [illegible] as an artist.

“Of the performers who assisted her last night, the most important was her mother, Madame Krebs Michalesi, a contralto singer of very superior culture, with a powerful and pleasant voice, and an excellent dramatic style. It might be supposed that a lady [illegible] to be the mother of so [illegible] as Mlle. Marie Krebs would be too old to be a very good singer, but this is a mistake. Mme. Krebs has a plenty of voice at her command, and we shall hope to hear her soon on the stage.”

“The talented young pianist gave on Wednesday night, before a select audience, an exhibition of her wonderful powers, selecting such trying works as the ‘Sonata Caractéristique,’ opus 81, Beethoven; barcarolle and étude infernale (on false notes), Rubinstein; praeludium and fugue, Bach, and Toccata, opus 7, R. Schumann. The two last, it will be remembered, were played by Miss Méhlig at her debut in this city. Miss Krebs, in all these selections, displayed much of the power of Miss Mehlig and the delicacy of Miss Topp combined with an extraordinarily clear, crisp and mobile touch. In light and shade she was deficient, as such qualities can scarcely be looked for in one so young. Her mother, Mme. Krebs-Michalesi, once a famous contralto on the German stage and still retaining a great deal of power and dramatic expression, sang ‘The Wanderer,’ an andante from ‘Rienzi,’ and a German song, ‘Mein Hochland.’ Both ladies were the features of the concert; for neither Mr. Hamm, violinist, nor Mr. Werner, ‘cellists, contributed any satisfactory music.”

“On Wednesday evening, at Steinway hall, Miss Krebs gave her first concert in this country. Those who heard her play at Miss Nilsson’s concerts anticipated a good deal from her, and, we are happy to say, were not disappointed. Young, vigorous, and full of musical impulses, her playing excelled in force, precision and rapidity of touch. Her mechanical execution of the difficult music of Mendelssohn, Bach, Schumann and Beethoven is quite extraordinary for one so young; and she is not less gifted in giving full expression to the sentiments and emotions which the music embodies. There was something brilliant, tripping and undulating in her capital fingering of the barcarolle from Rubinstein. In her performance of the beautiful sonata characterisque of Beethoven she was freshly versatile, flexible in execution, and artistically loyal to the great composer’s musical genius. As she grows in years her art will become more mellow, tender and deeper, and her interpretation of these masterly pieces will ripen into a greater plentitude of artistic perfection.

“Mme. Krebs-Michalesi, the mother of Miss Krebs, took everybody by surprise as a vocalist. She has a full, rich and deep contralto voice, well trained, and directed by excellent taste. In her first effort, ‘Der Wanderer,’ from Schubert, she was somewhat embarrassed, but the warmth of the applause soon restored her equanimity. The second air, ‘In seiner Blüthe bleicht mein Leben,’ from Wagner, she sang most admirably, and was rewarded with great applause. But it was in responding to repeated calls in a German melody that she showed a pathos, a delicacy and tenderness of vocalization which touched the hearts of her audience and carried them captive.

“To Mr. Hamm, the violinist of the occasion, all praise is due for the skillful manner in which he executed the music of Spohr and Laub. It was his first appearance in this country, but judging from the warm reception he got, and his successful playing, we shall have the pleasure of hearing him often.

“Mr. Werner, the violoncellist, is rapidly rising in his profession, and deserves all the popularity he is destined to receive. He always handles his beautiful instrument with the spirit of the true artist.”

“Marie Krebs, the remarkable young Saxon pianist, gave a remarkable concert in New York last week, to judge from the following programme [see above].

“The Weekly Review [11/26/70?] says

“That all of these compositions taxed the technical ability of the young pianist, is a matter of course; but this is of little moment compared with the other requirements they involved. Thus, Beethoven’s Sonata appealed to the mental resources of the pianist in such a way as to cause some apprehension that one so young could do full justice to all that is needed. But Miss Krebs accomplished her task in a most remarkable manner, and gave full evidence that she not only has completeness of technics, but also a fine musical understanding, and a thoroughly artistic nature. The Toccata, by Schumann, only attempted by the few pianists hors de ligne Europe can boast of, she mastered equally well, but we should have liked a little more repose. It was a powerful rendering, but, on the whole rather too wild.

“The singing of Mme. Michalesi-Krebs, the mother and teacher of the talented pianist, was of great interest. Mme. Krebs has held a prominent position at the Royal Court Theatre of Dresden, the same theatre where her husband, Carl Krebs, has occupied—and is still occupying—the conductor’s chair. Mme. Krebs sang with great artistic discrimination, and was fully entitled to the numerous tokens of appreciation the audience bestowed upon her. Mr. Charles Werner also sustained the favorable impression his fine violoncello playing produced upon numerous musicians during his stay in this city.

“The young violinist, Mr. Charles Hamm, who recently arrived in New York made his first debut on this occasion. A more favorable introduction the young artist could certainly not have wished for. The fame of the pianist attracted a very large and fashionable audience, together with a host of our most distinguished artists and critics. Mr. Hamm played the violin part of Mendelssohn’s beautiful trio in D minor, an adagio by Spohr, and a Polonaise, by Laub, in such a manner as to enlist the sympathy and admiration of the audience. He has a very fine tone, his bowing is excellent, and his technique remarkable. His rendering of the Adagio was dictated by good taste and fine feeling. In that of the Polonaise the intonation occasionally might have been a little purer.”