Christine Nilsson Concert: 11th

“The wonderful Swedish cantatrice who came here as a stranger and won at once the position which was claimed for her in Europe, the first of prime donne, sung last night the serenade by Gounod, the mad scene from ‘Hamlet,’ and in the grand quintet from ‘Lucia,’ with Miss Cary, Brignoli, Verger and Coletti. The last mentioned piece was the best on the programme, and evoked universal enthusiasm. The more Nilsson sings the greater the desire of the public to hear her in opera. Let Mr. Strakosch once take the Academy of Music, and we can safely guarantee him a favorable hearing from the powers that be there. The stockholders are not entirely to blame for the mismanagement of this temple of the lyric drama, but they must adopt measures to remove the main cause of the trouble. We can give them facts and figures to show what causes the want of confidence in this establishment. It is pretty much like the Erie Railway—the stockholders are not always responsible for the shortcomings of the management. Such an artist as Nilsson can be made a pecuniary as well as an artistic success in this house. Last night the concert was a great success. There were numbers on the programme which were unsuitable, but the general effect was indisputable. The orchestra was better than usual, and the programme ditto. But if Mr. Strakosch wishes to make a thorough artistic sensation with his inimitable vocal quartet let him give at the matinee on Saturday the grand quartet from ‘Rigoletto.’ There is no other ensemble in opera that can give such a favorable idea of the merits of this quartet. On Mr. Brignoli falls the principal weight of the quartet, but he is too great an artist to shrink from the responsibility. Vieuxtemps and Mlle. Krebs made the instrumental part of the programme last night delightful in every sense of the word.”

Review: New York Post, 27 October 1870, 2.

“In the concert given last night at Steinway Hall Miss Nilsson sang with more exquisite grace and with greater vocal power than on any of her previous appearances here. In the quartet [quintet] from ‘Lucia’—in which she was admirably supported by Brignoli, Verger, Coletti and Miss Cary—her audience had a specimen of the lyric ability of the Swedish soprano. The mad scene from ‘Hamlet’ she repeated with wonderful picturesque effect. Despite the disadvantages of concert room performances this scene is exceedingly interesting, and its wild grace becomes more noticeable with every repetition. It is music that grows upon the ear. Miss Nilsson also sang last night a delicate little serenade by Gounod, to which Vieuxtemps contributed a violin accompaniment. In everything Nilsson was warmly applauded, and the magic quality of her exquisite voice won instant recognition.

Miss Cary sang very beautifully. One of the selections—an aria from Weber’s ‘Abu Hassan’—was new to most of the audience, and meritorious enough to deserve a general popularity. Brignoli made poor work of the aria from ‘L’Africaine,’ and the orchestra assisted in the slaughter of the delicate morceau; but in his other selections the favorite tenor was himself again. Verger sang admirably. Had he been as effective on the night of his début his success here would have been much more decided. His ‘Il Balen’ last night was as graceful a bit of baritone vocalization as one need wish to hear. In the ‘Lucia’ quartet he also appeared to great advantage.

Miss Marie Krebs played from memory a Mendelssohn fantasia, with orchestral accompaniment. She exhibited facility of execution and neatness of touch, but her performance was somewhat lacking in character and force. She was, however, well liked by the audience, and was encored.”

Review: New-York Times, 27 October 1870, 5.

“The second of the present series of Nilsson concerts was given at Steinway Hall last evening. Miss Nilsson sang for the first time Gounod’s serenade, M. Vieuxtemps supplying the violin accompaniment; and Miss Cary rendered an air from Weber’s well-nigh forgotten opera of ‘Abu Hassan.’ These were the only unfamiliar pieces given, though it should be mentioned that Miss Krebs executed for the first time Mendelssohn’s concerto in G minor, and did so with much refinement.”

Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 28 October 1870, 7.

“At the Nilsson concert on Wednesday there was the usual crowd, though the programme differed in no important particular from the programmes of previous evenings. For Miss Nilsson it included Gounod’s ‘Serenade,’ (with the violin obbligato by Mr. Vieuxtemps,) the Mad Scene from ‘Hamlet,’ and the Chi mi frena quintet from ‘Lucia,’ Signor Coletti furnishing the fifth voice. Miss Nilsson was very good in the quintet. It compelled her to show the richness and strength of her beautiful organ, and the breadth of her dramatic style, while it offered no temptations toward the sentimentalism which is her besetting sin. There was a great deal of this sentimentalism in the ‘Serenade,’ and consequently it did not please us. Whoever can remember the extraordinary effect which Parepa produced with the same song on the night of her first appearance in America five years ago will understand how inferior to that great artist Miss Nilsson is in the unerring propriety of expression, which results from the combination of genuine musical intelligence with the very highest musical culture. Miss Nilsson cannot discriminate between the delicate and the finical. After the exaggerated niceties of her ‘Serenade,’ the simplicity and true feeling of Miss Cary’s aria ‘O Fatima,’ from Weber’s ‘Abu Hassan,’ proved inexpressibly refreshing. Miss Marie Krebs, the new pianist, made her second appearance. She chose this time Mendelssohn’s concerto in G minor. Of course it is one thing to play a solo correctly, and quite another to play—from memory especially—with an orchestra. We have only to say that the good impression which she made on Monday with Liszt and Rubinstein was deepened by her execution of the beautiful work of Mendelssohn. With her technique there is no fault to be found. Her touch is sure; her time is perfect; her accent is correct; her fingers fly over the keys, not as if they were working out an exercise, but as if they were toying with some favorite amusement. The one defect which we found in her playing the first time we found again the second. She is too young to be deeply sympathetic. None but those who have felt a great deal can interpret the hidden meanings of the great composers, and for bright young girls of nineteen life is generally too sunny to permit such an experience. It will come in time, and Miss Krebs need not be anxious to hasten it. After all it is pleasanter for us to breathe the fresh atmosphere of youth than to share the deep feelings of a mature period.”