Concert

“A young vocalist from Philadelphia has recently made her debut in this city almost unannounced, and has taken the musical public by surprise. She sang at Steinway Hall on Thursday, and again on Saturday evening. There seems to have been in her case but a sparring result to the common art of preliminary puffery and the devices for packing an audience; so that we cannot record for her the deceptive success of an overflowing and enthusiastic house. But the impression she has made upon good judges of art is highly favorable. There is no young singer now before the American public who gives more brilliant promise and shows so few serious defects. The advertisements claim for Miss Renz the ‘unprecedented’ feat of touching G sharp, an octave above the treble staff. We set no great value upon this achievement, nor is it exactly unprecedented. Parepa, Nilsson, and Carlotta Patti reach F without difficulty. Miss Renz gives a tone and a half higher, lightly and briefly it is true, but with certainty. The upper notes of this phenomenal register are delicate, and pure, and well managed, and Miss Renz will be able to produce some fine effects with them when she has acquired a little more flexibility of voice and freedom of style. At present she is more to be praised for the uniform sweetness and silvery quality of her organ than for any brilliant use of it. It lacks richness and depth, but it is pure, penetrating, and homogeneous, has no harsh or sharp tones, is perfectly true, and though not specially sympathetic is likely to gain pathos as it ripens with age and improves by training. At times it seems to lack power, but this is owing to an imperfect delivery rather than a want of strength. Miss Renz shows indeed that she has all the physical gifts necessary for a successful prima donna. Her vocalization is not yet perfect, but she has been well trained, and unlike most young girls who tempt the fortunes of the American stage, she has no tricks and vices to unlearn; she needs only to develop her budding powers by study and experience. We are assured that she never sang in public but once before she made her appearance at Steinway Hall last week. If this is true, her success must be called remarkable, and the coldness, the restraint, the want of coloring which were apparent in her style—or perhaps we should say her lack of style—are easily accounted for.

Miss Renz was assisted by a good orchestra, under Mr. Bergmann, by that delightful artist, Miss Phillipps, and by Messrs. Ronconi and Leoni.”