Vocal and Instrumental Concert

Arrival of Leopold Damrosch in New York; his acceptance of the leadership of the Arion Society. 

“This concert seems to have been given specially for the purpose of introducing to the American public the new leader of the Arion Society, Dr. Leopold Damrosch, a musician of renown in Europe, and one, who for many years, was the recognized head of the profession at Breslau. The programme was the following [see above].

Of the rendering of this programme it is only necessary to speak of the conductor, violinist and composer, Dr. Damrosch, and Miss Rosenburgh, for the Arion chorus and orchestra have long ago made a reputation for excellence and artistic spirit, which make all their concerts of interest to the musician. Dr. Damrosch proved himself last night an orchestral leader who would, in the Philharmonic concerts, redeem much of the shortcomings of that magnificent orchestra, which sadly needs an artistic guiding hand, and gave evidence of being all that his enthusiastic admirers claimed for him. He is far superior to his predecessor in the Arion Society, and his stay in America must be productive of real benefit to the cause of art in this country. He also displays remarkable abilities as a violinist and composer; and the universal verdict of the immense audience was in his favor in all three departments. Miss Rosenburgh is one of the best of our young American singers, and she sang Bellini’s music like a true artist. Her voice is a soprano of rare sweetness and expression, and she only needs experience to make her a reigning star.”

“Last evening an instrumental and vocal concert was given by the Arion Society, at Steinway Hall, under the direction of Dr. Leopold Damrosch, of Breslau. The programme was well selected in its numbers, and ably performed. Among the soloists were Miss Ida Rosenburgh and Mr. Fr. Remmertz. The orchestra was eighty instruments strong.”

“On Saturday evening the Arion Society gave, to a not overcrowded audience, at Steinway Hall, a concert under the direction of its new leader, Dr. Leopold Damrosch. The Arion, moved by a very laudable musical ambition, has secured the services of Dr. Damrosch at a very high salary. He is from Breslau, and ranked as kapellmeister there. We may, therefore, expect the Arion to accomplish a great artistic triumph under its new director.

Of the first part of Saturday evening’s programme we can speak in terms of unqualified praise. The symphonie ‘Eroica’ of Beethoven not only embodied all the great musical qualities of that inimitable composer, but its interpretation by the orchestra under Dr. Damrosch was masterly in every respect. It is a rich and varied reservoir of commingling melody and harmony, having luminous ideas at its centre point, and in which the anarchy and glitter of sound are subordinated to the chaste order of thought finished with tenderness and emotion.

Was gläntz ist für den Augenblick geboren,

Das Aechte bleibt der Nachwelt unverloren.

The Lotusblume of Schumann and the Gondelfahrer of Schuberth were admirably sung by the society. The latter was particularly charming, and was warmly applauded.

The concert for violin in E minor, by Mendelssohn, gave Dr. Damrosch an opportunity to meet the high expectations of the audience as to his ability as a violinist. His success was not only complete, but agreeably surprised a good many. His performance evinced marked control over the instrument, purity and delicacy of sound, and a gifted insight into the more subtle resources of the violin.

The beautiful finale to Bellini’s ‘Sonnambula’ was sung sweetly, freshly and artistically, by Miss Ida Rosenburgh. She shows on every occasion steady progress in her profession, and a sterling aptitude for art.

The second part of the programme embraced some of Dr. Damrosch’s compositions, of whose merit we shall at present suspend our opinion. Eine Faust Overture, by Wagner, bristling with many of his worst defects, was also performed. Germany is too rich in compositions of the highest order of merit, to tarnish her glory with some of her worst. Let us have the genius of her spring and not the mediocrity of her winter.” 

“Dr. Leopold Damrosch, who was formally introduced to the New-York public on Saturday evening, is a kapellmeister at Breslau and enjoys in Germany a most excellent reputation. By education we believe he is a lawyer, but for a long time past he has abandoned legal pursuits in order to devote himself to the art which enlists all his sympathies and for which he has an unmistakable genius. He has visited America on a two months’ leave of absence, with the purpose of establishing himself here permanently in case he receive sufficient encouragement. The Arion Society, under whose auspices he came forward at Steinway Hall Saturday evening, are anxious to secure his services, and announced him on the bills as ‘their new leader;’ but the engagement we understand is as yet only temporary and conditional, and Dr. Damrosch’s appearance at this concert may therefore be regarded as his Gastroile. He showed his abilities in the triple character of conductor, composer, and executant, and we may say at once that in all respects he was instantly and most cordially recognized as an accomplished master. An orchestra of eighty performers, selected principally from the Philharmonic Society, was placed at his disposal for a performance of Beethoven’s Heroic Symphony and Wagner’s ‘Faust’ overture. It would, of course, be unfair to judge from this what he could do with a band permanently under his direction. He had only one rehearsal before the concert, but with that one he accomplished wonders. We missed a little, perhaps, of that delicious softness and dreamy poetical tone which the Philharmonic Orchestra sometimes attains, especially in the slow pianissimo movements of Beethoven; but this defect was amply atoned for by the masculine vigor and warm coloring which distinguished Dr. Damrosch’s interpretation. His conception of Beethoven, we think, will satisfy the students of that mighty composer more perfectly than that of any other leader in this country. There are some passages in the Heroic Symphony which never seemed perfectly clear to us until we heard them on Saturday night, and the grandeur, majesty, and fiery splendor of the work never seemed to us more fully expressed. And nevertheless the players evidently failed of doing justice to their director’s intentions. There was some coarse material in the band; the horns were very much at fault; and owing, we suppose, to the condition of the atmosphere and the great length of the symphony, it was impossible to keep the strings in tune. Still there can be no doubt of Dr. Damrosch’s eminence as a conductor. He is not satisfied with marking the time and indicating the crescendos. He pays the most minute attention to the dynamics of a composition, and really leads every instrument with certain peculiar (but not extravagant) motions of his own which cannot be misunderstood. He is quick, nervous, self-possessed, and, above all, seems to be full of that personal magnetism so essential to a good conductor, but in its highest manifestations so very rare. Finally, he conducts without noise. Nervous and fiery as he is, his directions are given silently,--with a motion of the eyebrows, a gesture of the hand,--and he never commits the vulgar offense so common to inferior leaders, of rapping on the stand during the progress of the music. As a choral director Dr. Damrosch is also successful. The Arion male chorus sang four pieces under his baton—Schumann’s Lotosblume, Schubert’s Gondelfahrer, and two songs of his own, Die Ausfahrt and Hurrah, Germania! The execution was somewhat marred by one or two flat but vigorous tenors, but the spirit and shading were admirable.

Dr. Damrosch in the next place is a superb violinist. He chose Mendelssohn’s concerto for the violin in E minor,--a work with which all musical audiences are thoroughly familiar. The opening allegro was given rather faster than is common, and confirmed us in the impression we had formed from the symphony that his fault would be found to be an excess of impetuosity,--that his music, though always perfectly finished and correct, would be, if we may use the expression, too hot, too fiercely spirited. But the andante was one of the most exquisite and sympathetic interpretations we have ever heard, and the final allegro aroused a perfect storm of applause. His tones are not especially rich, but they are infallibly true, and his execution is both brilliant and conscientious.

Besides the two songs which we have mentioned, Dr. Damrosch gave a ‘Fest Overture’ of his own, written for full orchestra. It is conceived in the spirit of the modern school, and plainly betrays the composer’s admiration for both Liszt and Wagner, though it is not an imitation. The instruments are vigorously and ingeniously handled, the harmonic combinations are highly effective, and the whole work is constructed with the skill of a thorough scientific musician. Like nearly everything else on the programme, it was received with enthusiasm. The only solo vocalist was Miss Ida Rosenburgh, who sang the Ah! no credea. Mr. Remmertz was announced for a song, but he did not appear.”