Marie Krebs Pianoforte Recital: 2nd

Change in time (to 2pm) from the first recital.

Krebs “plays at these matinees music of a character seldom heard in our concert rooms, addressing herself rather to those who are already somewhat proficient in the art than to the general and popular taste.”

“Miss Marie Krebs gave her second piano-forte recital at Steinway Hall yesterday. The audience was much more numerous than that gathered at the first concert of the series. We are glad to see that the lady has fair encouragement. She is an exceedingly intelligent and skilled artist, and the ambition shown in the composition of her programmes is worthy of all respect. We hardly think that yesterday’s bill was as interesting as the first, but Miss Krebs rendered its numbers with more satisfying results. Her recital of the ‘Sonata Appassionata’ has already been dwelt upon here. Miss Krebs is an intellectual rather than a sentimental executant, and though the opus 50 will not suffer so much from slight sensibility on the ‘moonlight sonata,’ for example, the work loses from this cause part of its effect. Schumann’s ‘Romanza,’ in D minor, was played next, and afterward Loreley a delicious work by Seeling, was interpreted with much delicacy and variety of touch. The chromatic fantasia and fugue by Bach were capitally rendered also. After Von Weber’s ‘Rondo,’ in E flat--a piece with a character of its own, like all this composer ever wrote—had been given, Chopin’s polonaise, in A flat, ended the recital. We do admire Miss Krebs’ reading of Chopin’s fanciful productions. The piano performances were varied by the singing of Mme. Krebs-Michalesi, and of Signor Randolfi, whose magnificent voice has in no way suffered from a lengthened and brilliant tour just now concluded.”

“The programme for the second recital of this admirable young pianist was as follows [lists program]. Never was the human heart so completely unveiled with all its world of passion and feeling as in the true poem of Beethoven. It was not a wise selection of Miss Krebs. With all her wonderful technique, spirit and enthusiasm, she is cold to the genius that shines so eminently through this work. Her rendering was by no means as effective as when she attempted the ‘Moonlight Sonata,’ and of that we have already expressed our opinion. In the slow movement she gave promise of warming up to the spirit of the work, but the impetuous finale was utterly ineffective, owing to the constant use of the loud pedal and indistinct phrasing. Schumann’s romanza is a rare specimen of scientific excellence, but dull, colorless and lacking in variety of treatment. The Loreley of Seeling is charming, and we might say of the salon order; and Miss Krebs interpreted it in an exquisite manner. She made one of her greatest successes in the brilliant work of Weber. Both Weber and Schumann have their separate host of admirers; but in our opinion they cannot be compared. There is something so sturdy, vigorous and ever fresh and taking about the piano music of the former that they are always welcome to the true musician. Schumann, with the exception of a few works (the romance in D major is not one of them), is gloomy, heavy and tiresome. The Bach fantasia and fugue abounds in enormous difficulties, which seemed to give Miss Krebs no concern; for, with the exception of an occasional false note in the heavy chords in the fantasia, she went through the piece with unnerving accuracy. Respecting these chords, we would have preferred the open arpeggio style of treatment laid down by Von Bülow, instead of the old method of making them close chords. The latter is more difficult, but almost impossible to render with precision and effect. In the Chopin polonaise Miss Krebs gave no intelligible idea of the work. First, she played it twice as fast as it should be played, and secondly, she played it fortissimo almost from beginning to end. The phrases of the opening subject of the polonaise, which should be sharp and distinct, were run into each other in a manner destructive of the unity of the work. The polonaise is a slow, stately measure, which in balls in some parts of Germany corresponds with our introductory promenade. To play in allegro molto destroys it. Regarding Miss Krebs’ abilities we can sum them up in a few words. She possesses extraordinary technique, a clear, crisp, mobile touch, wonderful memory, as evinced by playing such works as the above without the music, genuine spirit and cultivation of a very high order. Her defects are a lack of repose, no color, imperfect and indistinct phrasing and a want of command over a naturally impetuous spirit. As we said before, Beethoven and Chopin are each a sealed book to her. The dreamy poetry of the latter and the kaleidoscopic ideas and expression of the former are lost in her hands. Still she is a very remarkable artist, and age and experience will undoubtedly bring her up to that high standard of pianism, the highest in America, of which Mills and Mehlig are the chief representatives. Mr. Randolfi has a truly magnificent baritone voice, which he does not use with discretion. He forces his voice too much, and causes it to be too sharp in some of his best selections. He needs repose of style as well as the fair pianist, and should not think that loud singing always implies expression. Years have told heavily on Mme. Krebs’ voice, although her school is of the best German order. The attendance was better than before, and a terribly critical audience it was, too, consisting almost entirely of musicians. Every pianist known to the public in the city was there, and their verdict was highly favorable to their fair sister artist. The recital was given in the smaller hall, which made every note of the grand piano not only heard but felt.”

“That of last Saturday was a remarkable instance of this young lady’s skill in the lighter classes of music. In the programme she included the ‘Sonata Appassionata’ of Beethoven and Bach’s ‘Chromatic fantasia and fugue.’ There were the most noticeable numbers of the concert. Madame Michalesi-Krebs and Signor Randolfi were the vocalists.”