Concert

“The storm of yesterday arrived rather inopportunely for Madame Hoffman’s concert, which took place last night at Association Hall, but notwithstanding the snow, that almost blockaded travel, there was a large attendance at this very pleasant entertainment. The concert was of a varied and interesting character. Madame Hoffman—whose toilet was exceedingly tasteful, and proved the ‘admiration of one sex and the envy of the other’— sang with much taste and sweetness, receiving encores for Auber’s ‘Laughing Song,’ and for an air by Bishop, with flute accompaniment. The flutist was Mr. James McCarroll, an artist on his instrument, and one, too, who can produce a tone which not everybody would suppose dwelt in the recesses of a flute. As a general thing a flute solo is not in itself an inspiriting product of musical skill; but Mr. McCarroll last night won a spontaneous encore in a Mozart air with brilliant variations.

Miss Henrietta Markstein was the pianist of the evening, playing Prudent’s ‘Lucie’ fantasia and an extract from Chopin, and for an encore a fantasia on a theme from ‘Traviata.’ Her execution is fluent and fairly effective. Mr. Leggatt, the tenor, who is taking a very prominent position among our local artists, and Mr. Martinez, both sang well; and Miss Mooney, a young lady, gifted with an unusually deep contralto voice, shows that she possesses capabilities for a noble future in her profession.

An interesting feature of the programme was the trio from ‘Lombardi,’ seldom given in the concert room. It was sung with care, but needed further rehearsals and greater attention to the crescendo effect, which is the culminating point of the composition. The well-known quartet from ‘Rigoletto’ closed the concert, which was further varied by Shakespearean recitations by Mr. John Norton. Mr. Barili conducted the entertainment and accompanied with taste.”