Matinee Musicale

“Albert Weber, the manager and originator of those musical entertainments, is evidently as adept in the managerial business. First of all he engaged one of the best theatres in New York, and then he secured the reigning queens of fashion as a valuable nucleus of a select and distinguished audience. As an inevitable consequence the theatre yesterday afternoon was crowded with ladies in the first rank of society and the most elegant toilets were visible. This is the true, business-like theory of piano matinées. There are pianists in this city who give very artistic performances at some of the music halls, and yet never succeed in securing good houses. The reason is that they do not know how to cage the leaders of fashion. An audience at a fashionable matinée is gained somewhat like the plan of operations adopted by Western bee hunters. They secure the queen bee and the entire swarm follow, as a matter of course. The following programme was presented yesterday [see above].

 

Now the correct theory of a matinée musical in regard to the programme is to have one or two solid dishes, as well as choice entrées, as an artistic cuisinier arranges a dinner. Mr. Wehli is a bravura player of rare skill and well founded reputation; but he should mingle some solid music with his own salon compositions and the showy pieces of Stephen Heller. The best work he performed yesterday was his own ‘Lurline’ fantasia—a real gem of the bravura school. He played it with a dash and spirit which placed it in a most attractive light. His impetuosity and want of repose carries him away unwarrantably sometimes and robs his playing of delicacy and poetry. Mr. Wehli’s technique is faultless and his earnestness undeniable. Yet we have heard his own compositions (and some of them are worthy of Thalberg) played by amateurs in a parlor with more discernment and care than he plays them in public. In the matter of acoustics the theatre is superb, for every note of the grand piano received all the resonant power one would wish for. Mr. Remmertz is a very fine baritone singer, and his school possesses none of the harshness of the German style of singing. Mme. Salvotti sang the cavatina from ‘Poliuto’ beautifully, but can she not vary her selections a little? We have never yet heard her sing anything else in public, with the exception of the trifling ballad of Graham’s. Mr. McDonald sang abominably, and proved to be the weak feature of the matinee.”

“Booth’s Theatre was yesterday crowded to excess by an audience composed almost exclusively of ladies. Mr. Wehli, the pianist, was the attraction. He was aided by Madame Salvotti, the soprano, Mr. MacDonald, the tenor, and Mr. Remmertz, the baritone. The vocal selections were, as a general thing, lugubrious in character. Mr. Remmertz sang as if he were in attendance at a peculiarly doleful funeral. Mr. MacDonald was not in his best voice. Madame Salvotti was warmly applauded, and sang quite well.

 

Mr. Wehli played delightfully, but as he always does so, this was nothing new. His ‘Lurline’ fantasia, his ‘Silver Bells’ and ‘Sans souci Galop,” his left-hand arrangement ‘Home,’ and two little selections from Heller, were on the programme, and to these were supplemented several encore pieces. In all Mr. Wehli showed to the best advantage his marvellous command of the resources of the piano-forte, and displayed the powers of the Weber grand in the most effective manner. The success of the matinee will undoubtedly lead to a series of similar entertainments.”

“Mr. James M. Wehli gave a matinée performance at Booth’s Theater yesterday, which we presume will prove only the first of a long series. Certainly the encouragement was ample to repeat the somewhat novel experiment, for the reserved seats in the lower part of the house were well filled and both the galleries were absolutely crowded. Mr. Wehli was assisted by three more or less popular vocalists,—Mr. Remmertz, Mr. Macdonald, and Madame Salvotti, the first of whom was very cordially applauded,--but the pianist himself was of course the great attraction. His portion of the programme was as follows: [see above].

 

This made no very severe tax upon the intellectual faculties of the audience, but it was not intended for a classical entertainment, and it is enough to say that it pleased the popular taste, while the admirers of more severe compositions are bidden to attend the Saturday recitals which the same artist announces at the Union League Theater. The delicate touch, clean fingering, and perfect dexterity of Mr. Wehli were exhibited in all their usual splendor, and the wonderful left-hand performance in the last piece was received according to custom with amazement and delight. Considering the character of the audience, the applause was significant. Most of those present were ladies of the most fashionable classes, and audiences of this kind are not generally demonstrative; but it is clear that Mr. Wehli has been taken into the good graces of the favorites of fortune. We should not omit to add that the Theater, which has never before been used for a concert, proves perfectly well adapted to musical purposes, both voices and instrument being heard to great advantage in all parts of the house.”