Euterpe Concert: 3rd

“This sterling association gave their third concert last night to a crowded and fashionable audience, in the concert hall of the Young Men’s Christian Association, Twenty-third street and Fourth avenue. The performance opened with a selection from Burgmüller’s Second symphony in D. The aria ‘Batti, Batti,’ was sung by Miss Ida Rosenburgh in the sweetest style of her sweet soprano. The triumph of the evening was Mr. S. B. Mills’ pianoforte rendition of the allegro from Chopin’s beautiful concerto in E minor. The popularity of both composer and player was testified in the applause which greeted this performance. Mendelssohn’s First ‘Walpurgis Night’ was given by the society. This is an ambitious task, and, though the Euterpe deserve great credit for the training they exhibited, the work requires a greater force and even better musicians, vocal and instrumental, to do it full justice, than the Euterpe at present can muster.”

Review: New York Sun, 17 February 1871, 2.

“The Euterpe Society, under Mr. Morgan’s direction, is a worthy enterprise, undertaken in the cause of art, and directing the energies with perseverance to the production of the best works. Last evening this Society gave its third concert at Association Hall. Two movements from a symphony by Norbert Burgmüller, and one from a Chopin concerto, in which Mr. Mills played the piano part, were the instrumental pieces. Mendelssohn’s ‘Walpurgis Night,’ for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra completed the programme. The statement of the works performed shows the [illegible] and the ambition of the Society and its indefatigable leader, Mr. J. P. Morgan. Their ideal is far in advance of their attainment. But that is [illegible] to the beginning of every society, and as La Perichole says, [illegible]. The organization will mature, it stands on a strong and [illegible] foundation—that of performing good music to its best ability.”

Review: New York Post, 18 February 1871, 4.

“The third concert of the Euterpe Association at Association Hall, on Thursday night, was a marked improvement on its predecessors. Mendelssohn’s ‘Walpurgis Night’ was the choral selection; and it was preceded by a movement from one of Chopin’s concertos played by Mr. Mills; and by an agreeable novelty in an andante and presto from a symphony by Burgmuller, a composer quite unknown here.

Miss Ida Rosenbergh was the solo vocalist. She sang Mozart’s ‘Batti, batti’ with much grace and tenderness. Her voice is sweet, pure and soprano, and has been carefully trained by Errani. Miss Rosenbergh will give a concert on the evening of the 27th at Steinway Hall.”

Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 18 February 1871, 8.

“It is gratifying to see that the noble artistic ambition of Mr. John P. Morgan and his associates in presenting rare classical works such as the professional concert-giver dares not undertake, is meeting at last with a generous public recognition. The third concert, given on Thursday evening, was very well attended, although it made but little concession to what is commonly known as the popular taste. The following was the programme [see above].

Norbert Burgmüller is unknown to American concert rooms, though the name of his brother Frederic is familiar as an industrious composer of piano-music. The two movements from the symphony indicate the hand of a master of orchestral combinations, who has a fine gift of melody, a respect for classical forms, and clear intellectual perceptions. A simple and pleasing theme is treated with great vigor and distinctness, though without special freedom. We shall be glad to hear more of the works of this composer, and we hope at some future time to hear them more adequately interpreted. Mr. Morgan cannot be congratulated on his orchestra. It was sadly out of tune all through the evening, and in the concerto made some especially painful discords, which we are tempted to believe were intentional. Not all the wretched accompaniment, however, could ruin Mr. Mills’s beautiful performance or spoil the poetry of the exquisite allegro which he knows so well how to interpret. In the second part of the concert Mr. Morgan won more credit than the orchestra allowed him to achieve in the first. His small chorus of 40 voices showed the effect of competent direction, for they sang with creditable power and emphasis, and gave much more effect to the weird and difficult music of ‘Walpurgis Night’ than we should have expected from a company of that size. There was little wavering, even in dangerous passages of that very tough piece of work, ‘Come with torches,’ and the finale—thanks in part to the admirable singing of Mr. Remmertz—was really impressive. We cannot say that the Euterpe is strong enough in numbers to give this composition as it should be given; but we respect their spirit, and have no disposition to be over critical of the performance.”

Review: Dwight's Journal of Music, 25 February 1871, 407.

“The 3rd Euterpe concert took place on the same day at Association Hall, before the largest audience that has yet greeted them. The programme, as will be seen, was very attractive and varied. It was as follows [see above].

Miss Ida Rosenburg also sang an aria in the first part. Mr. Mills played in his usual admirable style. The ‘Walpurgis Night’ was well performed, but the chorus and orchestra were far too few for such a work, the chorus numbering about fifty and the orchestra thirty, under the direction of Mr. John P. Morgan. –J. M. W.”