Concert

“There was not as large an audience at Steinway Hall last evening as the merits of the concert given there by the Santley combination should have attracted. That it was exceedingly appreciative, however, was very evident, and it is to be regretted that the hall was not crowded to the doors, if it were nothing more than to hear the glorious voice of Santley. But the entire programme was very choice and interesting, and gave the four other artists—Miss Edith Wynne, Madame Patey, W. H. Cummings and J. G. Patey—a fine opportunity of displaying their characteristic excellence in the rendition of concerted selections. Mr. Santley of course bore off the honors gracefully. The romance, ‘O Lisbona,’ from ‘Don Sebastian,’ was sung by him with all the power and artistic finish for which he is so famous. He was equally successful in his rendition of ‘Thou whose sweet, seductive graces,’ while his interpretation of the cavatina, ‘Sulla poppa del mio brik,’ from ‘La Prigione d’Edinburg’ was superb. Mme. Patey, a contralto who has few, if any, superiors on the concert stage, was exceedingly effective, and contributed largely to the success of the evening. She sang ‘The Storm’ with wonderful expression, her phrasing being particularly fine. Miss Wynne was suffering from a slight cold and apparently was not inclined to risk much execution. The solos that fell to the lot of Mr. Cummings and Mr. Patey were artistically given, Mr. Sloper, as usual, presiding at the pianoforte. The concert was altogether a rich musical treat, and afforded much satisfaction to those who were fortunate enough to be present.”

“The ballad concerts recently given by the Dolby troupe have been to our cultivated amateurs quite a revelation in musical art, but the general public, accustomed of late years to the brilliancy of operatic extracts in the concert-room, craved their accustomed food, and in order to gratify this desire, as well as to enable his artists to show the wide scope of their attainments, a concert was given at Steinway Hall last night in which Italian music figured largely. The result was eminently successful. The group of English vocalists sung with admirable effect some of the favorite compositions of Donizetti, Ricci and Verdi, while German composers were represented in the programme by Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Weber and lesser lights. Nor was English art wholly neglected, for two glees by Knyvett and and Calcott gave to the entertainment a certain savor of old England.

 

Mr. Santley’s selections included ‘O Lisbona,’ one of Donizetti’s sweetest cantabile movements, Ricci’s spirited barcarola, ‘Sulla poppa del mio brik,’ an elaborate scena from Herold’s ‘Zampa,’ and ‘The Stirrup Cup,’ and all were sung in unimpeachable style by the favorite baritone.Mr. Santley, indeed, is a master of every kind of vocal music, and his performance of last night showed how truly he has acquired the Italian style.

 

Mr. Cummings also sang delightfully, the ‘Adelaide,’ Reichardt’s ballad, ‘Thou art so near,’ and his part in the quartets from ‘Lucia’ and ‘Rigoletto.’ Madame Patey showed to advantage her noble voice and exquisite phrasing in a song by Hullah, in the graceful air written by Gounod for Madame Didier and introduced in ‘Faust,’ and in the ballad of ‘The Bailiff’s Daughter.’ Miss Wynne was unwell last night and omitted one of her solos; while Mr. Patey and Mr. Sloper rendered efficient aid in their several departments. Every piece on the programme was warmly applauded, and the whole entertainment gave great satisfaction. Our American singers would do well to study the excellent points made by the members of the Dolby troupe, and especially the purity of their enunciation. Every word that these artists sing in their various songs can be distinctly heard and understood. Mrs. Patey’s performance is particulary noticeable for this excellent feature, a point which too many otherwise good singers neglect.”

“Few concerts have been heard in New-York to be ranked for sustained merit with that given last night at Steinway Hall. The artists were [see listing above], and the entertainment was proffered under the auspices of Mr. George Dolby. We took occasion on Sunday to anticipate popular satisfaction with the infusion of the proposed operatic elements in these concerts, as distinguished from the former series. The hearty reception of last night’s programme verified this augury. It is not to be denied that a large proportion of those who are genuinely fond of music like best music with which they are familiar. The excellence of the previous concerts given here by this troupe is universally acknowledged. They were in truth, almost unique, and to surpass them in the same field seemed out of the question. Yet their novelty was for many a disadvantage, and the audiences were not always such as the talent and reputation of the artists ought to have attracted. This may be said to argue a want of musical taste in New-York. Perhaps it does; but we merely recall facts and those who will may draw their own inferences.

 

The opening quartet last night, the familiar ‘Chi mi frena,’ was nobly sung. To hear four such voices together is a rare treat indeed. Donizetti does not often get such breadth and unity of purpose, such subjugation of individual to general effect in the treatment of his concerted music, and the approval of the audience was freely shown. The same composer was honored by a further selection soon after from his ‘Don Sebastian.’ This is a work comparativelty little known here, but the romanza sung from it by Mr. Santley is so well suited to his powers as well as so melodious in itself as to create a very agreeable impression. Herold, Gounod, Verdi and Ricci were represented further on the programme. Of course the unities are pretty flagrantly set at naught in such combinations. Action, time and place must needs be disregarded in them and pleasure sought even in their violation. There was certainly in this instance a felicitous attainment of variety; and one notable advantage of concert over opera singing, which consists in the possibility of exactly adapting selections to the artist’s means, was conspicuously illustrated. In addition to his share in the opening number, and the solo named, Mr. Santley sang a scena from ‘Zampa,’ Ricci’s cavatina ‘Sulla poppa del mio Brik,’ and the baritone share of the quartet from ‘Rigoletto.’ Mme. Patey was heard to her great credit in Hullah’s ‘The Storm,’ and then in response to an encore, in ‘Sweet Home’ and Gounod’s ‘Quando a te lieta,’ as well as in Kinyvetts’ Glee, ending the first part of the programme. Calcott’s beginning the second part, and Verdi’s quartet concluding the whole. Miss Edith Wynne gave her aria from ‘Der Freischuetz’ with considerable sweetness and feeling, notwithstanding a cold, for which apology was made, and acquitted herself satisfactorily in all her efforts of the evening. To Mr. W. H. Cummings, whose smooth and accurate tenor has been conscientiously cultivated, and whose delivery and manner are thoroughly artistic, were specially assigned Beethoven’s ‘Adelaide’ and Reichardt’s taking ‘Thou art so far and yet so near.’ Both were cordially approved. We should not fail to speak warmly of Mr. Lindsay Sloper’a masterly accompaniments, or of his fine rendering of the solos with which he diversified the vocal parts of the performance.

 

It is a privilege not easy to rate too high to hear so grand and true a singer as Mr. Santley. He is above all thing an honest voice, and the total freedom from trickery with which it is handled adds greatly to the pleasure that its unrivaled quality and eveness throughout the register always confer. His scena from ‘Zampa’ is marvelous for breadth of phrasing, for variety, for compass and dramatic vigor. Mr. Santley declined his first encore, but, in acknowledgment of the enthusiasm of his auditors, repeated a short passage from his second selection. Considering the sudden bitter cold of the weather, the house was very numerous at Steinway Hall last night, and there seems good cause to hope that Mr. Santley will now receive that full meed of recognition from the New-York public which is his due, and which a chapter of provoking accidents has hitherto partially deferred. So far as our knowledge extends there is no baritone now living in any country who is Mr. Santley’s superior, or, in certain parts in opera, and some songs, his equal; and we shall rejoice to see his superb qualities adequately appreciated.”

“The English artists under Mr. Dolby’s direction were greeted with an excellent house on their return to New York, last evening, and the frequent applause bestowed upon their efforts proved that the entertainment they offered was well adapted to the taste of our public. Mr. Santley gave a better exhibition of his powers as a lyric artist than we have had before. All his selections, except ‘The Stirrup Cup,’ which he chose as an encore piece, were of an operatic character. The romanza, ‘O Lisbona,’ from Donizetti’s ‘Don Sebastian,’ was a beautiful example of the pure cantabile style; the scene from ‘Zampa’—an opera whose success not long ago in London was made almost entirely by Mr. Santley—was more dramatic and varied; and the lively barcarole, ‘Sulla poppa del mil brik,’ from Ricci’s ‘Prigione d’Edinburge,’ showed him in a rattling, half humorous sort of music, to which his bright and hearty voice seems perfectly adapted. Then he shared in the ‘Chi me frena’ quartette from ‘Lucia’ and the ‘Un di si ben rammentomi’ from ‘Rigoletto.’ We have not yet heard Mr. Santley do anything of which we could not say that it was done admirably. His singing last night has probably gone far to increase his popularity and to intensify the public regret that so noble a singer cannot be heard on the stage of the Academy of Music, but discerning musicians were prepared for this new development of his abilities, since they had already recognized him as one of the most genuine artists New York has ever had an opportunity of hearing. Miss Wynne was suffering last night from a cold. An apology was offered for her (though it was barely necessary), and she omitted one of her solos, a ballad of Balfe’s; but she sang the well known scena and prayer from ‘Der Freyschütz’ very well, and bore her part bravely in the quartettes and glees. Madame Patey seemed to us to surpass her previous achievements. She chose Hullah’s ‘The Storm,’ with ‘Home, Sweet Home’ for a recall, and the ‘Quando a te beta’ from Gounod’s ‘Faust,’ This beautiful romanza, which is quite new to American audiences, was added to the opera by Gounod expressly for Madam Didiée, who took the part of Sibel at the beginning of the Fourth Act, and previous to the Soldiers’ Chorus, the whole scene having always been omitted in American representations of the work. It certainly deserves to be retained. Mr. Cummings’s share in the entertainment consisted of Beethoven’s ‘Adelaide,’ to which he lent a truthful and tender expression, and the too familiar song, ‘Thou art so near and yet so far.’ Mr. Patey gave a good rendering of the amusing air, ‘I’m a roamer,’ from Mendelssohn’s operetta ‘Son and Stranger’ (‘Heim kehr aus der Fremde’); and Mr. Lindsay Sloper, as usual, presided at the piano. There were two English glees—both of them gems. The first was Knyvett’s ‘O my love’s like the red, red rose,’ the other Dr. Calcott’s ‘Once upon my cheek.’ They were sung with exquisite delicacy, Knyvett’s pretty composition especially getting rare good treatment.”

“The change that has been made in the concert programme of Mr. Dolby’s company was desirable, if for no better reason than that it was a change. The ballad concerts were sufficiently interesting, but they became monotonous. The old English ballad music has the merits of simplicity, directness, earnestness, and pathos; but it is not the highest or best music, and when an entire evening is devoted to that alone, the very qualities that constitute its charm become insipid.