Symphony and Popular Concert: 2nd

“The audience at Steinway Hall last evening was very much larger than on Monday and the programme even more interesting. The orchestra played the Heroic symphony of Beethoven in a style such as probably it has never been heard before, and followed up their grand success in this immortal work with Horneman’s Maerchen overture, ‘Aladdin,’ Schubert’s German dances, instrumented by Herbeck; the delicious serenade of Haydn for strings alone, and the well known introduction, chorus and march from the third act of ‘Lohengrin.’ Miss Krebs played Liszt’s piano concerto, No. 2, in A, an etude, by Chopin, Weber’s rondo in E flat opus 32. The orchestra did their work with a precision, spirit and expression that left nothing to be desired. We are certain that if Mr. Thomas were to take this body of musicians to Europe they would create an unexampled furor. Certain it is that they have no superiors there.”

Review: New York Post, 10 January 1872, 2.

“The second concert of the Thomas series, at Steinway’s last night, was another fine success. Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ symphony opened the programme—the scherzo giving special satisfaction to the audience. An ‘Aladdin’ overture, by Horneman, was the principal novelty of the evening; but the selection which gave the most general pleasure was the ‘Serenade,’ by Haydn, performed with exquisite delicacy and finish by the accomplished band of experienced musicians.

Miss Krebs played a Liszt concerto and a Weber rondo with much brilliancy and taste; and the concert closed with an extremely effective arrangement from the third act of Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin.’”

Review: New-York Times, 10 January 1872, 4.

“The second concert of the series of entertainments now in progress at Steinway Hall occurred last evening. The orchestra interpreted the selections following [see above].

The performance of the Eroica would have sufficed to establish the reputation of the band. The horns are not quite equal to the remainder of Mr. Thomas’ forces, but the string department is perfection as regards sensibility, taste and proficiency. The four movements —so varied in matter and manner—the allegro, the beautiful marcia, the vivacious scherzo and the magnificent finale, were all handled with faultless appreciation and unsurpassable skill. The symphony would have been a satisfying first part of the programme without the concerto following. Miss Marie Krebs’ labor and the exertions of the instrumentalists were wasted upon this piece, which can only be described as unmistakable trash. Horneman’s march-overture, though like most modern German music, rather the result of ingenuity in construction than of inspiration or creative might, at all events afforded the violinists an opportunity for showing with what delicacy and precision they could deal with the most elaborate writing. The first portion of Herbeck’s arrangement for orchestra of a familiar dance-tune was especially effective, the latter being overwrought. Miss Krebs’ treatment of Chopin fails to place that composer’s productions in a recognizable light, and the impression of the etude was no greater than we anticipated. But she recited her subsequent contribution to the concert, Weber’s rondo in E, with a clearness of definition and a brilliancy fully deserving the applause they elicited. The next number of the bill was Haydn’s serenade, so cheerful and melodious and withal so unpretentious in its form and combinations. The charm of a score of well-drawn bows was never made plainer than in some of the almost vocal passages of this composer of ‘The Creation’ to the music that is not for a day but for all time. The exceedingly difficult, but proportionately telling, excerpts from ‘Lohengrin’ were afterward played.”

Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 10 January 1872, 5.

“The second Thomas concert last night was even better than the first. Beethoven’s Heroic Symphony was the principal piece on the programme, and the band gave it a most sympathetic, spirited, and careful interpretation.—one of the best we have ever heard in New-York. The curious and fantastic ‘Aladdin’ overture of Horneman was played with marvelous neatness, and then followed by Herbeck’s arrangement of the Schubert Waltzes, and the familiar Haydn Serenade, both admirably performed, and the latter arousing, as usual, a vigorous demand for a repetition, with which, however, Mr. Thomas did not comply. The closing selection was the Introduction, Wedding Chorus, and March, from the 3d Act of ‘Lohengrin.’ Here the richness and strength of the orchestra were remarkably displayed, and the finale kindled in the audience a vociferous sort of enthusiasm not very common in this city. The performance was indeed wonderfully fine. The tone of the brasses was superb.

Miss Krebs played, besides an Etude of Chopin’s and Weber’s delightful rondo in E flat, Liszt’s Second Concerto in A. This is one of the abbé’s most extravagant and unrythmical compositions. Its barbaric splendors are softened by very few gleams of melody, and it not only tests to the utmost the skill of the pianist but racks the intellect of the listener. Still, to hear it so nobly rendered as it was by Miss Krebs and the orchestra, last night, must have been a genuine pleasure to all those in the audience who understood the difficulties that had to be overcome and had sufficient musical education to appreciate the achievement.”

Review: Dwight's Journal of Music, 27 January 1872, 176.

“The second of the Thomas concerts at Steinways opened with ‘Eroica,’ which was grandly played and seemed to be fully appreciated by the audience, as there was perfect silence and close attention to the music throughout the house. This was followed by Liszt’s vague and unsatisfactory Concerto, No. 2, in A, played by Miss Krebs, who seems to delight in surmounting the difficulties which are the only claim to interest that such music offers. The two selections assigned to her in the second part were an ‘Etude’ by Chopin and a Rondo by Weber. Her performance of the latter piece was by far the more satisfactory of the two, the broken tempo of the former seeming to be studied, rather than the result of a true sympathy with the composer’s mood. In the beautiful Rondo, [E flat, Op. 32] her playing was clear, crisp and delicate, with just the required warmth of coloring. The orchestral pieces in the second part comprised Hornemann’s ‘Aladdin’ Overture; Herbeck’s arrangement of Schubert’s ‘Deutsche Taenze;’ a Serenade by Haydn [String Orchestra], and the Introduction, Chorus and March from the 3rd Act of Lohengrin."