Strauss Concert: 2nd

“The Academy of Music was literally packed last night, every seat in the house being occupied, and but little available standing room left. The desire to see the presiding genius of every civilized ballroom, the favorite son of Terpsichore, and the genuine, orchestral Puck, is universal, especially among the ladies. The orchestra with which Mr. Rullmann has provided him is a picked body from the Philharmonic Society, and most of the members played under the direction of Strauss at the Boston Jubilee. They respond well to every motion of the mercurial, little man, who conducts with fiddle, bow, head, arms and legs, and even his coat tail seems instinct with expression. Of course, after every piece which he conducted the audience resolved itself into an enthusiastic ratification meeting, and applauded vociferously. The works which he selected last night were [see above]. Of these the ‘Blue Danube’ is unmistakably the reigning favorite with the public. Carl Bergmann conducted a couple of overtures and an operatic finale, and Mr. J. H. Bonawitz, one of the most accomplished of our resident pianists, played some works by Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, notably the Chromatic Galop of the Abbé, in an artistic style.”

“Herr Johann Strauss achieved a fresh triumph last night at the Academy of Music, which was crowded to its utmost capacity. Again and again called back to his desk as conductor by an audience wrought up to the wildest enthusiasm, Herr Strauss repeated as encores all the brilliant pieces of his first concert—the many-colored ‘Beautiful Blue Danube’; the pretty little ‘Pizzicato Polka,’ picked out with the fingers in the strangest staccato; and the barbaric ‘March of the Circassians,’ with its trolling chorus and mellow golden peal of bells. In the programme the pieces performed in New York for the first time by Strauss were the ‘Thousand and One Nights’ Waltz,’ with its dreamy oriental suggestions; the ‘Tritsch-Tratsch Polka,’ the ‘Morgenblätter Waltz,’ and the ‘Annen Polka,’ the last-named composition winning everybody by its tenderness and delicacy of sentiment. It was the very refinement of the dance, a measure to which Titania might trip delightedly. For the rest, Mr. Bergmann’s overture and marches, which under happier auspices, that is to say, with less popular and inspiriting music in competition, might have excited applause, were only endured as giving Herr Strauss time to breathe, while Mr. Bonawitz’s performances on the piano were received respectfully but provoked no demand for their repetition. The disappointment of the evening was the failure to produce the promised ‘Manhattan Waltz,’ which, by reason of the time required for the preparation of the several orchestral parts, was unavoidably deferred until Friday evening, when Herr Strauss takes his farewell of America.”

“The second of the Strauss concerts was given, at the Academy of Music, last evening. The house was crowded in every part, and the delight which the spirited recital of the conductor’s compositions awakened was expressed by even more enthusiastic and prolonged demonstrations than were made on Monday. A note to the effect that the performance of the band was decidedly superior to their earliest execution under Herr Strauss’ baton, is the only one suggested by yesterday’s concert. The ‘Thousand and One Nights’ waltz, the ‘Tritsch Trasch’ galop, the ‘Morgenblatter Waltz,’ and the ‘Annen’ polka, were the selections from Herr Strauss’ works on the bill, and the delivery of these was supplemented by the rendering of the ‘On the Blue Danube’ waltz, of the ‘Pizzicato’ polka, and of the ‘Circassian March.’ Additional instrumental music was supplied by the orchestra under the lead of Herr Bergmann, and Mr. Bonawitz contributed several piano-solos, one of which was devoted to an exposition of a fresh and graceful impromptu written by himself.”

Reprinted from the Weekly Review, July 18:

“Wednesday evening’s concert was thronged and brilliant. The overture ‘Jubel’ (Weber) was magnificently played by the orchestra, under Mr. Bergmann’s direction—we cannot remember when we have heard it better done—and the second finale of ‘Macbeth’ (Verdi), the overture to Rossini’s ‘Siege of Corinth’ and the March from Wagner’s ‘Tannhäuser’ were given, each in appropriate style, equally admirable. Mr. J. A. [sic] Bonawitz’s pianoforte solo, ‘Schlummer Lied’ (Schumann), and ‘Scherzo’ (Chopin), was most scientifically performed, and, though well received, deserved far more applause than it won. The first half of his solo in second part, ‘Album Leaf,’ an impromptu composed by the performer, is very pretty, resembling in character some of Mendelssohn’s songs without words. It had a pleasing effect, but the other half, Liszt’s ‘Chromatic Galop,’ was started at too rapid a tempo, and as it coursed on lost clearness of articulation. Pianists should beware of such hasty outsets, lest the growing pace and excitement carry them beyond their executive capacity. The flow of melody through the Strauss portion of the programme was clear and brilliant as that of a mountain brook. The waltz ‘Tausend und eine Nacht,’ the polka ‘Tritsch Tratsch,’ the waltz ‘Morgenblätter’ (Morning Papers), and the polka ‘Annen’ were given in all their bright and charming color, and ‘painted’ in perfection, winning double encores, and thus introducing other sparkling favorites. The orchestra was superb, and whatever envy or ill-nature may say to the contrary, kept together like the Macedonian phalanx, and marched to harmonious victory with the certainty of the Roman legion.”