Thomas Central Park Garden Concert

Includes program.

“This is the last week of the long season of Summer concerts at Central Park Garden, where night after night the magnificent orchestra of Theodore Thomas has poured forth treasures of art to the eager diletantti who flock hither to a sumptuous feast. One hundred and thirty concerts have been given since the opening, over four months ago. It is a more severe strain on the mind of a chef d’orchestre than any casual looker-on in Central Park Garden would imagine to select and arrange a new programme every night during this period. Novelty after novelty—now a delicious trifle from Strauss, again a rugged, massive work by Wagner or some one of his numerous disciples—has attracted the attention of even the profanum vulgus, and given rise to many an interesting discussion at the tables, both in the hall and garden, during the intermissions. Now, like the magic wand of Caligiostro, the bâton of Mr. Thomas unfolded to the audience many a page of ancient lore, a perfect revel for the antiquary; again fantastic creations of the musicians of the future or perhaps some rare manuscript hidden away as some specially treasured thing in the library of some world-renouned [sic] conservatoire. These 130 programmes present a perfect kaleidoscope of the divine art. Every one of these myriad subtle agencies of harmony that constitute, each of them, a special link in the chain that binds the soul of the lover of music, is to Thomas and his orchestra what the wires of the telegraph are to an experienced operator. The success of this maestro has been of no sudden growth. It is the result of a life of steady, unflinching adherence to the true principles of art. When others despaired or were led away by the tempter, sensation, Thomas steadily pursued his course in face of the most terrible obstacles, trusting that the people would follow him in the end, quitting the gaudy booths of humbug and sensationalism for the true temple of art. Mr. Thomas has reaped the reward of his faithfulness and sincerity. His name is now associated with all that is great and pure in art, his orchestra are willing agents to his laudable purposes in the cause of music, and, better than all, he has the people with him. The season of Summer concerts, now drawing to a close, is the most brilliant and most successful, financially as well as artistically, ever known in this city. There is an air of refinement and appreciation about the audience at Central Park Garden that speaks well for the instructor. In fine, Mr. Thomas has transformed a concert audience into a school of eager and willing pupils. The last week of the season has been signalized by a still greater amount of exertion on the part of the orchestra, and the ovation to Wagner on Tuesday night will be long remembered. Last evening the programme was unusually replete with the elements of grandeur. There were the ‘Preludes’ of Liszt, the best orchestral work that ever emanated from the eccentric Abbé, a fantastic overture by Hornenan and those immortal works, the overtures to ‘Der Freischuetz’ and ‘Nozze de Figaro;’ a waif from the ‘Pastoral Symphony,’ a wild, dramatic creation of Berlioz, ‘La Damnation de Faust’ and a bouquet of selections from Wagner, Schubert, Gounod and Strauss. The discipline of the orchestra is Prussian-like in its faultless unanimity, but there is beyond that, individually and collectively, a keen appreciation of every varying phase of the composer’s ideas, and a heartiness that makes itself felt. To Mr. John Koch, the proprietor of the Garden, praise is due for the management during the past season. Many judicious changes were made, and everything connected with the establishment moved noiselessly and harmoniously.”