Complimentary Concert to Signor Agramonte

Tendered by Agramonte’s pupils and friends.

“This handsome little theatre was crowded to overflowing last night, and no more distingué audience could be desired. Signor Agramonte is a prominent professor of music here, and gave a very delightful musical entertainment. Many of the ladies and gentlemen who appeared, although not claiming the title of artists, would, nevertheless, have astonished some of those who appear in public as such. Fresh, young sympathetic voices and an evident earnestness of purpose made the performance in many respects a relief from the stereotyped exhibitions of public performers. The following will show the interesting nature of the selections, and the ladies and gentlemen who appeared in the fourth act of ‘Ernani’ with the following cast [see above]; supported by a full chorus of amateurs and an orchestra of twenty performers, under the direction of Signor E. Agramonte.” [Programme follows—see above]

“A number of the pupils of Signor Agramonte gave an amateur operatic performance at the Union League Theatre last night. The audience included many of our leading musical notabilities, and the programme was pleasantly varied. The last act of ‘Ernani’ opened the performance, the distracted Elvira being Miss Katie Smith, a young lady gifted with a tender and melodious voice, which in this case she used with taste and discretion. Mr. Stanfield and Mr. Martinez ably supported the Elvira of the evening. An act of Flotow’s ‘L’Ombre’ was also sung for the first time in America, the performers being Mrs. Chartraud, Mrs. Mackenzie, Dr. Durant and Mr. Martinez. This performance was quite up to the professional standard and passed off with infinite vivacity and ease, the very pretty music of Flotow receiving excellent treatment from the accomplished amateurs. Besides these operatic selections there was a miscellaneous concert, in which Mrs. Musgrave, Miss Bulkly, Mr. Stanfield, Mr. Shelton, Mr. Beyer and Mr. Leggat took part. A feature of this concert was a ‘rataplan’ double quartet for male voices—a bright composition by Donizetti.”

“The entertainment tendered to Signor Agramonte at the Union League Theatre, on Thursday evening, was without question the finest amateur performance of the season. One act of ‘Ernani’ and one of ‘L’Ombre’ were recited, and a brief concert, as an intermezzo, afforded opportunities for the execution of several solos. In Verdi’s opera, Mr. Henry Stanfield, the fortune possessor of a tenor voice of exceeding sweetness, which he uses not only with skill, but with a taste and power of expression most rare, even among artists, was Ernani; Miss Katie Smith, a daughter of Mr. Mark Smith, and, vocally, a very gifted young lady, was Elvira, and Señor F. F. Martinez was Don Ruy Gomez de Silva. The musical entre’acte following included the trio from’Guglielmo Tell,’ sung, with remarkable precision and effect, by Messrs. Shelton and Berger and Signor Garibaldi; Arditi’s ‘La Spia,’ an eloquent romanza, to which no one can give greater significance than Mr. Stanfield, when accompanied by a more sympathetic orchestra than was at his disposal on the occasion we write of; a florid air from ‘L’Ombre,’ delivered with ease and surety by Mrs. Musgrave; ‘Salve dimora,’ nicely sung by W. S. Leggat, who, however, still believes himself called upon to beautify M. Gounod’s composition; ‘Oh! quel giorno!’ by Miss Anna R. Bulkley, and Donizetti’s ‘Rataplan,’ done by a double quartet. Part third of the affair consisted of the first act of Flotow’s newest opera. The long and difficult tasks set to Miss A. Chartrand, Mrs. J. B. Mackenzie, Dr. Ghislani Durant and Señor Martinez, found all the performers equal to their importance; and the bright, elaborate numbers of the score, the interesting dialogue and the impressive action of the opera had an exposition really worthy of being submitted to the approval of the public at large. The performance was directed by Signor Agramonte.”