Rubinstein Concert: 9th

“No competition and no threatening storm can avail to diminish the audiences of Herr Rubinstein. Steinway Hall was well filled last evening, and the wonderful little Russian played Mozart’s Concerto in D minor with his own cadenzas, exemplifying his tremendous crescendo and his softness and delicacy of touch in their highest and most effective expression. Wieniewski was recalled several times, and fully shared the tumultuous applause and wild enthusiasm awakened by his great colleague.”

“The interest felt in the great Russian pianist, whose playing has been a revelation to the professional and dilettanti musicians of our city, seems in no way to grow stale with enjoyment. In spite of the rivalry of Lucca at the Academy, Steinway Hall was well filled with an intelligent and appreciative audience, and this fact alone gives proof of the great conquest which Rubinstein has made of the public heart. In the general applause that has been showered on the gifted and uncouth Tartar, another musician of equal ability has been passed over with scant notice. The cause of this is that while Wieniawski is only a great artist, Rubinstein is to our minds something of a prodigy. Most of us have heard great violinists, some of whom were equal, others superior to the Polish artist, but Rubinstein comes to us with the force and novelty of a revelation. No one can call to mind any man who ever played like him, at least before a New York public, and this fact makes him a pet and a lion with the musical people. Last night he played Mozart’s concerto in D minor, introducing his own cadenzas. The wonderful force with which he produced the crescendo passages quite electrified the audience, while in the diminuendo passages there was a delicacy and expression which contrasted strangely with the uncouth figure who reigned over his instrument with something of a tyrannical sway Wieniawski played an ‘Adagio du Concerto de Violin,’ by Rubinstein. Considerable enthusiasm was manifested by the people during the performance of these artists, and they both received the honor of several encores, marks of appreciation that were well deserved. Mlle. Leibhart sang Handel’s aria, ‘Sweet Bird,’ from ‘Il Penseroso,’ and sang in the duet ‘Ich Wolte Meine Liebe Ergosse Sich.’”