Symphony Soirée: 2nd

“A very large, and, as usual, discriminating audience assembled at Steinway Hall on Saturday evening for the second of the series of Mr. Thomas’s symphony concerts. The following was the programme [see above].

It was for once refreshing to leave the snow-bound streets and avenues and be ushered in the presence of Beethoven’s charming Pastoral Symphony. And then such a rendering. The scene by the Brook (andante) was never before so beautiful to us, with the delicacy of its orchestral execution; the Thunderstorm (allegro) never before was so impressive and grand as at this performance. The violin[s] did hard work, and the syncopation in this movement were given with an elan altogether unusual. And the Shepherd’s Song (finale) never before sounded so pastoral. Mr. Thomas’s Orchestra has played this so frequently elsewhere that the perfection attained is the fruit of frequent recitals. He and his magnificent orchestra are to be congratulated upon such an auspicious result. We know of persons who came great distances to hear this Pastoral Symphony, and they must have been amply repaid for time and trouble taken. Mr. Thomas also deserves thanks, and it should be mentioned that the placing of the [illegible]—by which the brass was brought from the usually elevated place down to the platform—on a level with the stringed instruments was a wonderful improvement. It brought out the [illegible] of the strings [illegible] seldom attained.

The violin concerto by Bruch was given for the first time in this country by Mr. Sarasate at one of the Philharmonic Society’s concerts. It is a most poetic work, and does credit to the author of ‘Loreley’—a most beautiful and romantic opera, as yet unknown on our boards. Mr. Jacobsohn was Conzertmeister in Bremen until Mr. Thomas secured him for his orchestra. His playing of the concerto was artistic, his reading good. Mr. Thomas should be proud of two such superior violinists as Mr. Listeman and Mr. Jacobsohn. The orchestration of the concerto is broad, and the admirable orchestra played it finely. Berioz, to the mind of some, is rather poor in ideas, and the ‘Lear’ overture illustrates that deficiency. Berlioz’s great strength has in [illegible] with which he treats the stringed instruments. In this overture—or, as Liszt would call it, symphonic poem—he opens with a loud theme—[illegible] movement (contrabassi, ‘celli, and violas), which is the main [illegible] of the work. The allegro abounds in novel effects, but by no means original ideas. Mr. Thomas gave this a most intelligent reading, and his orchestra—particularly the string band—a most magnificent interpretation. The second part of the concert opened with one of Liszt’s latest symphonic poems, ‘Die Hunnenschlacht’ (‘The Battle of the Huns’), founded upon and suggested by one of six fresco paintings in the Imperial Museum at Berlin by Kaulbach. Mr. Thomas played it once before in this city at the Central Park Garden Concerts last Summer. It need not be said that the performance of such a work, heard in a good concert hall, produces upon the mind a far different impression. The Hunnenschlacht improves vastly by repeated hearings and may be classed as perhaps one of the most easily understood of Liszt’s poems. The picture and poem represent the wars of the barbarians against the early Christians, the struggle of Christianity against Idolatry and the final triumph of Christianity. Liszt through the phases of his latter life is enabled to do justice to such a sublime subject. The Christian choral (Gregorian tone) in this symphony is gloriously worked, and the very appropriate introduction by Liszt of the organ as an orchestral instrument negatives Berlioz’s theory, or what should be called, perhaps, his prejudice, that an organ is an instrument not to be introduced in orchestral writing. The choral is first given out boldly by the brass--trumpets, horns, etc. When finally Christianity is the victor, the organ takes up the chant, beautifully harmonized, the orchestra representing the antiphonal, as between choir and the great congregation. The listener is not prepared for the wonderful effects. The usually asthmatic organ at Steinway’s behaved quite well, enabling Mr. Caryl Florio, the organist, to play his part smoothly. What can be said of the Introduction and Finale from Wagner’s opera of ‘Tristan und Isolde?’ We have heard these again and again, and at each repetition they give increased delight. When shall we hear the opera in America? Such climacteric effects as Wagner introduces in the Finale have never before been attained even by him. And such real poetic thoughts! We clip the very excellent translation (Wagner’s own words) from the programme [three-sentence quote follows].

It seemed, if that were possible, that the orchestra rose to a higher and loftier standard, as they proceeded with their grand work through the evening, and we cannot express too much admiration at their performance of the ‘Tristan und Isolde.’ The concert closed with Wagner’s wild and weird Ritt der Walkuren (‘The Ride of the Walkyrie’)—a small intermezzo which occurs in the opera, Die Walkure, one of the numerous of Wagner’s grand trilogy, ‘Das Lied der Niebelungen,’ to be performed at Bayreuth in the year 1874 [unidentified quote describing the Valkyrie maidens]. Of course it was splendidly given by the orchestra. The concert was a feast—a musical festival—such as can be seldom heard in any part of the world. And yet all this is afforded to us through the bravery and skill of an earnest young musician, who, amid obstacles and multitudinous struggles, is educating us in the different schools of music. Can the lovers of art ever repay Theodore Thomas for his noble work?”

“The second of Theodore Thomas’s series of orchestral concerts was given at Steinway Hall on Saturday night, to an audience which showed by its numbers and intelligence that the metropolis is, at last, beginning to fairly appreciate the efforts of the young orchestral conductor who has already done so much in this country for the cause of music. Almost every resident musician of note was present at the superb entertainment of Saturday night, and the hall was so crowded that it was found necessary to throw open the supplementary hall adjoining.

The programme opened with Beethoven’s pastoral symphony, which has often been given by the Thomas orchestra, but never with greater delicacy and finish than on this occasion. Berlioz’s strange overture, ‘King Lear,’ received a careful interpretation. The ‘Battle of the Huns,’ by Liszt, proved to be one of the most effective pieces on the programme. It represents the struggle between idolatry and Christianity, the former being typified by a wild movement in which the blare of hilaric brass is prominent, and the latter by a German chorale. The organ is introduced, and with charming effect, though it is but sparingly used.

Two selections from Wagner concluded the concert. They were an extract from ‘Tristan and Isole,’ and a glorious bit of orchestral rhapsody suggested by the legend of the Walkyre. In both of these works the strange power which undoubtedly exists in the music of Wagner, was thoroughly manifested.

There was no vocalist at this concert, and the only solo performance of any kind was that of one of Max Bruch’s concertos for the violin, by Mr. S. E. Jacobsohn, a member of the Thomas orchestra, lately from Bremen. He has much delicacy and grace of style, and made a favorable impression upon his auditors.”

“New York, Jan, 6, 1873. –The second of six Symphony Soirées by Theodore Thomas, at Steinway Hall, came on Saturday evening, Dec. 28. The audience comprised all of our best listeners, for the press was fully represented, and there are few musicians of note among us whose faces were not to be discerned when the brilliant sun-burners threw a sudden radiance over the assembly, and Thomas raised his bâton to begin the Symphony.

It was the sixth by Beethoven,--The ‘Pastorale.’ The opening Allego ma non troppo was wonderfully well played. I cannot describe the lightness, the delicacy, the precision of the strings, and the wind instruments were beyond praise, being in perfect tune and kept well under in their proper place.

The second movement, Andante molto moto, is the most popular part of the work, on account of the beautiful flow of melody which is generally supposed to represent a b[r]ook. It is, howeve, to my mind, inferior to the final Allegretto; and the introduction of the ‘Cuckoo,’ at the close of the movement, is a trick not in keeping with the general spirit of Beethoven’s works.

The third movement, Scherzo, comes fairly under the head of programme music, called ‘descriptive,’ because an attempt is made to describe material things, whereas the true province of music is to describe ideas and emotions. All that we can say of the ‘merry-making of peasants interrupted by a thunderstorm,’ is that the representation is as good as can be made in music. The Allegretto which follows this Scherzo without break, is, to me, the most delightful part of the Symphony. The Shepherds’ song is genuine inspiration. The theme itself is inconceivably lovely and it passes through variation after variation, each of which seems more beautiful than that which precedes it. It is hard to find words sufficient to praise the manner in which this work was performed by Mr. Thomas’ admirable orchestra. It was simply perfect, for the most exacting critic could find no flaw or blemish.

The next piece was Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto, op. 26, which was played by Sarasate at one of our Philharmonic concerts last season. This time the violinist was Mr. S. E. Jacobsohn, a newly acquired member of the Thomas Orchestra, who displayed considerable talent in the way of rapid, facile execution. His tone is good, although not strong, and his rendering of the piece would have been very good were it not for a tendency to flat, which, however, may have been caused by nervousness. The last movement of the Concerto is particularly fine, but it demands a breadth of technique and a vigorous, open style which few violinists possess.

Berlioz’s overture, ‘King Lear,’ closed the first part of the programme. Part second was composed entirely of ‘future music,’ beginning with Liszt’s Symphonic Poem ‘Die Hunnenschlacht,’ which is supposed to describe Kaulbach’s painting of that name. The final triumph of the Christians is denoted by a choral, which is first outlined by the brass and afterwards taken up by the organ, [which, by the way, was a quarter of a tone below the orchestra]. This choral is worked up between the organ and the orchestra with magnificent effect. Mr. Caryl Florio was the organist.

The remaining selections were Wagner’s fine Introduction and Finale from ‘Tristan and Isolde,’ already familiar to most of us through the Garden Concerts, and the weird ‘Ritt der Walküren’ from Die Walküre.”