Includes program.

“The principal feature of Mr. Wieniawski’s farewell concert, last night, at Steinway Hall, was the beautiful Beethoven Septette, for violin, viola, ‘cello, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, and horn, in which Mr. Wieniawski was assisted by Messrs. Matzka, Bergner, Pfeiffenschneider, Boehm, Sohst, and Gewalt. It was a remarkably good performance, considering that the players had but little practice in common, and several portions of it awakened something like enthusiasm in an audience which, though not large, was sympathetic and discriminating. The charm of Mr. Weiniawski’s touch in this delightful work was constantly apparent, yet he never allowed the violin to predominate unduly over the other instruments. The same restraint was observable in his ‘Etudes Caprices,’ in which he had the accompaniment of a second violin (Mr. Matzka) and piano. He was, indeed, in one of his happiest moods all through the evening. His rendering of the familiar Vieuxtemps ‘Reverie’ was one of the most highly finished and delicate exhibitions of his skill which we have heard for a long time; and we took leave of him with the sorrowful conviction that it must be long before we hear anything so good again. He has traveled extensively through the countries of the Old World, and he is now on the way to complete his Western experiences by a visit to California and South America.

Other performers beside those we have mentioned took part in last night’s entertainment. One of them—Madame de Ryther—is new to this public, and probably to any public. Nature has given her an excellent voice, but art must do a great deal more to it before her singing will call for serious criticism.”

“Eight months after his introduction to the New-York public and his easy conquest of their heartiest admiration, Mr. Henri Wieniawski, last evening, bade it farewell. Mr. Weiniawski’s good-by concert took place at Steinway Hall. It was attended by very gratifying incidents. A highly appreciative and impressible audience was assembled, and an excellent programme was interpreted, and, last but by no means least, the violinist’s personal contributions to the concert were eloquent of the gifts and talent of the artist in no common degree. The reader who has followed our record of the musical season now at its close has little to learn, we opine, of our views concerning the performers it has made known. Among these Mr. Henri Wieniawski has been in the foremost rank, and we have so often had occasion to dwell upon his high position in art, and his claims to it, that it is well-nigh needless at present to refer to either subject. In the delivery of concerted numbers, had not several earlier recitals of chamber music shown that the power and brilliancy of the soloist could be subdued to what it worked in. Mr. Wieniawski’s share of the melodious Septet, with which the entertainment yesterday commenced, would have proven the fact. The fullness of the executant’s tone, the vocal attributes of the strings under his magic bow, his power to bring from them the one-voiced song of the theme or the polyphonic utterances of the wildest Paganinian variations, and, in a word, his mastery of every device by means of which a Stradivarius can charm, or excite, or touch, had freshest testimony in the afterpieces. Mr. Wieniawski played last night none but familiar selections, but there is a trite saying that a thing of beauty is a joy forever, and the recognized tunes last evening seemed to be endowed with new seductions. In his own ‘Etudes Caprices,’ and particularly in the second of the two chosen for rendering, and crammed with technical difficulties, Mr. Wieniawski’s thorough technique was again made clear. In Vieuxtemps’ ‘Reverie’ was heard the [illegible] and sweet song, the magic influence of which causes the violin, in the hands of a master like Mr. Wieniawski, to outdo its rival instruments in potency over an audience. Pleasant reminiscences of ‘Don Giovanni,’ intermingled with brief display passages, abounded in the duet written by Wolff and Vieuxtemps for piano and violin, and interpreted with the cooperation of Mr. S. B. Mills. So far as the programme indicated, Mr. Wieniawski’s ‘Russian Airs’ were the last part of his task. The enthusiasm of the listeners, however, asserted by almost continuous applause, did not suffer the artist to retire as intended, and a series of loud recalls resulted in the addition to the concert of the variations on ‘The Carnival.’ The violinist’s marvelous command of bow and keyboard was never more triumphantly demonstrated than in this final effort. The strains in harmonics were sounded with faultless accuracy, and were of perfect quality, the leaps from string to string were effected with absolute surety, the quaint combinations of bowed notes and pizzicati appeared fraught with no difficulty whatever, and the runs in staccato were of a sort so remarkable for their length, their brightness, and the definition of every note, that plaudits were wrung from the audience to the frequent interruption of the performance. From the foregoing it will have been inferred that the concert was delightful and memorable. We should have been sorry had a less satisfactory affair terminated Mr. Wieniawski’s acquaintance with New-York, and almost with American audiences, for, after a brief sojourn in California, the gentleman goes to Brazil. As it is, all is well that ends well, and the experience of the most genial of performers in the principal City of the New World will doubtless be as grateful for Mr. Wieniawski to remember as it will be for the thousands who have been gladdened by his efforts to keep these in memory. Of the remaining attractions of the entertainment we must speak briefly. In the Septet, Mr. Wieniawski was assisted by Messrs. Matzka, Bergner, Pfeifenschneider, Boehm, Gewalt, and Sohst; and Mr. Matzka, a finished musician, furnished the accompaniment to the ‘Etudes caprices.’ Mr. Mills, besides his share of the duet already alluded to, executed with his wonted elegance and crispness of touch Schumann’s ‘Des Abend’ and a tarantella by Chopin. Miss Drasdil sang an ‘O Salutaris’ by Cherubini, and Benedict’s ‘I murmur not,’ her rich voice and the deep feeling of her delivery resulting in an encore after each number. Mme. Jules de Ruyther was the soprano, and her fine tones were used to advantage in Millard’s ‘Longing,’ and Arthur Sullivan’s ‘Golden Days.’” 

“On the breaking up of the Rubinstein company, Mr. Wieniawski, the violinist, decided to take a tour to the West and to California. Engaging Mr. Carl Wolfsohn, of Philadelphia, as solo pianist, and Madame Julie De Ryther of this city as vocalist, the arrangements were completed, and the new troupe will start from this city in about a week.

Last night at Steinway Hall Mr. Wieniawski gave his farewell concert in New York, the programme opening with a septette by Beethoven, played by Wieniawski, Matzka, Bergner, Pfeiffenschneider, Sohst, Boehm and one other artist. The effect was that of an orchestral richness of tone united to the individuality of a solo performance. As the leading violinist Wieniawski manifested all the delicacy and finish which characterize his solos. The exquisite tone of Bergner’s violoncello was a charming feature of this rendering of one of Beethoven’s most melodious works, and every movement of the composition was received with hearty applause. Wieniawski also played two of his etudes, a ‘Reverie,’ (with which, by the way, a romantic bit of personal history is connected), his arrangement of Russian airs, and Paganini’s ‘Carnival of Venice.’ In every selection he proved himself to be a thorough master of the instrument—a violinist who stands in the very front rank of great artists.

The concert was otherwise most interesting. Mr. Mills played the piano. Mlle. Drasdil displayed to advantage her magnificent contralto voice, and Madame De Ryther sang, with delicate taste and appreciation, Millard’s ‘Longing’ and a song by Arthur Sullivan. This lady has a very pure and musical soprano voice of unusual compass, the lower notes reaching far down into the contralto register, and as she possesses moreover the additional advantages of an attractive personal appearance and good taste in matters of dress, there is every reason to believe that she will win a high position in the ranks of our best concert singers.

The audience was not as large as it should have been, but included an unusual representation of the professional musical talent now in the city, the eminent Tamberlik heading the list.”

“The celebrated Polish violinist bade farewell to New York last night in a concert which was interesting both from the high character of the vocal and instrumental selections and the excellence of the artists who took part in the event. Beethoven’s immortal septette for violin, viola, violoncello, contrabasso, clarionet, horn and bassoon was the feature of the programme. It was given by Messrs. Wieniawski, Matzka, Bergner, Pfeiffenschneider, Boehm, Gewalt and Sohst, and its delightful themes and rich variety of treatment received full justice, if we accept the weakness and sluggishness of the horn passages. Mills and Wieniawski played the well known duo for piano and violin on themes from ‘Don Giovanni,’ by Wolff and Vieuxtemps, and the violinist played some of his most attractive solo selections. Mlle. Anna Drasdil, to whom may be justly conceded the title of ‘Queen of contraltos,’ sang ‘O Salutaris,’ by Cherubini, and a song by Benedict, with such effect that the audience broke forth into an outburst of applause. Nothing more thrilling and rich in tone than this voice has been ever heard before in Steinway Hall. Mme. De Ryther’s rich, full-toned voice was heard to advantage in two songs, to which her art gave an importance beyond what their intrinsic merits deserved.”