Amateur Philharmonic Society Concert

“The Amateur Philharmonic Society of this City gave a concert at Steinway Hall last evening. The orchestra, under the baton of Herr Leopold Meyer, did much better work than at a previous entertainment, and there is no reason to doubt that, in due course, an excellent band will be organized. The piano playing of a clever boy, Miguel Castellanos by name, and singing by Miss Mendes, gave variety to the bill.”

“The third concert of the above-named society took place last Saturday evening at Steinway Hall, before a well-filled house. The opening piece was the ‘Pré aux Clercs’ overture of Herold, which was well-rendered by the amateurs. This was followed by a Reverie, composed by leader, Leopold Meyer. The principal feature of the concert was the movements from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D, Larghetto, Scherzo and Allegro Molto, which were correctly played, but lacked the feeling needed in all of the great master’s works; then there were not enough brass instruments to support the strings, and one French horn almost spoilt what might have been an excellent rendering of one movement. The shading and phrasing were very fair, although the violins sounded harsh in some places. The selections from ‘Tannhäuser,’ and Strauss’s ‘Wiener Blut’ waltz, both very creditably executed, closed the performance. Taken as a whole, the orchestra did itself full justice, showing a great improvement over the last concert.

Miss Leontine Mendes was the soprano of the evening, and her selections displayed her fine execution. Both of her solos were encored. Harrison Millard sang his ‘Watching,’ accompanied by the orchestra. A boy twelve years of age, Miguel Castellanos, made a hit in his rendering of Liszt’s fantasie on ‘Lucia’ and Gottschalk’s ‘Caprice Espagñol,’ both of which were marvelously well played by the lad, who seemed quite at home in the difficult music.”