Philharmonic Society of New York Concert: 3rd

“The celebrated Henselt concerto will be played by Mr. Pattison, at Steinway Hall, after the holidays.”

“Last night’s Philharmonic concert was brief but interesting. It included the performances of a pianist of unquestionable talent, and if the symphony—Schumann’s first, in B flat—had been the single orchestral selection for the entertainment, the programme would have been sufficiently good to give general satisfaction. Mendelssohn’s overture, ‘Zum Märchen von der Schönen Melusine,’ one of those agreeable pieces of writing, combining mclodious themes with substantial instrumentation, and wholly unpretentious and unlabored, was done at the outset of the evening. Then Mr. S. B. Mills, the soloist of the concert, interpreted Henselt’s concerto for piano and orchestra, numbered as Opus 16, but known, the world over, as ‘the’ Henselt concerto. In setting out upon the recital of this work, Mr. Mills undertook a tour de force, during the accomplishment of which, by a less practiced and steady executant, a large part of the audience would have been very ill at ease. Henselt’s Opus 16 is a tremendously difficult composition—so difficult, indeed, that it is rarely rendered nowadays. Last night it was heard, we are told, for the third time only in this City, Gottschalk and Mr. J. N. Pattison having been its earlier interpreters. Mr. Mills’ playing afforded the most critical listener a delightful sense of security, and the final movement of the concerto—the most trying, be it said, but the one of which the tunefulness and graceful ornateness were most readily appreciated--took on a special charm from a particularly free and expressive delivery. Mr. Mills was recalled at the close of the piece. Mr. Bergmann’s men afterward rendered Schubert’s F minor fantasia, as arranged for orchestra by E. Rederff, and rendered it exceedingly well, though the effect produced was that of a pretty picture in a too massive frame. Mr. Mills reappeared subsequently, and recited an étude and a tarantelle, by Chopin, the two selections receiving full justice from a touch of exceptional elegance falling on a Steinway of much sweetness and brilliancy. The second part of the concert was occupied by Schumann’s symphony, of which, so familiar is the subject to nine out of every ten readers interested in music, we need but mention in point of ideas, and richness and power of scoring, it dwarfed, last evening, the remaining selections. Mr. Bergmann’s forces, whose performance of what we might call lace-work in music, is by no means equal to that of Mr. Thomas’ band, can always be depended upon for spirit and vigor, and in these respects, their recital yesterday left nothing to be desired.”

“The Academy of Music was pretty well filled last night on the occasion of the third concert of the Philharmonic Society. The two predecessors of this concert were not calculated to inspire confidence in the general success of the season, as the attendance on both occasions was anything but large and the performance not satisfactory. There was a visible improvement last night. The concert commenced with the lovely Mendelssohn overture, ‘Zum Märchen von die schöne Melusine,’ opus 32, in F major, which was played about seven years ago by the society. It is one of the most poetical of this genial composer’s works, and has not an uninteresting bar from beginning to end. The German legend of the fair nymph, or Meermädchen, Melusine, has been told at length in these columns, and nothing in the list of the gifted composer’s works can be accredited with more genuine poetical thoughts than this overture. The opening theme, so felicitously worked out in various instrumental forms throughout the overture, is one of those taking subjects that catch the ear, and is withal of such a delicate texture that it may be readily ascribed to the mind that conceived the musical thoughts of the ‘Sommernachtstraum.’  The fanciful story is told as ingeniously as that of Puck, Oberon, Titania and the mortals in the ‘Wood near Athens.’

Mr. S. B. Mills, an honorary member of the society, and one of the representative pianists of America, was the soloist of the occasion, and he essayed one of the most trying of the works of piano literature, Henselt’s concerto, opus 16, a cheval de bataille of technique and warmth of expression. Gottschalk and Pattison, who made it a study of years, and who at one time seemed to claim the monopoly of this great work, first brought it before the New York public. The poetry of the one and the nervous, fiery style of the other placed this concerto in its best light. The technical difficulties alone would suffice to deter many a pianist from attempting it in public; but, of course, with such trained fingers and steeled wrists as those of Mr. Mills, mere difficulties in execution could not mar his performance. The fault of his playing was in the absence of the desired warmth, color and expression that such a work demands. There is much of tempo rubato in it, and mere metronism in style is calculated to rob it of its desired effect. Take the second movement, religioso, in C major, for instance. The opening instrumental subject, quatuor con sordini, a simple chorale, is afterwards colored in the most vivid manner by the arabesque figures woven beneath the fingers of the pianist. But those fingers must be instinct with poetry. Mr. Mills lacked that necessary quality. The main difficulty lies in the third page of the Larghetto, a perfect ideal of melody.

There is work enough for four hands in this passage, and orchestra and piano must be in perfect accord in tempo and expression, which was not the case last night. The finale is full of technical difficulties, insurmountable except to inspired fingers or to an artist who has made the work a study of years. To Mr. Mills must be accredited the praise of faultless technique in playing the concerto, but beyond that we can say nothing in commendation. He also played the etude in C sharp minor and Tarentella of Chopin.

Schubert’s fantasia in F minor, originally composed as a piano work for four hands, was another feature in the programme. It was orchestrated by a Mr. E. Rudorff, and although the instrumentation gives evidence of a practised hand and is at times effective, yet we cannot commend the work in such a garb as compared to its original shape. It was one of the matured thoughts of Schubert, opus 103, and nothing can be more beautiful than its delicacy of treatment, a very rare quality in four hand pieces for the piano. It is not always safe to attempt the orchestration of a piano work of a great composer. We have abundant examples of it here on the operatic stage, where the inability or unwillingness of the impresario to pay for the orchestral score of a new opera has driven him to the necessity of buying a piano score in Europe and getting the orchestration done there.

The last work on the programme, Schumann’s first symphony in B flat major, which heads a list of the most valuable and enjoyable of the instrumental works of the composer, is admirable in the first three movements and only defective in the last, Allegro animato e grazioso, which seems to be at variance with the spirit of  the symphony. The orchestra is not improving, as might be expected, from the admirable example set before them by Mr. Thomas and his band. The strings were sluggish and expressionless last night, and the wind instruments, the oboes in particular, uncertain in tone and ineffective, even where they were most desirable.”

“The programme for the third concert of the New-York Philharmonic Society (Thirty-second Season) was the following [lists works].

The selections were highly interesting and the performance excellent. The beautiful fancies and refined poetic sentiment of Mendelssohn’s charming overture—a work which the composer himself held in high esteem, and which the world has agreed in prizing as a gem of real value—received a careful and sympathetic interpretation. The execution of the symphony was correct and vigorous, full of robust life, and distinguished, in the scherzo especially, and the final Allegro animato by an admirable élan as well as by great precision. Its stirring movements are familiar to New-York audiences, but we have seldom relished them more keenly than we did on Saturday night. We may have missed in the strings some of the wonderful unity and pure resonant tone which are always conspicuous in the Thomas orchestra; but it is only fair to remember that the Philharmonic Society lacks the constant and uninterrupted association among its members which a permanent orchestra supplies, and we should not hold Mr. Bergmann’s band to a standard of perfection which under the circumstances of its organization it cannot possibly reach. The Philharmonic Society has been subjected of late years to a great deal of censure, which seems to us equally ungenerous and undeserved. It is doing a noble part in the elevation of popular taste and the reverent cultivation of the masterpieces of classical art, and although its work is sometimes open to criticism, and its progress in technical finish has not been uninterrupted, all candid judges must admit that it has this season shown unusual zeal and care, and that its concerts have been of an exceptionally high character.

The appearances of Mr. S. B. Mills are always to be looked for as one of the pleasantest and most satisfactory events of the season. Henselt’s only concerto, which he chose for his principal piece on this occasion, is almost a novelty. We believe it has not been heard in New-York since Mr. J. N. Pattison played it at Harrison’s Musical Festival in Steinway Hall, six years ago. It is a work of great difficulty and of decided scientific importance, yet it is marked by a clear rhythmic structure which uninstructed listeners might mistake for an easy simplicity. Mr. Mills expressed in beautiful melodic phrases with that unimpeachable neatness, grace, and delicate feeling which have made him such a universal favorite, and we can only characterize the performance as thoroughly charming. His little selections from Chopin were very happy, of course. The étude was one which he has often played before.

The Schubert Fantasia was written as a piano piece for four hands, and in that form is one of the most exquisite of the composer’s productions. We cannot call the present arrangement for the orchestra a very striking one. Several passages are beautifully scored; but as a whole the coloring is cold and hard.”

“The Philharmonic concert on Saturday night was a feast to those fond of Schumann’s and Schubert’s music. The B minor symphony of the former especially attracted the attention of those who delight in a class of music to which the average public takes but slowly. Mr. Mills, in the immensely difficult Henselt concerto for the piano-forte, showed to rare advantage his mastery over the technical difficulties of the instrument.”