Central Park Garden Concert

Includes program. 

“Mr. Thomas produced two remarkable pieces last night, one of which was absolutely new, and the other almost unknown in the United States. The first was a ‘Theme and Variations’ by Brahms, arranged for the string orchestra. It was originally written as a sextet, for two violins, two violas, and two ‘celli, and consists of a simple religious melody with six short variations, all of a more or less grave character. We know of very few more charming compositions of the kind in modern music. The variations are ingenious and striking, without being in any instance over-elaborated; and the last three in particular can truly be called fascinating. Perhaps they are somewhat too delicate to tell fairly in a hall like that of the Central Park Garden; we should be glad to hear them in a better place. The second piece to which we referred is a Ballade of Von Bülow’s, ‘The Singer’s Curse,’ illustrating a poem of Uhland’s. Mr. Thomas played this at one of his Symphony Concerts (possibly at more than one) a few years ago, but we believe it has not been published. It is a rich, brilliant, compact, and picturesque bit of musical poetry, which must take a foremost rank among Von Bülow’s compositions for the orchestra.

To these novelties Mr. Thomas added last night Mozart’s fine ‘Idomeneo’ overture; Abert’s magnificent adaptation of the Bach Prelude and Fugue which has caught such a breeze of popular favor this season; the beautiful overture to ‘Les Francs Juges’ of Berlioz, The ‘Kaiser March,’ the Beethoven Romanza in G, and other exceptionally good things which made the night one of peculiar glory.”

“Last night Central Park Garden was well crowded, and it would be well for Mrs. Grundy to appoint an investigating committee and take Gosche’s or Koch’s testimony in regard to the delinquency of certain of her daughters occupying the positions of reigning belles, and disobedient enough to be in town and at a concert in this prohibited month of August. Fashionable people all out of town—not a bit of it. The familiar faces of many of the opera goers at the Academy of Music might be seen last night in the hall and garden. There was nothing especially new on the bill. The ever fresh, hearty ‘Indomeneus’ of Mozart, the Bach prelude and fugue, which J. I. Abert put in orchestral form, one of those delicious Beethoven romances, which has held a prominent place on this summer’s programme; the noisy irrepressible ‘Kaiser March,’’ the magnificently orchestrated overture of Hector Berlioz, ‘Les Francs Juges,’ with its kaleidoscopic effects; Brahms’ Theme and Variations, a ‘Ballade’ of Hans Von Bulow, who should forever eschew composition, the grand Rhapsodie Hongroise of Liszt, which has acquired a rare popularity this summer; a Strauss waltz, Gounod’s ‘Saltarello’ and an extract from Muehldorfer’s ‘Merchant of Venice,’ formed the musical attractions last evening. They were all played with that wonderful precision, heartiness of spirit and gradation of expression which might be expected from such an excellent band…[announcement of Koch’s forthcoming benefit].

Complaints are sometimes made that Mr. Thomas’ programmes are too classical. A more abused and less understood word than ‘classical’ cannot be found in the whole lexicon of music. The word is incorrectly understood as referring to abstruse ideas in the divine art. From the ‘Heroic Symphony’ to the ‘Marseillaise’ we do not recognize any especial classical lines. The only difference, we acknowledge, is the line between true merit and mediocrity, or between good music and trash. Therefore the allusion in the programme to the difference in a literary point of view between ‘Shakespeare’ and ‘Mother Goose.’ The only complaints that can be found in a musical point of view with Mr. Thomas’ programmes is his leaning toward the Zukunft school of music to the exclusion of all others. Yet he has corrected this tendency within the past few weeks, and has liberally besprinkled his bills with selections from the works of Italian, French, English and American composers. Theodore Thomas has shown himself to be a cosmopolitan of the most uncompromising kind in his profession for a month past, and he has lately evinced a spirit calculated to give his numerous patrons a kaleidoscopic view of the world of music.”