Organ Recital

“The last of this series of concerts was given on Wednesday afternoon by Mr. S. P. Warren, whose programme comprised a Fantasia and Fugue in G minor by Bach, (the same lately given by Thomas at the Central Park Garden); an unfinished Theme and Variations and a concert piece in C minor, both by Thiele, and Reubke’s great C minor sonata. The most interesting of these was Thiele’s ‘Theme and Variations,’ the completion of which was prevented by the composer’s sudden and untimely death by cholera in 1818, it still lacking the Finale; yet, incomplete as it is, it is one of the noblest of his works, and had he been able to write the Finale it would probably have been his masterpiece, so far at least as we can judge from his completed works. The technical difficulties of this piece and the Bach Fugue, as also, indeed, those of the other two numbers on the programme (which have been played at some earlier concerts, and which we have heretofore spoken of at length), place them entirely beyond the reach of most organists, and this was one of the causes which imparted to the concert its exceptional interest. They were all admirably done by Mr. Warren, who deserves the greatest credit for the manner in which they were given.

The work accomplished at these concerts during the past Winter has been remarkably good, and very valuable. Most of the best organists of New-York, as well as several from other cities, have played at them, and the standard of the programmes has been throughout unusually high. Many of the great works of Bach and Handel and the old organ composers have been played, and an opportunity has been given for becoming familiar with the works of the new school of German organ writers, who have heretofore been very little known in this country. While most of the pieces given have been those written strictly for the organ, the programmes have been lightened by a judicious insertion of overtures, movements from symphonies and the like, though very little has been played which was not of real value. Where there has been so much to admire and praise, fault-finding may seem ungracious, but Mr. Warren has sometimes erred in resigning his organ to hands greatly less competent than his own. We have few organists to whom it would it would not prove an ungrateful task to follow Mr. Warren, and the substitutes for him have not always proved satisfactory to the audiences. A familiarity with good organ music is so important, and it cannot fail to exert so strong an influence on the taste for church music, which is now in a pretty bad way among us, that men like Mr. Warren, who can do much to popularize it, should leave no means untried to make their work as nearly perfect as may be, and this matter of the selection of performers is one of the most important. These concerts are announced to be continued next Winter, and we trust that they may be even more successful than they have been so far.”