Theodore Thomas Symphony Concert

Includes program.

Descriptive analysis of Beethoven’s second symphony.

“The extra concert given by Theodore Thomas last night at Steinway Hall was very well attended, the room being nearly full. The programme, though rather less serious than those of the regular series, was interesting and in several particulars novel, three of the pieces being performed for the first time in this city. The following were the selections [see above].

The execution of the symphony—a work which has been undeservedly neglected here of late years—was wonderfully fine. The work of the violins in the Introduction was extremely delicate and poetic; the familiar larghetto was full of feeling; and the final allegro was given with [dash?] vigor, and at the same time irreproachable precision. The reading of the work altogether was clear and sympathetic and the players responded promptly to the conductor’s intentions. The charming bit of fairy music from Berlioz’ Dramatic Symphony of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ brought out the finer qualities of the band in striking relief, while the Wagner selections called into use its superb wealth of tone and eloquence of delivery. It was toward these two numbers that the curiosity of the audience was principally directed. ‘Seigmund’s Love Song’ is one of the gems of the first division of the great trilogy of the ‘Ring of the Niblungs’ and though it suffers more by separation from the context than many other Wagnerian extracts with which Thomas has made us acquainted, the least attentive listener must be struck with its dignified sentiment and its pure and poetic melody. Mr. Bischoff delivered this noble song with fine voice and true expression. He made a more evident impression however in the ‘Prize Song’ from the ‘Meistersinger,’ not because that was intrinsically better, but because it was given with so much of the orchestral music which is needed to [illegible] its meaning. The arrangement begins with the [illegible] to the Third Act—calm, sweet, fluent, and [illegible] typical, we are told, of a peaceful Sabbath morning [illegible] something of the song that is to follow [illegible] the raising of the curtain. It is indeed a song [illegible] deserves the prize, and Mr. Bischoff declaims it in a manly and impressive style befitting the [illegible] occasion in the drama. Then we go back to the overture of the opera—not such an unnatural sequence as it at first appears—and with that extraordinary conclusion the selections are brought to an impressive [illegible]. It is well that it was placed at the end of the programme, for almost anything else would have seemed tame after it.

The remaining novelty was an adaptation of the six charming [illegible] impromptus of Schumann’s for piano (4 hands) published under the title of Bilder aus Osten, ‘Pictures from the East’ (Op. 66). Reinecke has arranged them for the orchestra with great taste, and though they seem perhaps a little fragmentary when they are given by a full band, they are so graceful and original that we cannot but think the task of the adapter well worth the trouble.

Miss Cary sang unusually well, and delivered the grand aria from ‘Orfeo’ with so much fervor that she was enthusiastically recalled and induced to repeat it. The audience paid the same compliment to her execution of the favorite Beethoven arietta.”

“Mr. Thomas’ concert, which took place at Steinway Hall last evening, was very numerously attended in spite of wind, rain, and snow. The entertainment was commenced with Beethoven’s second symphony, so uniformly bright as to remind one of Mozart, although quite massive enough to worthily hold its place among the nine masterpieces of the greatest of musicians. The exquisite larghetto of the symphony was played with particular sentiment as well as faultless precision by the band, but the whole performance afforded genuine satisfaction. Then Miss Cary sang ‘Che faro,’ from Gluck’s ‘Orpheus,’ her rendering, of course, being endowed with considerable charm, but lacking the classical spirit and eloquent delivery by which recitals of the same air by Miss Drasdil—with whom, indeed, Miss Cary is not to be compared as an artist—have again and again been distinguished. A series of six or seven brief numbers, written by Schumann, instrumented by Reinecke, and called ‘Bilder aus Osten,’ or ‘Pictures from the East,’ followed ‘Che faro,’ and gave pleasure again in kind and degree to that created by Brahms’ ‘Hungarian Airs,’ with the difference that, with the exception of the first ‘Bild,’ we were not impressed by the character of any one of the series. The first half of the programme closed with ‘Siegmund’s Love Song,’ from ‘Die Walküre.’ Mr. Bischoff, who has a good tenor voice, but, seemingly, a bad ear, interpreted with decided spirit this piece, in which the singers’ tones are borne upon the waves of instrumental sound, much as blades of grass would be carried on the billows of the ocean. Of its expressiveness as a musical effort, it is, however, impossible to form any idea without hearing the context. The same opinion may be ventured in relation to the introduction to the third act of ‘Die Meistersinger,’ and to ‘Walter’s Prize Song,’ two magnificently sonorous excerpts from an opera we hope to enjoy in its entirety, for we fancy that Herr Wagner would not willingly admit that the proverb ex pede Herculem is applicable to his wonderfully symmetrical works. These extracts from ‘Die Meistersinger,’ with its fine and well-known overture; Berlioz’s scherzo ‘La Reine Mab,’ rendered with marvelous daintiness by Mr. Thomas’ orchestra,  and the arietta, ‘In questa tomba,’ executed by Miss Cary with the same success and the same shortcomings as the task set her earlier in the evening, made up the second part of the entertainment.”

“The inclemency of the weather prevented as large an attendance at the concert given last evening by Theodore Thomas as the excellence of the programme and the faultlessness of the performance deserved. The second Beethoven Symphony was given with perfect accent, phrasing, and unity. An arrangement was also played of Schumann’s ‘Pictures from the East.’ In its original form this is a composition for the pianoforte for four hands, and in that form it is a great favorite with pianoforte players. The arrangement for orchestra is by Carl Reinecke, and it retains even in this shape the cramped and restricted movements of the part that are incident to all four-handed piano pieces. It is impossible that it should be otherwise. The composition is cast in that mould by the author, and no arranging can give it a larger or different orchestral form without destroying the whole melodic structure of the work. The most that can be done is to give orchestral color to the music, and that has been accomplished with much skill. Miss Annie Louise Cary took part in the concert, resplendent as ever in person and in voice, and singing two of the great contralto arias, Gluck’s ‘Che Faro,’ and Beethoven’s ‘In Questa Tomba,’ with noble breadth and beauty of style.”

"Mr. Theodore Thomas gave his last evening concert at Steinway Hall last night. There was a remarkably good attendance. A magnificent performance of Beethoven’s symphony in D was given, each movement being applauded unanimously by an enthusiastic audience. Miss Annie Louise Cary then appeared and sang most charmingly Gluck’s celebrated aria ‘Che faro senza Euridice.’ She received several recalls and was induced to repeat the aria. After the ‘Bilder aus Osten,’ by Schumann (a series of short pieces, adapted for the orchestra by Carl Reinecke), Mr. H. A. Bischoff sang the beautiful song from the Walkuere, ‘Winterstürme weichen dem Wonnemond’ (Winter storms are yielding before Love’s moon), which was most favorably received. In the second part of the concert he delivered with great energy and evident pleasure the prize song from ‘Die Meistersinger’ beginning ‘Morgenlich leuchtend im rosigen Schein,’ and Miss Cary also sang Beethoven’s ‘In questa tomba,’ which was unanimously encored. Beethoven composed this favorite and unpretending little air in 1807, at the request of the Prince Lobkowitz, to whom the Eroica, the C minor and Pastoral symphonies were dedicated. Sixty-two settings had been made, by the principal musicians of the day, of these words, and Beethoven’s added one more which completed this nobleman’s collection. Beethoven also formed one of fifty composers who wrote variations on a theme by Diabelli. The taste for making such collections has long since been given up in Vienna. The scherzo by Berlioz and the instrumental selection from ‘Die Meistersinger’ were performed most admirably.”

“Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather last night there was a fairly filled house at the concert of Theodore Thomas, at Steinway Hall. The programme comprised a few novelties and some sterling favorites. The charming symphony [see above] formed the instrumental features of the concert, and were rendered with that perfection of ensemble and clear, intelligent expression for which this orchestra is ever famous. Miss Cary’s beautiful voice was so effective in Gluck’s ‘Che Faro Senza Euridice’ that a re-demand was insisted upon by the audience. Mr. Bischoff sang the tenor solo, Siegismund’s love song from the ‘Niebelungen Ring’ of Wagner.”

“The evening concert opened with a performance of Beethoven’s Second Symphony in D, op. 36. A work, the whole of which is seldom played in New York, although the second movement, (Larghetto), is well known here. The rendering seemed to be exceptionally fine, even for the Thomas Orchestra, with which perfection is an every day matter. An instrumental novelty was an orchestral setting, by Carl Reinecke, of R. Schumann’s delightful series of ‘Bilder aus Osten,’ for the piano, (four hands). The adaptation is such as to preserve the exact spirit of the original music, while its gorgeous Oriental coloring is intensified by ingenious orchestration. It is ‘Lalla Rookh’ in music.

Berlioz’s bright little Scherzo, ‘La Reine Mab, ou la Fee des songes,’ which we have heard at the garden concerts, was the next instrumental piece, and the concert ended with three selections from Wagner’s ‘Meistersinger,’ namely, The Introduction to the 3d act, Walther’s Prize Song, and the Overture. The Introduction and Prize Song are new to us. The magnificent overture we have heard many times, but cannot hear too often. The beautiful prize song of Walther was entrusted to Mr. H. A. Bischoff, tenor, who proved to be anything but a ‘Meistersinger,’ for he pitched his voice too low at the outset, and had a painful struggle with the music. Nor did he succeed with ‘Siegmund’s Love Song,’ (from ‘Walkuere,’) another novelty which came earlier in the evening. Of course we have to consider the difficulty which all singers find in Wagner’s music, and it is said that Mr. Bischoff did much better at the matinée, when the same selections were given.

Two pieces, sung by Miss Annie Louise Cary, completed the bill of the evening. One was the famous ‘Che faro senza Euridice,’ from Gluck’s ‘Orpheus,’ and the other the well known arietta, by Beethoven, ‘In questa tomba oscura.’ Miss Cary was in good voice and sang well, as indeed she always does.”