Bostwick Concert

“Her first concert since her return to New York.”

Bostwick is a “well-known lady singer, who has made New York her permanent residence. . . . [She has] a very good reputation as an artist.”

“[Bostwick] will sing, by request, ’The Gipsey Maid,’ composed by the late W.V. Wallace, and first sung by her from the manuscript copy, and accompanied by the composer, at Niblo’s Saloon, several years ago.”

“The programme is a very interesting one indeed, presenting a most pleasing and effective variety.”

“The concert of Mrs. E. G. Bostwick attracted a large number of her friends to Irving Hall on Saturday evening. The lady, who is well known as a valuable artist, was welcomed in a most hearty manner, and deservedly applauded after every piece which she sang. She possesses great skill in coloratura and passages, and surprises by the manner in which she uses her voice. Mrs. Bostwick  was very ably supported by Madame Abel, and Messrs. Simpson, Mollenhauer  and Colliere. Mr. Simpson's sympathetic voice made a very pleasing effort in the serenade from ‘Fra Diavolo.’ The other artists also did justice to their good reputation. Mr. Torreno  presided at the piano, and it was a real treat to hear him accompany, after we have heard so many incompetent accompanyists [sic] lately in the concert room.”

COMMENT: Timm is listed as the pianist and is referred to in several reviews, but the NYT review states that a Mr. Torreno was the pianist.

“Mrs. Emma Gillingham Bostwick’s first concert took place at Irving Hall on Saturday evening last. The hall was well filled, and the audience present was composed of the first families of the city—a distinguished compliment to the esteemed artist whose reappearance called them forth. The programme was well contrasted and very interesting, and Mrs. Bostwick was assisted by Madame Abel, pianist, Mr. George Simpson and M. Colliere, vocalists, and Mr. Edward Mollenhauer, violinist, Mr. Henry C. Timm presiding at the piano.

          Mrs. Bostwick has been many years before the public, but she retains the original beauty of her voice in a most remarkable degree, even when we consider that voices of this quality, pure soprano, are less liable to wear than other voices, as but little of their somber quality is used. Mrs. Bostwick’s style is floridly ornate, and her execution is rapid, distinct, and brilliant. Her intonation is always perfect, she enunciates with admirable distinctness, and displays in the graces and refinements of vocalism the results of a thorough education. These qualities were marked in each of her solo selections, both replete with executive difficulties, and surprised the audience into expressions of warm admiration. In response to an encore, she sang the ever beautiful and touching ballad, ‘Home, Sweet Home,’ so melodiously and expressively that she was greeted with repeated bursts of applause.

          Mrs. Bostwick’s re-appearance must be considered as a complete success, and her frequent appearance in future concerts is looked for.

          Madame Abel is an accomplished and finished pianist, possessing an excellent technique, pure taste, and a good school. Her touch is light and brilliant, [illeg.] yet sympathetic. Her execution is neat, rapid and distinct, and she plays with the intelligence, force and sentiment of a true artist.  Her duo with Mollenhauer was brilliantly and carefully played, and gained warm applause. But her full ability was displayed in her rendering of Mendelssohn’s exquisite ‘Rondo Capricioso.’ This she executed with so much tenderness, fancy, and expression as to call forth an enthusiastic demand for repetition. In reply to the encore she played, in an equally perfect manner, the pleasing composition, ‘Les Cascades,’ which displayed all the delicacy and lightness of her touch, and the charming sentiment of her style.  The instrument upon which she played was unquestionably the finest piano we have ever heard in public or private. Every tone is pure, vivid, and beautiful; clear in its vibrations, sweet, vocal, and melodious, and powerful without a particle of harshness, even when forced to its greatest strength. It literally sings through its whole register, which is so admirably graduated that not the slightest break occurs through the entire scale. Its tone is unspeakably lovely, full of sentiment, and capable of every shade of artistic coloring and expression suggested by the imagination or the feeling of the composer or the player. This Grand Piano, grand in every sense, is the new scale, made by Chickering & Sons, which took the Gold Medal at the Mechanics’ Fair held in Boston. Mr. Wehli played upon it first in that city, where it made a marked sensation, and that eminent artist pronounces it the only instrument in the world that fully meets the wants of a public performer in point of tone, sustained power, brilliancy, and the capacity for portraying the varied shades of sentiment and color. At Mrs. Bostwick’s Concert this opinion was fully sustained, for expressions of admiration were based in every quarter. It is the exponent of the greatest perfection that has yet been achieved in the manufacture of the Grand Piano-Forte.

          Mr. George .Simpson sang several selections in a charming and unaffected manner, and won deserved encores.  If he would exhibit a little more animation, he would be one of our most popular concert singers.  Mr. Colliere sang spiritedly and effectively.”

The usual success.