Gottschalk Farewell Concert: 3rd

     Extensive biography of Gottschalk.

     “The Gottschalk Concerts.—The farewell concerts of Mr. Gottschalk and Miss Lucy Simons have been unusually attractive and successful.  Niblo’s Saloon is much too small to accommodate the legions who besiege the box office. The sale of tickets has always to be stopped, and grumbling and complaining are unavoidable. We have rarely heard our great pianist to better advantage than on the three eveningsof his recent performances. The clearness, delicacy and strength of his style are, in fact, perfect.  They have been illustrated, too, in many new pieces.  The best of these, the ‘Battle-Cry of Freedom,’ was performed for the first time on Wednesday evening. It is an effective arrangement of a well-known patriotic air, and is mainly valuable for the introduction and the quiet variation which precedes the finale. Mr. Gottschalk played this taking morceau with complete gusto, and was encored as usual. At the concert last evening a large portion of Chickering & Sons’ ware-room was present, to wit: six grand pianos.  This alarming manifestation was occasioned by the appearance on the programme of the “Faust” march arranged for that number of instruments by Mr. Gottschalk, and played by that gentleman and Messrs. Fradel, Muzio, Lasscrue [sic] and Trastour. The effect of this piece may be left to the imagination.  It brought down the house, and in truth nearly brought down the entire block. At both these entertainments Miss Lucy Simons sang with rare skill, and entirely to the acceptance of the audience. Mr. Harry Sanderson contributed also, in a large manner, to the brilliancey of the programme.”

     “The third concert of Gottschalks’ farewell series took place at Niblo’s Saloon last night, and despite the down pouring rain every seat was taken and there was but little standing room.  Although Gottschalk was not in such splendid awe as on the previous evening he played very finely.  The piece which we thought specially noticeable was the ‘Marche Funebre,’ by Chopin.  This he played solidly and grandly, throwing into it all the gravity of passion it required.  The burst of wild yet tender grief of which speaks all through the beautiful movement in the major, was rendered with exquisite pathos and sentiment and fully recalled the thought of the composer. After the encore of the ‘Marlborough’ burlesque, he played ‘Recordate,’ which is a delicious little tone poem, with that thoughtful, dreamy, passionate expression, which is irresistibly touching and perfectly fascinating. His other selections were finely executed, and the Duetts with Harry Sanderson were as brilliant and effective as ever. There can be no doubt that the Duo playing by Gottschalk and Sanderson is the most effective thing of the kind ever presented to the public. They understand each other so thoroughly that they play as one pair of hands, although with the power of a dozen pairs.

     Miss Simons continues to gain in public favor, and also to improve with increasing confidence. Her great success last evening was with Gottschalk’s new Romance—The ‘Knight and the Shepherdess,’ which gained a unanimous encore, in reply to which she sang the equal favorite, ‘Slumber on baby dear.’ These two songs have gained extraordinary popularity, and they seemed to be looked for on the programme as a matter of course.

     Signor Ippolito sang his two arias very effectively and Messrs. Eben and Keits executed their Obligati parts very tastefully and fluently. The Faust arrangement for six players was brilliantly played by Messrs. Fradel, Sanderson, Trastour, Lasserve, Muzio, and Gottschalk.”