Richard Coker Concert: 1st

“Formerly principal soprano of Trinity Church.”

“The boy soprano, Richard Coker, gave a concert at Irving Hall on Saturday night, before an audience which, in view of the genuine attractions offered, should have been much larger than it was. There is reason to believe, however, that many intending visitors were frightened away on learning who was to be the basso of the evening; nor was their alarm surprising.

          Master Coker has the richest, most extensive and best-cultivated voice of any boy in the country.  He is, in fact, a little artist, with much of an artist’s skill and vocal fluency, and even a few of the artist’s mannerisms.  One almost regrets that he is not a genuine prima donna.

          The boy sang at this concert the cavatina from ‘Robert,’ an air by Gumbert, and the ‘Bacio’ waltz, in which he introduced the concluding high notes in which Parepa was so successful.” He also took part in a trio from ‘Attila,’ and in a favorite duet. Prepossessing in personal appearance, as well as musically gifted, little Coker is one of the most attractive of features for a concert tour, such as he is about to take with Mrs. Kempton, who assisted him on Saturday night, singing in her best style.

          The concert was varied by the superb playing by Mr. Mills, of a march by Liszt, which was tumultuously encored, and by the graceful, unaffected and artistic performance on the violin by Miss Toedt, a young lady who should be heard oftener in public, and fully worthy to take the place at our best concerts left vacant by the departure of Camille [sic] Urso.”

“A little fellow named Coker, with a throat like a nightingale, gave an interesting concert at Irving Hall Saturday evening.  He is about as high as a shilling’s worth of coppers, and is discernible to the naked eye mainly by reason of a pair of white gloves which seem to cling to him by a special law of gravitation. He was formerly principal soprano at Trinity Church—the congregation of which establishment was well represented on this occasion. He is a nice little fellow, and when his chest is puffed out and his head thrown back, and his mouth wide open, he looks for all the world like the songster we have named. And he sings pretty much in the same way—by nature. His voice is thoroughly delicious, and it is of admirable extent; flexible, if not cultivated, and pleasing, although sometimes forced.  We do not think a heavy dramatic cavatina like that from ‘Robert il Diavolo’ suited to his powers.  It requires too much effort, and must speedily lead to disastrous results.  In ballads and small bravura pieces the boy is very good—creating a sensation even in ‘Il Bacio,’ by Arditi.  (This piece seems to have attacked out audiences like a mania. The moment it is recognized the demented creatures set up a yell of triumph.) Mrs. Jenny Kempton, our most agreeable and acceptable contralto, sang the flower song from ‘Faust,’ and a ballad by Calcott in a very dashing and spirited way—introducing, also, by way of encores, a German song and ‘Il segreto,’ from ‘Lucrezia Borgia.’ We should have enjoyed these pieces more thoroughly had the lady adhered somewhat more closely to the music.  A pernicious habit is now in vogue of introducing all sorts of vocal vagaries and exaggerations into the most ordinary compositions. A singer has no right to ‘show off’ at the expense of the composer. Mlle. Toedt, a clever violiniste, played a couple of solos with very nice taste, and Messrs. Powers and Flemming [sic] assisted in the vocal department—the latter with a surprising basso that soughed through the hall like an east wind, making the teeth chatter, and causing several people to sneeze. Mr. E.M. Powers has a good tenor voice, which he worries unnecessarily.  The artistic treat of the evening was the piano performance of Mr. S.B. Mills, who played a ‘Berceuse,’ by Chopin, Second Tarantelle,” by himself, and the ‘Racoczy March,’ by Liszt.—drawing also on Chopin for two encore pieces. We have rarely known this gentleman to be in such splendid condition. His playing was as near perfection as we are likely to have it for many a day. Its truth, simple grandeur, clearness, classic elegance of style, and calm intelligence, can hardly, it seems to us, be surpassed. They are stern and overwhelming protests against the false, tricky and meretricious school which, although it does not prevail here to any great extent, has yet by far too many admirers. The ‘Racoczy March’ was played so surprisingly well, that Mr. Mills was overtaken with a burst of applause, in the midst of a maze of complicated scales passages. His reception was in every respect most enthusiastic.”

“MASTER COKER’S CONCERT at Irving Hall, was very largely attended. This young singer, who for some time delighted the worshipers at Old Trinity Church, is now striving to reap the reward of his talents and of the most beautiful voice with which he has been gifted by nature. He is a singer of rare ability, his execution is clear and brilliant, and he sings with an amount of feeling and expression hardly to be expected from one so young. He sang two difficult selections—the aria from Robert le Diable, ‘Robert, toi que jaime [sic],’ and the famous show-song, ‘Il Baccio [sic]. While we doubt the wisdom of such selections, we must confess that he sang them most charmingly. His pure and beautiful treble voice told out with an effect which delighted all and won for him enthusiastic encores, to which he responded by singing a simpler song, with a grace and purity of intonation which told how well education had enhanced the gifts of nature. He created a marked impression, and so satisfied his audience that we see no reason why his career should not be a most successful one so long as his voice lasts. Mrs. Jenny Kempton assisted Master Coker, and added to the pleasure of the evening by her pleasant singing, although her voice was by no means in good order.  The accompanist of the concert was the most incompetent charlatan that we ever listened to.  He played more wrong notes than right ones, was constantly before or behind the artist, and he made all this abominable muddle with an air of such supreme assurance and self-satisfaction that he was the laughing-stock of the audience.

          Miss Toedt, the violinist, is a most rising artist.  She is yet but a young girl, but she displays undoubted talent. Her improvement has been wonderfully rapid, not only in the technicalities of the instrument but in breadth of manner, refinement of taste, and the power to give utterance to sentiment and expression.  If she continues to study intelligently and assiduously, she will assuredly make for herself a brilliant and honorable reputation, a part of which must reflect back upon her teacher, Mr. Henri Appy.

          Mr. S. B. Mills, the pianist, was in fine finger on this occasion.  Brilliant as his performances always are, marked by pure taste and distinguished by a perfection of technique achieved by but few men, we never before heard him when he had such perfect control of his powers.  He interpreted Chopin with rare intelligence, and his own new Tarantella, which is one of his best compositions, both effective and brilliant, with marked fire and bravura. But his chief triumph of the evening was Liszt’s Racoczy March, a composition of great difficulty, requiring brilliant manipulation and the highest amount of physical force. In these respects Mr. Mills was fully equal to the requirements, exhibiting all that perfect mastery of the piano for which he is justly celebrated. If we must make an objection to so splendid a performance, we think the tempo was a trifle too slow, although it was fast enough to stagger half our solo pianists.”