Robert Goldbeck Chamber Concert: 3rd

“Mr. Robert Goldbeck announces a series of three subscription concerts, at Steinway’s Rooms, Nos. 71 and 73 East Fourteenth-street, to take place on Feb. 15, March 1 and 15.  The intention of these soirees is to introduce the best and (in a public sense) least played works in the world, namely, Beethoven’s sonatas, one of which will be given on each evening.  Several of Mr. Goldbeck’s vocal compositions will also be introduced, with competent singers.  Mr. S. B. Mills has volunteered to assist Mr. Goldbeck, playing Bach’s six preludes, with the accompaniment of a second piano.”

“Mr. Goldbeck’s Third concert is unavoidably postponed from Thursday, March 15, to Saturday, March 24.”

Announced for Thursday, March 22.

Goldbeck’s compositions “are always interesting to hear because they are the well-matured productions of a thoroughly informed and creative mind.”

“Mr. Goldbeck’s concert at Irving Hall last night was well attended, and by a select audience. Mr. Mills was unable to lend his assistance, but his place was taken by Mr. William Mason, who generously volunteered to play although he had no time for preparation. His performances, however, with Mr. Goldbeck in a duet—six of Bach’s preludes—showed no evidence of lack of preparation. Signor Ardavani was encored, and seemed quite a favorite with the audience, but we think that his singing lacked animation. Herr Steins sang with a great deal of power and feeling. Mr. Goldbeck’s performances, both as a soloist and in duet, were excellent, his execution clear, distinct and expressive.”

“Beethoven’s sonato [sic] in D, opus 10, and a choice selection of other piano and vocal pieces were presented by Mr. Goldbeck to a small but critical audience at Steinway’s on Friday night. The four movements of the sonata contain every variety, and even extreme, of sentiment, and although they are not remarkable for technical difficulty, yet they demand from the pianist those rare qualities of combining strength and rapidity with the most exquisite finish and refinement, particularly in the phrasing of cantabile passages. The minuetto and trio are overflowing with humor, and partake strongly of Mozart. Mr. Goldbeck’s rendering was rather tame in the plaintive Largo e mesto of the second part, and too boisterous in the rondo. The latter requires freshness and vigor, but not so much as to mar its beautiful framework of airy passages and rustic sentiment. The ‘filling in’ process of a second piano was again inflicted on the preludes of the well-tempered clavichord of J. S. Bach. Mr. William Mason played the second piano obligato in the absence of Mr. Mills. There is certainly a great deal of praise due to Mr. Goldbeck for his enterprise of introducing all Beethoven’s sonatas in his series of concerts, and for the enthusiasm he displays in treating of the works of that great composer. His execution of them, although crude and narrow at present, gives hope that with matured age and experience he will be a fitting disciple of his Titanic model.  Yet this meddling with the well-tempered clavichord is like attempting to temper and improve a Toledo blade of the best kind. Neither Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, Haydn nor Bach’s other successors attempted such a herculean task; and if these preludes required the ‘filling out’ which Mr. Goldbeck claims they do, assuredly it would have been accomplished long ago by those masters who studied them as models. Even if they are merely introductions to fugues, yet they are like Michael Angelo’s crayon sketches, which no painter can ever complete. The ‘sentiments poetiques,’ or piano compositions, of Mr. Goldbeck contain some beautiful thoughts, but are devoid of unity and meaning. The Retour du Pecheur, a tenor solo composed by him, is a poor imitation of Salut à la France. The variations by Schumann were well rendered by him and Mr. Mason. Signor Ardavani and Herr Steins, who did the vocal part of the programme, acquitted themselves remarkably well.” 

(…) Mr. Mason was poorly prepared, yet delighted the audience nevertheless with his exceptional technique (the way he depresses the keys). It was magical. Mr. Steins sang different songs than announced in the program.

The main interest of the piano program (especially for the present female amateurs) was in Beethoven’s popular sonata. Goldbeck’s performance of this piece was not as sensitive as required to truly capture the audience. It is questionable whether the general mood of the audience was supportive. On the other hand, if a performer intensely enjoys his presentation, it usually projects into the auditorium.

“Mr. Goldbeck's third concert on Friday evening at Steinway’s Rooms passed off pleasantly, although there was a change in the programme, or rather in those who were to take part in it. Mr. S. B. Mills was prevented by severe domestic affliction from playing with Mr. Goldbeck, and at the shortest notice a kindly brother, Mr. Wm. Mason, took his place. In explaining the change Mr. Goldbeck referred to the sickness of Mr. Mills’ only daughter. We are pained to say that that sickness has since ended in death. It is not our wont to dwell on such topics, but of late there has been displayed a disposition to quibble about an artist’s apology, and to attribute everything to disinclination. It is right, therefore, to state the truth, as indeed it is on all occasions. Mr. Mason being summoned hastily to a task for which he had not prepared himself, was only able to display the musician who sees the author’s meaning, but cannot interpret it. We refer to Schumann’s variations for two pianos. The well-known thema with its queer harmonies was delivered admirably, and the variations were good—but not what they might have been under different circumstances. Neither in this piece nor in Beethoven’s Sonata (in D) can we compliment Mr. Goldbeck on his powers as a pianist. His touch is turgid and disagreeable. The note beneath his finger has its nominal but not its emotional value, and the performance, in consequence, is dry and unsatisfactory. As a composer Mr. Goldbeck has fairly won the first position. We have always cordially accepted him as the best orchestral writer in the country.  The color which touch gives to the pianist he has imparted with rare delicacy to the larger field of the orchestra, and so he has impressed us with an agreeable sense of his individuality. We look in vain for these traits in the songs and piano-forte morceaux of Friday night.  It is a bold thing, at best, for any composer to place five or six pieces on the programme. The versatility that might justify it has certainly been denied to Mr. Goldbeck. He is, like most creative minds, unipersonal. What he regards as contrasts are but similes, affected by the accident of sentiment and rhythm. The musical fabric is always the same.  It is a tissue of chords in which the performer, cross-handed or otherwise, is always busy; in which the singer gets nailed on the head by an upper note on the piano, and so on. The dripping of well-articulated broken chords is of course acceptable in certain pieces, such, for instance, as ‘Falling Leaves;’ but as a steady thing it is a cheap device. Mr. Goldbeck, in a word, is too busy. He lacks repose—a quality which he certainly possesses in his symphonies; works, let us here add, which are of great symmetry and beauty, and which must at no distant day give him a lasting reputation in the universal world of art. It remains only to be said that Mr. Steins, a powerful baritone, and Signor Ardavani, a persuasive one, sang the songs allotted to them effectively and well.”

"The last concert of Mr. Robert Goldbeck closed his series for the present season. On this occasion he was assisted by Signor Ardavanni [sic] and Herr Stein [sic].

Mr. Goldbeck’s piece de resistance was Beethoven’s Sonata in D, op. 10.  There are few pianists who have the breadth of mind, the force, the tenderness or the passion to interpret the thoughts of Beethoven, set down as they are, in the crude piano forms of the period in which he lived.  Mr. Goldbeck by no means satisfied us by his interpretation of the Sonata in question, still his reading was musicianly and intelligent, and showed a warm appreciation of his author.  His technique is by no means perfect, his manner is too impetuous, and he too generally takes the tempi, even of his own composition, at a rate which is destructive to the character of the works which he undertakes to interpret. He does not remember Thalberg’s golden rule, in public play slow, the philosophy of which is the measure of the passage of sound, to avoid the clashing of the vibrations.

Mr. Goldbeck has roused a small tempest in a little teapot, in critical circles, by adding a second piano part to certain of Bach’s Preludes.  The condemnation he has received he must share with M. Gounod, who has been guilty of the same so-called sacrilege. Neither of these gentlemen has offered any insult to Bach; they present his works in their entire integrity. They have simply added fanciful parallel thoughts, suggested by his profound and exquisite harmonious progressions, giving them a vocality by counter subjects—a curious study which would have interested old Bach himself. Mr. Goldbeck has been singularly happy in the musical forms he has wedded to these grand old subjects, all of them being thoughtful and musicianly, several of them exceedingly beautiful, and decidedly more in keeping, in character and sentiment with the originals, than Gounod’s charming but sensuous creation. They show an earnest and appreciative study of Bach, and are creditable to Mr. Goldbeck’s talent and knowledge.

Mr. Goldbeck played several selections from his own work, Sentiments Poetiques, too fast, but in a fervid and passionate manner.  Those compositions are full of fancy and passionate expression, a little too fragmentary, perhaps, but well made and characteristic.  During this series of soirees, several of his new songs were sung with unqualified success.  They are admirable compositions, original in their treatment, distinctive in their character, clear and flowing in melody, and abounding in fervid and passionate expression. These songs will assuredly make their mark, and will add greatly to the reputation of their author.

In the absence of Mr. S. B. Mills, who was unhappily prevented from appearing through fatal sickness in his family, Mr. William Mason performed the Duos set down in the programme in a manner which revealed the educated musician.”