St. Columba’s Church Sacred Concert: 4th

Event Information

Venue(s):
St. Columba’s Church

Manager / Director:
R. [vocalist/cond./dir.] Gonzalez

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
10 February 2013

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

17 Jun 1866, 7:45 PM

Performers and/or Works Performed

2)
aka Guglielmo Tell; William Tell; Introduction
Composer(s): Rossini
Participants:  Antonio L. Mora
3)
Composer(s): Rossini
Participants:  Hermina Gonzalez
4)
Composer(s): Rossini
5)
Composer(s): Nini
6)
Composer(s): Mandanici
7)
Composer(s): Guglielmi
8)
Composer(s): Verdi
9)
Composer(s): Neukomm

Citations

1)
Announcement: New York Herald, 11 June 1866, 5.

“A sacred concert will be given on Sunday evening, June 17, at St. Columba’s church on Twenty-fifth street, under the direction of Mr. Gonzalez.  Rossini, Neukomme [sic], Nini, Mandanici, Giugliemi and Verdi will be well represented on the occasion.”

2)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 16 June 1866, 7.
3)
Review: New York Herald, 18 June 1866, 5.

“A concert took place last evening at this church, under the direction of Mr. R. Gonzalez. Madame De Lussan and a number of other artists assisted on the occasion. Mr. A. Mora played the Tell overture on the organ, which is a finely voiced instrument. In this charming overture of Rossini, which Morgan has made popular in this city, the wild scenes of the Alps pass before us. The glaciers, the avalanche, the mountain [illeg.], the shepherd’s pipe and the Ranz de Vache are all pictured to us by a master hand. Mr. Mora belongs to the sensational school of organists, and displays more of showy brilliancy than real art. His conception and execution of the Tell overture was far beneath what we have heard at the Irving Hall organ concerts. His combinations are ineffective and abrupt, and he has no sense of graduated power or delicacy.  As an accompanist he seems to forget that the human voice is not as powerful as the organ, and takes delight in completely drowning it with the mixture, trombone, &c., of the great organ.  The singing last night was good; and Mrs. Gonzalez played the Tabcredi overture well, Madame De Lussan and Mr. R. Gonzelez sang a number of excellent selections of sacred music in a style which showed at least careful study and cultivation. The majority of the pieces were of the modern Italian school, and consequently very florid and showy.  Rossini’s ‘Tantrema Ergo’ [sic], which concluded the concert, is a gem in church music. It was well rendered by the large chorus that assisted in the concert.”