Central Park Band Concert

     “Music at the Park. A more auspicious day than yesterday for a visit to the Park was seldom seen; the crowds, who leaving the dusty city as a memory of the past, seemed to appreciate the truth of this, were very large; seldom, in fact, has this paradise of New York seen such a fine array of all the different shades of New York society, from the millionaire to the honest mechanic with his family; from the legal swindler to the pickpocket, and from the wife of the down town merchant to the poor beggar woman—all might be seen. There might be seen the multifarious fashions now used—the gypsey, the gypsey queen, and, in fact, all the distracting and indescribable notions now most prevalent. The Park itself is vastly improved from what it was a short time since. The recent rains have brought back the beauty and freshness which the burning sun of last month had taken away. The grass, which had become [?] and yellow, is now the greenest of green. Indeed, this [?] prevailed to a very large extent among the visitors in search of pleasure. The weather had a great deal to do in bringing out the many thousands who, without regard to age or sex, congregated around the kiosque, where soon the music was discoursed. In some places in the shade it was cool almost to chilliness, while those who loved heat were at liberty to find it in the burning rays of the sun.

     At four o’clock precisely the band struck up the opening piece, ‘Riflemen form March,’ by Balfe. The overture to Le Macon, by Auber, which followed, is one of the flimsiest of that composer’s many flimsy works. The band did it all the justice it deserved, playing with a good deal of spirit. This was succeeded by a song not sung, ‘I am lonely to-night,’ by Griffin. This was a very fine piece, but evidently out of place, for the solo could not be heard more than a few paces on. A polka, ‘Tritsch, Tratsch,’ by the untiring Strauss, whose pieces may now be counted by thousands, was given with quite a good effect. Mr. Dodworth seems at home in this music more than in any other, for he appears to lead with much greater spirit than he does in heavier but better music. Part second opened with another piece by the same composer, the ‘En Avant March.’ Then came the best piece in the programme, the grand overture to Rienzi, by Richard Wagner. It is indeed a grand overture, one of those pieces which shows to perfection Wagner’s peculiar genius. It is said that his music is a century before the age; it may be, and probably is, but this does not deteriorate its chaste beauty. This overture to Rienzi is worthy to rank with the Tannhauser, an opera which has had such a wonderful effect in the Old World. Paris, the city par excellence of musical taste and culture, rejected it and the more is the shame; but Wagner found a safe refuge in Germany, and is there appreciated at his true worth. Suffice it to say, that the rendering of the piece by Mr. Dodworth’s band was not good; the brass instruments especially knew no time nor cadence, and the leader with all his musical skill found it an impossibility to keep his musicians together.  The audience grew weary of the jangling and showed a decided difference of opinion with the luckless King of Bavaria, inasmuch as none of them appeared to be Wagner-mad. Orphée aux enfers Quadrille was the next piece on the programme, and was certainly a relief from the aforesaid failure. This was succeeded by a selection from Mireille, by Gounod, given with a fine effect, in the fourth part a scena and aria from Titus, by Mozart, is the only piece requiring notice. Mozart has written many better things; but, nevertheless, it cast almost all the other pieces on the programme in the shade. The concert terminated with the Antelope Galop. Mr. Dodsworth deserves much credit for the way he manipulates his orchestra. Without an efficient leader the orchestra would be a failure.”

Includes program.