Thomas Popular Garden Concert: 90th

Program.

Program.

No program given.

Program.

“These popular musical entertainments are fast drawing to a close, and in a few days more Terrace Garden will no longer re-echo the symphony, overture, fantasia or salon piece that charmed the numerous visitors during the dog days. Mr. Thomas evidently intends closing the series of concerts in a brilliant manner, for the programmes he presents now become more interesting every night. At the ninetieth concert, the second part consisted of the beautiful symphony in D, by Mozart. This is the shortest symphony written by the composer, and probably the most attractive for the masses. It consists of three parts—1. Adagio-Allegro. 2. Andante. 3. Finale. The first movement is characterized with the majesty and martial fire of Mozart; the second is as plaintive and simple as a lied of Fatherland, and in the finale Mozart is in the happiest humor. Although not exactly a scherzo, this movement possesses the merry, rollicking spirit of one, and one can almost hear the sparkling wit, jokes and laughter that made these social reunions of the great composer and his friends so attractive. Little airy flights of themes, following each other with the utmost rapidity, in which the strings and reeds seemed to gambol playfully together, until reproved by a crash of the brass instruments. The symphonic form is the only one in which the composer’s soul has full liberty in orchestral composition, and in this little melodious symphony, Mozart pours out a flood of ideas which has furnished succeeding song writers with some of their most beautiful subjects. He has in this symphony left out for the first time the menuetto. The rest of the programme of the ninetieth garden concert was equally interesting. The greatest effort of Weber, the overture to the Freischutz, preceded the symphony. The weird tale of the seven charmed bullets is graphically told, and demons, hunters and woodland and Tartarean scenes rush past at the wave of the director’s wand like a disordered vision or a Walpurgisnacht traum. The selection from Robert le Diable introduces some of the most telling points in that wondrous work of Meyerbeer. The grandeur of the German school, the grace, melody and beauty of the Italian, and the dramatic and descriptive power of the French school, characterize those two great operas, the Huguenots and Robert. In L’Africaine, he leans too much to the sensational, and makes it more of a spectacular drama than a great musical work. The Huguenots is the greatest triumph of human genius that ever has been attained in opera. Robert le Diable ranks next in grandeur and majesty. Then followed an overture of a quite different order of music, Flotow’s Martha. It is always a welcome treat to those who may not appreciate or feel the mammoth thoughts of Meyerbeer, Mozart, or Beethoven. Sandwiched between those great works were the marches, waltzes, polkas and gallops of Strauss, Matkza, Gung’l and Keder-Bela. Regarding the execution of such a programme, it would be unfair to expect such coloring, shading and attention to details as we look for in the concert hall. An open air concert cannot do full justice to a symphony, but the general effect was better than we looked for. Mr. Thomas’ orchestra has spent years in struggling to attain the position of eminence which it now occupies, and Beethoven, Mozart, Weber, and Meyerbeer, can now be entrusted to his hands without any fear of the result. The symphony in D will probably be repeated at the Sunday concert at Irving Hall on the 23d inst. It is a treat which no musician, professional or amateur, should miss.”