Sunday Evening Concert: 14th

“The fourteenth Sunday evening concert at Steinway Hall was given before an immense audience. There must have been over two thousand people present, and a better class of audience we have rarely seen. The program was of a very varied and admirable character. [Lists a portion of the program.] The most important piece ‘Les Preludes’ presents many orchestral difficulties and requires very intelligent reading. It received at the hands of Mr. Thomas and his orchestra full justice. The general thoughtfulness of its character was well developed, light and shade were well marked, and the brilliant passages, especially the frequent rapid, chromatic scales, were clearly and finely articulated.

The other instrumental pieces were equally well performed. The general execution of this orchestra has greatly improved of late; we find it more prompt, and recognize in it a greater degree of refinement and more unity. With such grand audiences to play to, Mr. Thomas may well take pride in the increasing excellence of his orchestra. We could wish for a few more violins, but we presume the strength is as great as can be afforded.

Mr. Julius Eichberg has not played a violin concerto in New York for some years. We should judge from his performance last evening that he was not in full practice, for his execution, though rapid and neat, was by no means always true. His intonation was often faulty and he frequently touched an unused string unintentionally, through want of cleanness in bowing. His tone is small, though pure, and his reading of Beethoven’s Concerto (op. 61), though small in character, was intelligent. Mr. Eichberg is not at present calculated to make an effect as a solo violinist.

Mr. W. J. Hill has a very fine tenor voice, and sings with considerable sweetness and taste. He is sadly lacking refinement in the manner of carrying his voice, but he sings with a hearty expression, which carries his audience with him, and gains him their favor and frequent encores, as was the case last night. This concert on the whole was a very pleasant one, and gave general satisfaction.”