Anna Payne Concert

Brief. “In the evening Mrs. Anna Payne, a very meritorious soprano, gave a concert. [Lists performers.] The programme, an attractive and well selected one, was rendered with satisfaction.”

“Miss Anna Payne was unfortunate in having her concert on a night when so many musical attractions were opposed to her. The effect was noticeable in the thinly-filled benches of Irving Hall. A better result was desirable for a concert which, from its unpretentious merit, deserved a good attendance. Mrs. Payne is a resident vocalist, whose services are none the less arduous because they are unrecorded. She possesses an agreeable contralto voice, not very powerful, but clear, ductile and persuasive. She did not try to do more than she could easily accomplish, and was, therefore, completely successful. Her associates were Mr. Leggett, who has a good tenor voice and sings tastily; Mr. J. B. Poznanski, whose violin playing is pure and artistic but thin; and Mr. J. N. Pattison, who wants to play Henselt’s concerto at the next Philharmonic concert. This was not stated on the programme, but it is nevertheless a fact. We think also that he should have the opportunity of doing so, for the improvement which he is constantly making must naturally lead him to greater lengths than can be capped in a miscellaneous concert programme. Mr. Pattison played two of his own fantasias, and played them finely. The ‘Tannhauser’ arrangement is extremely effective, but the treatment of the air with which it closes is rather too suggestive of Gottschalk.  We have on several occasions spoken of the other piece, the ‘Faust’ fantasie.”

“The first Concert of this excellent lady and clever artist was given at Irving Hall on Saturday evening. The attendance was by no means commensurate with the merit of the programme, but the multiplied attractions of that day and evening will reasonably account for the fact. The concert however, passed off most successfully. Mrs. Payne received the warm appreciation which her able vocalism merited, and well sustained her reputation. Mr. J. N. Pattison made a marked sensation in his two Fantasies, on themes from Tannhauser and Faust, which he played with great bravouri [sic] and effect making us regret that the New-York Philharmonic Society has so long neglected his claim to be heard before its audience. The desire to hear him interpret the Henselt concerto, under the orchestral direction of Carl Bergmann, has been very generally expressed, and we think that his claim as an American and as an artist is justly advanced, and should be considered both from motives of justice and policy. Mr. J. B. Poznanski made a well deserved and marked success, being warmly encored in both his selections. He is a violinist of the pure and true school; his method is admirable and his success with the public is invariable. We desire, however, that he would trust more to the advanced stage of the public taste, and give us larger pieces in the school of which he is so able an exponent. Mr. Leggett, an amateur, sang very gracefully and acceptably. He has a very sweet tenor voice, which he uses in a tasteful and [illeg.] manner.”

"An audience numerically very small, but more than making up in enthusiasm for its size, attended this concert on Saturday evening at Irving Hall. Mrs. Payne could not by any possibility have chosen a worse night, when the town had been surfeited with music all day, and the Philharmonic was in full blast in an adjoining hall.  The artists who assisted her were Mr. Pattison, Mr. Poznanski and Mr. Legget—a tenor new to our public as a concert singer. Mrs. Payne sang very well indeed. Her voice is pleasing, except in the upper register, where she is deficient. There is, however, a lack of warmth in her singing, which sometimes becomes painfully apparent. Her tune and general execution are faultless, with the above exception. Mr. Poznanski is a good violinist, with an extremely ungraceful manner, and a style of working his bow that is bad.  His interpretation of Vieuxtemps’s fantasie from ‘Lucia’ was excellent; but we prefer to hear him without looking at him. Mr. Pattison is too well known to require our criticism.  Suffice it to say that he played with much beauty and grace two fantasias of his own, one on ‘Tannhauser,’ the other on ‘Faust.’ The new tenor, Mr. Legget, has a good parlor voice, sweet and well modulated, but hardly strong enough for a concert room. Mr. Colby conducted with ability. We regret, for Mrs. Payne’s sake, that there was so small an attendance, and hope she will have better success next time.”