J. B. Poznanski’s Quartet Soirees: 5th

“The fifth of the quartette soirees by J. B. Poznanski was given last evening at Anschütz’s Music Institute. Two quartettes were given, the first from Mendelssohn’s opus 13, beginning ‘Ist in Wahr,’ and the other by Spohr, in E minor. The thema of the first was prettily sung by Miss Pfaffmann, a pupil of the Institute, but the instrumentation was provocative, at least, of a compound earache.  Mendelssohn would scarcely recognize his work in the series of scratchings indulged in by Messrs. Poznanski, Schwarz, Bernstein, und Liesegang.  Beethoven would also be much puzzled to recognize his beautiful sonata ‘Moonlight,’ in C minor, which Herr Kalliwoda essayed on the piano. Miss Pfaffman sang an aria from Freischutz and Mr. J. Pollock, another pupil of the institute, sang Marschner’s ‘Treu lieb ich dich?’ and ‘Wenn ich in Deine Augen seh,’ by Schumann and Lockung, by Dessauer.”

Mendelsohn’s and Spohr’s works were played with understanding and confidence. Pollack sang his three songs with artistic perfection which was richly awarded with applause. Miss Pfaffmann sang the aria “Und wenn die Wolken sie verhüllen” with more skill than can be expected of such a young singer. However, we do not consider it appropriate to brag with skillful students. Kalliwoda performed the “Moonlight Sonata” with not much more than technical skill.