Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-02-11
FROM OUR NEW YORK MUSICAL
COMMISSIONERS

New York Feb. I'd, 1889
-" "'" ft's Prev
., " scc'n'a curious concurrence
A. ,e, was written uur'hs a ra'n-storm
-,--,s". VI some uh'or'"h''e'y ap-
90, '''"'en' u S''n''"' w "o'n
second Annual concer'
'"'S evening "' "oHar'
WI, "Ptoh'nos was
'"''' W. 'u""'' u" We 'or athongh the
""y wa o''"'F NV u"P'V"s""'' wv storm waited
""'' "'' '"'se ""''e"oY WV "''''S e'oped up
- V" '"'' ''' E'e"'
" '''' US '"'"
'''''' '"' "''' WI '''' P'"H'' u'os' enV""''
'"sS' luz P'"s '""'''io W. '''s'u an o''E'">
NJ m"hh"r-nt ieas' 70 us Nc" i"r"er'i thcre De-
ing II" loss man '"e"'y-'y" pieces 'eron' ana
those Tor the harp being grouped in thrce'' with
"nota benz" requesting selection Ivy the audience.
oil one OF each three to be played THIS was don'
aloud-the one which was called the most being
chosen by the performer. TIL" ltilr excitement
and emulation among the listeners. cach to
secure his fayorite. formed an hilarious, and
by no means unplcasing episode to the usual
monotony and cold eeremcniousnoss # ordinary
concerts Mr. Aptom'nns opened the Conccr,
with Alvars elaborate concerto in + Cat
wri ten FIR full orchestral accompaniment,
(Which last however were played on the piano on
this occasion by Mr.. Woeltge). He had harllv
played thirty bars when harp string snapped
This Of course st"nrcd the music, AMI the unfor-
tunatc little man had to supply another and putt
in while subjected to the fire Of 81 or hun
drcd eyes. by which Cor by pt,m) every move
ment closely watched, and since several OF hls
attempts proved futile. the new strings having
broken twice or three times and since at every
failure a smothcred giggle passed around "the
house" it can easily be imagined his position was
slightly embarrassing However at length he
'uccecdcd, after having withstood such scorching
Influences as mc-thinks would have reduced us to
n "small erease-spot anicce"; or (since We are no.
very adipose) pcrhap, more correctly speaking a
small heap NJ ashes would be n less unlikely form
Of our chemical metamorphosis. But Mr.. Aptom-
mas seemed very lttie disconcerted IN iact we are
inclined 10 ocievc that there Is hothlhs ike pe-
ing used 10 IT, an" IL IS we'-kho"h Us a most re-
markablc thing that his being man "of wife and
several children" by no means diminishes his
attractivoncss in the eyes of ladies in genor-
al. and boarding school girls in particular.
He played, among other things, his transcription
Of the Last Rose Of Summer" which as a compo-
sition VIC think entitled to particular praise. OF
course it is variations, and there many cynical
croakers, who make it rule to be " down on all
such common-p lace-isms; but, although like all
other good things, they can be "run into the
ground, we for our part argue on their side, since
there is an artistic and an unartstic-a right and
vrong-an original and piagiaristic way oil ooins
some things; and the composins--or rather inps"-
fion OF variations is one that has been perpetrated
in all these ways. Therefore it is that good,
because non-common-piace' Transcription Is a rare
thing IN THESE oays OIL WHOLESALE musical duhotee
or burglary; ana Mr' Aptofnmas Last hose Is
one Of these rarities 1t was played IN the lnvari
aoiy perfect s'y'c Vi 'ne accomplished i'''''e
anu e"'''e' 'ne applause IL ''s'''''
1t may interest the more musical reader to know
that this consummatc executant was, in America,
the first harpist who ever attemI I'd such thing
as the presentation Of classical works written for
the Piano,) on the Harp. As an instance of this,
We may mention his playing trio by Onslow,
with Violin and ViolncelIo last season. which was
q master piece of ability and musical orthodoxy.
As curiosity in the history Of left-handedness
may mention further that he plays all the base
parts with his right hand, and pice versa, at frs.
most ;ncomnrebcns;bIe anouaIv 70 us