The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-01
The 81. Paul Musical Society and
their First Concert.

Music, like its sister arts, has its gradations
OF excellence. From the rude popular song,
from the negro melody to the elaborate and
passionate operas of the italian school, or the
calmer and purer productions of the German
masters, there is as wide step as there is from
the flashy signboard of village inn to the
glowing masterpieces of Titan or the ethereal
purity of one of Raphaels Madonnas. Inc
popular taste, too, must be educated to secure
the full appreciation of the one as well as the
other. Constant or even occasional contem-
plation of the finer paintings is no more neces-
sary to the comprehension of their creators,
than is the hearing of so-called classical and
lyric music to its understanding. The ear
demands the same culture as the eye.
This education, this culture, the Musical
Society of St. Paul promises to give to our
community if they will but avail themselves of
the advantages they offer them There is no
city possessing the least claims to cultivation
and refinement, that has not similar society;
and shall not we of St Paul give equal encour-
agement and render permanent and prosper
GUS institution an organization Of our own
which has so praiseworthy an object? The
earnest that we will do SO, was we think given
in the overlooking house which greeted their
first public concert on Monday evening last.
The selections were excellent and almost en-
tirely consisted of the works of the great mas
tiers, and if any fault were to befound, it might
perhaps be said that as whole they were too
classical" for general audience. Public taste
is like the mind-when you wish to educate it,
you must not force upon it too much of that
which it not as yet comprehends, hut rather
after fatiguing lesson mingle the dulce with
the utile and let it unbend into those familiar
channels in which it has been accustomed to
low Perhaps little more vocal music would
audience, and certainly would not from the
high character of the concert.
But as it was the concert was great success.
Success both in point of numbers and the,char-
acter and execution of the music.
Haydn's Second Symphony comprised the
first part of the performance, and was given
with surprising accuracy and taste. There
were, to be sure, the slight faults almost in
separable from an orchestra that has had so
little training as a unit, although it numbers
artists of the highest order, but they were so
slight. and SO rare as hardly to deserve men
ton. A little more attention to tune on the
part of one or two of the wind Instruments
would be- however, desirable.
The other orchestral selections were the
overture from Romeo and Juliet" and Lind
painters g Castle of Ursini," and delicious
quartette of Mozarts for first and second vio-
Inns, Viola and Violincello. These all, parti:
cularly the latter. were admirably rendered
The gem Of the evening among the solo
parts was certainly Mr.. Hancke's performance
of De Beriots "Scene de Ballet" Mr.. Hancke
as an artist is not excelled in this country, and
his inability to comply with the unanimous
encore that greeted the close of his moroccan,
was great disappointment to the audience.
But we have not space to go more into de-
tail. We can only express our earnest hope
that we shall have the second concert of the
series at as early day as possible, and we be-
speak for it an OVERLOOKING house.