Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-10-21
The Mendela-ohn club Concert.

nc fMNmNAGA|"VAaa tANR
To tho Editor of tho Ledger;
The announcement having been made,
in Fridays issue Of the Appeal, that an
account Of the concert, owing to pres
sure of business, was left out, the must
cal critics of the city looked with some
thing Of anxiety to Saturdays paper,
expecting therein an able criticism OF
the concert given ON Thursday night
There are but few papers in the conn
try in which one, under all circum-
stances, can find an able as well as a
just critique rendered. Many Of the par
ties writing the same are not sufficiently
yersed in musical matters 10 give such;
others, in many cases, are guided by cir
cumstances of one or another character
to prevent the correct giving of such.
Neither of the above do we attribute to
having been associated with the criti-
cism Of the Appeal, but rather con
fess an incomprehensible acknow-
ledgment, why the critique has
been so indistinct and antagonistic to
the voice of the people at the concert.
As is well known, more SELECT than ordi-
narily are the concerts Of the Mendels-
sohns, and our best musical amateurs
are numbered with the audience. And
yet, never has there been such con-
6icting opinion as that Of the musical
critique" of the Appeal and the audience
attending the concert. No one more
than the writer acknowledges the ability
Of our leading aInateursj no one can
ascribe to them more acknowledgment
for what they have rendered and accom-
plished by long and upceasing study.
But when the able critique Of the APP
peal says, in no degree have we heard
in Miss Goodwin a singer better than
any one of our leading amateurs" he
is certainly taking wide ranger
shows Miss Goodwin no signs of what
naturally requires years of study, years
of labor2 Has not her voice, to any
one acquainted with the beauties of
vocal music, sweetnes, an equality Of
tone throughout the whole of her regis
ter? 1t is one of her especial character
istics, and it has been commented upon
all over the country, that she excels in
that which the able critique Of the Appeal
finds her so deficient. Have we, next
to our great prima donnas, such as Nils
son, Patti, etc., had any singer with us
who has such control of her voice
as she can boast of? Her high
notes are beautiful, sweet, and most
agreeable to the ear, excelling anything,
second to such as Parepa- Rosa"
(" The Lover and the Bird, as sung by
her, was listened to BY two very promi-
nent tenors of New York, now in our
city, each identified with all of the
musical societies of the greaI metropolis,
and was pronounced a finished produc-
ton. Anyone familiar with Lurline
will at once acknowledge the difficulty of
the task in singing the same Has not the
entire press of the country sustained her
in this, one Of her great rolesY Strange
the musical critic Of the Appeal differs
upon the merits OF artists with
the opinion of the most competent critics
in Americal We well remember com
parison made some years ago by the
critic of the Appeal OF the famous plan
ist Ritter, with one of our city musi-
clans. Mr.. Ritter was received at most
of the colrts in Europe was graduate
of the best conservatories, and ranked
high wherever be appeared Mr..
Ritter could not sustain his repu-
tation here but, this last summer,
Mr.. Ritter was conductor of an orchestra
100 performers, at an enter
tainment. under the direction of Mrs.
President Theirs, of France. By this
we merely wish to com
pare notes as to the merit of the expert
enced critique Of the Appeal Miss Good
win charmed the audience on Thursday
night by her real artistic singing; the
foremost and most intelligent of our
citizens sustained this opinion, sharing
it in common. We are but too appre-
ciative of our talent at home but when
an artist from abroad has been induced
to visit our city, we intend to see justice
meted out, and fair opinions rendered
No eomplimentaries having been ex-
tended to the press, the officers of the
Society intended to preclude critic by
this manner, the lady being the
guest of private Society," So
,iety which asked no public patron
lge nor biased opinions Of the press.
Surely, the audience at the concert has
rendered the verdict, and the voice Of the
people is Enthusiastically the true voice,
lowsoeyer singnlarly varied and eccen-
ric the opinion Of our Appeal musical
,ritique may be. CITIZEN.