The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-02
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ANUS SEHENTS. !.
The First Thomas Concert.

Mr.. Theodore Thomas is better known In the
United States than any other orchestral leader
and the company which he has selected and
trained with sedulous care stands pre-eminen1
above any that has ever travelled in this coun
try. Season by season 1t elbows an increased
strength and q greater skill In performance
and wherever 1t goes 1t is found to fully cot
isfy the demands OF the most critical audience
This was the experience Of Charleston las
night. All the promises which heralded the
concert were amply fulfilled. The .orchestra
is both strong in numbers and excellent In its
Individual parts. Every instrument tells. Bows
are drawn aud keys are pressed as by q single
impulse, and the unanlmity resulting from
long experience gives the orchestra, as 6
whole, power and adelicacy which are rarely
combined. . zs
The first number of the programme last
night was the famous overture to Idnrshdu
ser. We do not attempt to analyze the rea.
Sons which have led the critics to battle ovel
Lohengin and Tannhaussr, nor do we ven.
ture, as we might DO, to prophecy that the
whirlIg;g OF time will bring Its reYenges to
Wagner, as 1t has done to others who, 10
their several ways, wrote the music Of the
future.. It is sufficient to say here, that
the overture was never heard to greater
advantage. The company were as much
at home In It's involved harmonies
and elaborate Instrumentation, as in the
sparkling wa1tzes, which, later in the even.
Ing, were dashed off with 30 insplriling an
effect. Every subtle point was brought out,
until the whole story Of the mystic knight, his
love, his suffering and his striving, was made
as clear as day. Next came thel adagio
from the Pron,esheus OF Beethoven, who,
to force a comparison, is to Wagner
what Macaulay Is to DeQulncey. Here
the leading idea cannot be. mistaken. What
ever the wanderlnga. or the lingering by the
wayside, the well-co. sidered goal is steadily
kept inSview.c The adagio, with Its obligatos
for harp, violincello, flute, clarlonette and
bassoon, was superbly played. In the fourth
number of the first part, schumann's delicious
Trasinerei, the exquisite delicacy Of the Or
chestra was conspicuous. Nor can less be said
of e:5jocund and Puck.like scherzo from
Midsummer Nights Dream, followed BY
the ever-fresh Wedding March, in which,
as in. the overture 10 Tannhanser,
the power and precision OF the or
chestra took the audience by storm. The
we'll known overture to William, Tell, with the
familiar Razz des Vaches andinsplring march;
waltz and mazurka by Strauss. and the
snowy and pretty overture to Algiion, COM
pleted the second part. We can say no more
in their praise than in that of the preceding
numbers-thelr execution was practically
faultless.
Miss Marie Krebs, whom We have reserved
to the last, played, in the first part, Webers
Polonaise Brillante, Top. 72,) with orchestral
accompaniment by Liszt; and In the second
part LiazL'ss Tarantelle from Adsdntello. In
both these pieces, her marvellous execution
and clear andTpowerful touch were noticeable.
They were played, as usual with Miss Krebs,
from memory, and the fair young artistic is
famous this morning as far as the verdict of a
Charleston public can 30 make her. An attempt
was made to encore the first piece, but Miss
Krebs only bowed her thanks. Upon the
second encore she played Home, Sweet Home,
with variations. ~
The audience, in consequence mainly Of the
inclement weather, was only moderately
large. They, however, who braved the slee
and rain, were amply rewarded. Every num-
ber of the programme was spplauded to
the echo, and The very high priests Of Charles
ton art circles were as delighted as the tyros
OF Journalism. The entertainment was, in
every way, q noble one. 1t provided for every
taste, and was only mohotonous in the equally
high merit of the different parts. No such
playing has been heard in Charleston since
the days of Jullien-it then; and they who do
not attend the Thomas Concerts, will miss one
fthe keenest pleasures 10 llfe--that ofi1eartng
immortal music interpreted BY those who have
conquered Its mechanical difficulties, and who
comprehend Its inspiration. Words OF warm
er praise we cannot find.
Tonight the programme Is wholly new, and
includes Beethoven's eighth symphony, the
overture to Der Heyschutz: and the chorus and
march from Lohengrin. For the sake Of art,
as well as for those who knownot what they
miss, we hope that the. Academy will be crowd
ed. The street cars, On bothlines, are in walt
Ing at the close OF the performance.
On Saturday there will bs two concerts--a
matinee attwo o'clock, (admbsion one dollar,
and no extra charge for reserved seats,) and
the regular concert at 8 P. N.
The Wyndham Comedy Company.
The reputation for sterling merit which this
combination brings with 1t promises to create
quite dramatic revival in Charleston next
week. The company open on Monday eve.
ming in Robertson's Caste, which, We are as.
sured, will be presented in q style no whit In
ferior, as far as acting is concerned, to that Of
Wallack's Theatre, New York. If these prom.
lses should be fulfilled, the Academy is sure
to be we'll attended during the week.
Blind Tom.
Notwithstanding The bad weather, a fair
audience, including many ladies', listened to
the unique entertainment Of Blind Tom, ut
Hibernlau Hall, last evening: He holds forth
again tonight.
Tic FreundschaftsbundM Masquerade.
The season for fun, frolic and bal masquers
was lnaugurated last evenlngin brilliant and
successful manner by the Freundsehaftsbund
Society, at their handsome hall In Meeting
street, Unfortunately the elements were un-