The New York herald., 1873-12-21
MU s E M E N T s !.
Brook,vn Philharmonic Concert.

After Is years. noundering In the Slough OF
Despond the Philharmonic Society OF Brooklyn
have at length found their way out. The cacer0ne
Is Mr.. Theodore Thomas. The first concert OF the
sixteenth season. or seventy-ninth concert, OF the
society took place last night al the Academy Of
Music across the river. and for the first time the
house was packed from parquet to dome. The
society sprung at once into popularity when
IL engraved on its banner the name OF
such favorite maestro. The orchestral part
OF the programme consisted OF Rafrs celebrated
and deservedly popular symphony, "ln the
Forest;" Beethovcn's overture to "Coriolanus"
scherzo. "Queen Mab,n Berlioz and the second
"Rhapsodie Hongroise,n by Iiszt Mile. Torrian
OF the Strak0sch Italian opera troupe, was the
solost, and her selections were the jewel song
from .'Faustn and the mad scene from Thomas
Hamlet" Mr.. Behrens conducted both vocal
works, and deservedly shared with the fair vocal
ist the success OF the OCCASION Despite
the great inconvenience OF attempting two
grand Operatic scenes In a concert which
depend so much for their proper Interpretation on
the surroundings, Mile. Torriani gained deserved
applause in both arlas She reproduced the first
grand scena OF Marguerite in the temptation act
with rare power and effect and rivalled Nilsson In
the truth1uness and intensity oil expression OF her
rendering of this trying scena.
Her second attempt was still more ambitious
one and was equally successful The only tolerable
music in "Hamet' is that which illustrates the In
sanity and death OF Ophelia In the last act. Mlle
Torrianl was SO successful in this scene that the
audience unanimously recalled her. With Herr
Behrens as conductor. Mile. Torrlani achieved
last night positive triumph.
The performance OF the symphony was simply
perfect, as it revealed the fact tnat Mr.. Thomas
had brought his own orchestra to Brooklyn last
night We have already spoken at length OF TINS
popular work OF Rafi, which, independent OF pla-
giarisms must, by reason of It's elan and vivid
colOring, command at all times popular sympathy.
Beethoven's overture, not by any means the most
interesting OF the great composers works, went
like charm, strings, reeds and brasses being SO
equally balanced that no fault could be found
with the ensemble.
unapproachable rendering OF Berlioz's fairy piece.
A distinguished admirer OF the French composer
thus speaks OF this scherzo This Cyclops can
also become an elf. Here you hear an orchestra
played by gnats and grassnoppers The violIns
veiled with SPIDERS webs and the flutes cut from
reeds. One has no idea of the delicacy OF this
speech. The confessions OF roses, the complaints
OF vlolets, are noisy in compa ison." This is q
true, lile-like picture, but few can understand
the immense difficulty of photographing 1t as a
musician would desire. Thomas Is the successful
artist. There came tinge OF color delicate as If
q humming BIRDS wing had touched the subject
for a moment, note or chord for the wind instru-
ments, breath Of brass, a con sordsnf motive tor
the volins and everything was ethereal and fairy
like in the rendering. The orchestra OF Thomas
was pulsant with lile; expression became part
and soul OF the promptituas and correct
poser was delivered and the intricaces
of orchestral works were unravelled with
orchestra of Thomas is heard, with the CagiiOstro
wand Of the conductor over them. there can be
but glorious triumph. Such he gained last
night in Brooklyn, even with the difficult task OF
interpreting the great piano work of Liszt
"Rnapsodle Hongrolse. No. 2" in orchestral form.
The magic of the appearance OF Theodore Thomas
as conductor and OF Mile. Torrianl as solo vocalist
brought out the Brooklyn pubic to an unpre-
cedented extent last nj hit.