The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-11-19
The Philharmenic Concer,.

A large, brilliant, and appreciative audience
assembled at City Hall last evening, on the oc-
casion of the appearance of the Philharmonic
Club in tho Army & Navy course. The four
concerts given by the Club in this city last
winter, were the most finished, pleasing and
attractive musical entertainments during the
season, and the temperance Of the Society
last evening provoked a cordial and delighted
| welcome. Last year Mr.. Kotzschmar intro
duced these accomplished musicians to the fav-
orable notice of the students and lovers
| Of music IN Portland. The fneness of
| their ensemble playing, their intelligent and
unexaggerated expression, and the perfection
| of their technical execution, commanded in-
slant and hearty recognition; and desire to
hear them again was very generally expressed.
The Army & Navy Union, with its usual er-
terprise in catering to the tastes of the public,
at once made arrangements to secure, them for
the course this season. In the time which has
interviewed the club has certainly lost nothing
! in point of musical attachments. The mem
bers play admirably together, the parts are
well balanced. and they all have the rare good
sense to repress that exaggeratlon of individual
merit and idiosyncrasles which, while tending to
exalt one at the expense of bis fellows, tends
to lessen the value of the performance as a
| harmonious whole.
| The solid and conscientious style, and care
full and unexaggerated expression of the club
were displayed in the opening number of the
programme, the well-known overture to the
Midsummer Nights Dream of Mendelssohn, of
which the fairy pomp and delicate orchestra
tion are always pleasing. As arranged for the
stri G orchestra by Mr.. Listemann it affords
ample ard appropriate scope for a display of
the best points in the Society's performance.
Mr.. Adolph Belz found opportunity to justify
his high reputation as a performer on the
French horn, in a composition of his own,
series of variations to the expression of which
the rich, full melody of the instrument was
excellent'y adapted. His admirable phrasing
and the purity aud richness of his tone added
to the pleasing effect OF the composition de-
lighted the audience, and he was rewarded
with warm encore, to which be responded
with bow
Mr.. Bernard Listemanu, in his violin solo, a
Hungarian Fantasia. evinced the irreproach-
able technique, vigorous bowling, sincere style
and good phrasing which we have all learned
to expect from him, and also the absence of
tn 1t hard, strident tone. lacking in delcacy
and sweetness which was once a reproach to
hin. His power Of bowlng and unaff+ cted
style make amends for whatever lack of mel
lowness there is in his tone. In response to an
enthusiastic encore he gave the Fairy Dance of
Barthemie.a composition affordng opportunity
for display Of his superb command of his instru-
ment,the notes fairly spinning from the strings
like the hats from juggler's rod, with the as
tonishing rapidity of the bowling.
The fourth number on the programme
brought Miss Laura Schirmer before the audi
ence in a cavatina from 'Luca," brilliant
selection, requiring execution, compass and ex-
preston. The lady has girlish face and fig
ure that beaute de diable which is the preroga-
tive of yonth, and winning expression upon
her fair face. Her voice, while very sweet and
we'll modulated, IS too slender for a concert
hall, and though her method of singing is good
her manner IS constrained and i'll at ease. The
first movement OF the selection gave opportun-
ity for much dramatic action, but of this she
did not avail herself. The audience, evidently
pleased with her youth and the sweetness of
her voice, gave her an encore. She contented
herself with bowling her Acknowledgements.
The first part of the concert closed with the
rendition by the Club of Listz's rhapsodie No.
2, an original composition, showing all the ex-
traordlnary harmony and characteristic traits
of the composer. 1t was written for full Or
chestra, and is arranged for the Club by Mr..
Listemann. The arrangement is an excellent
one, and certainly preserves the essential points
of the work; but, as was to be expected, some
of the peculiarly effective traits of Listz's or.
chestration are lost.
The second part of the entertainment opened
with a violoncello solo by Mr.. Hartdegen,a fan
TASTE on Scottish airs, in which Benny Doan,
Robin Adair, and other familiar airs are heard.
His smooth tone and large phrasing, and ex-
cellent method the beauty of his theme, and
the melancholy tenderness of "the most pa
thetIc Of all instruments" awakened the en-
thusiasm of the audience and temperance
was insisted upon In response Mr.. Hartde-
gen gave Drinking Song by Wirhert, full of
glee and animal life. His first solo was evil
IDENTIFY to majority of the audience the most
acceptable feature Of the programme.
The flute solo Of Mr.. Eugeue Weiner was a
series of brilliant variations, all pleasing, some
as sweet as the notes which Pan drew from the
notched reed by the river. The composition
served to show Mr.. Weiners excellent quality
as a flute virtuoso, his strong, sweet tone, and
his brilliant and facile style. The inevitable
encore called out caprice, which, as more
sustained effort, gave better opportunity to
judge of the excellence of his expression.
The Club made its third appearance in the
limitation la Danse of Won Weber, a compo-
sition which never fails to charm-th ideal mu-
sic to which the poetry of motion should be set.
Miss Schirmer's second appearance was in a
Hungarian air Of Pease, the theme being the
alteration of a maid by her lover. A warm en-
core called out "The Market Day." which was
sung very sweetly.
The concert closed with the giving by the
Club of the "Nebelbilder," with either obligato,
by Mr.. Weiner. The composition is pretty,
but slightly common place, and its chief inter-
est was that it served to display the either and
Mr. Weiner's management of the curious little
instrument