The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-12
An USEM ENTS.
The First Onenbach Concert at Gilmore's
Concert Garden.

The First Onenbach Concert at Gilmore's
Concert Garden.
A natural curiosity to see the man who
has furnished to the world half OF the popular
melodies of the day. brought together al I'm
mense throng OF people last evening at Gilmore's
Concert Garden. This extraordinary place
changes its name and Its appearance with equal
facility. A few days ago It was a church, dull
and bare and unattractive; now It 10
a garden. brilliant with colored lights.
laid out with winding travelled walks and
Oiled with rustic arbors. fountains, wilderness
of rare exotic plants, and n multitude Of rose
bushes, contrasting with the green, fresh. sod
enclosures on which they are placed. The whole
efie Is extremely beautiful. Indeed. 1t Is din
cult to conceive how the place could be made
more attractive. hic the general plan on
which the space was laid cut last year has been
followed In the present instance, the detail Is
better. There are more seats provi led, more
fount ms, vastly more plants and flowers, and n
grotto and cascade more artisticaliy constructed
tuan the former one.
While the gafden Itself vs. more OF a success,
II Is DOUBTFUL whether the music will oe us At
tractive, aud this simply for the reason, al once
apparent, that the place Is too large for n
stringed orchestra. Onenbach has under his
direction su Derb band. Better material than
he has IL Is safe to say mas never since Julien S
day been under the baton OF any concert
director. But the space Is so large that.
TO ala intents ana purposes, the band plays
-
thirds ~ the audience Is necessarily at almost
that distance) al the licate PORTIONS are in
audible; what i Intended by the conductor for
finely -contrHsted ptfntssfmO passage becomes
s.mul, sil nee. There is not resonance enough
IN even such a y wcrful uody Of strlnged instrll-
ments To produce any effect even IN the louder
portions.
In fact. nothing hut hand OF reed and brass
instruments Can he heard to any good effect ia
this structure. Now the large orchestra sounds
as feebiy as stringed quartet does In Steinway
Hall.
Then again the effect of having every piece
upon the programme ny the same composer Is
nOuOtonOUs.
weeks, snI a. the desire 10 see him ana tp hear
MS music NJ played under his own inspiration
l. very general, the eXuefinent VIII pronabl y
succeed. Certainly II viii do So II tui~ first -ht
Is ANY test OF the rest OF the season.
for though the price of admission is
double what II was last summer, the garden was
: hllrd with the moving thrOng. mat II was
"a matter Of no littie dihculty to make ones wuv
from end to end Of II. In such place mum beers
are always puzzling and deceptive. Dut cer,alny
four or nVe thousand people must have been
present
MIR Onenbach was warmly greeted. His man
ner as conductor Is extremely graceful and
pleasant. There Is no demonstration or fectd-
ton about him. He ~ quiet, calm, gentenany,
with sedate, scholarly look, but evidently an
his band and the power Of impressing them
easily with his own conce ptiOn of the manner IN
wnicn the music should ne played.
He led only five out Of the twelve pieces on
the direction Of Mr.. Marius Boallard. The pro-
gramme was made up of selections from Onen-
bach's operas. three OF the pieces being over
lures, the rest ballet music and arrange ments Of
vocal pieces. The concerts are To be continued
every evening, and the season lasts twenty
nj Uhf