The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-12-06
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA,
AUGUST wILHELMJ.

was born on September 2lst 1916, at Usugen,
the former residence of the Prince Of Nassau
His father was August Wilhelm, formerly At.
torpey General OF Prussia. His mother was
Charlotte Petry, famous artsse herself and
pupil of Andre, Chopin, and Bordogni. Con-
rad Fischer, concert-m Aster to the Duke of
Nassau, was Wlhelmj's first instructor, and
when Henrietta Sontag, the great cantatrice.
visited the parents of the young musician in
1867, when he was but years old, she wa SO
enchanted with his playing she predicted he
would become second Paganini 10 his earliest
youth he was remarkable for his purity of tone
aud marvellous accuracy of ear. Ateight years
of age be played in string quartette of Hag-
den's after hearing it but once and not only
observed time aud phrasing correctly, but
achieved all the brilliant ornamentations added
to the origi al part by the artist he heard play
ii. 10 1861 he delighted List, who predicted
bis wonderful success, aud who introduced
him to David who accepted him as a pupil.
From 1861 to 1864 Wilhelm was pupil in the
Leipsc Conservatory with David, Hauptmann
and Richter for instructors Hs was such a
master of technique when be entered the con-
servatory he drew crowds of classmates to hear
him play. Ga the Oath Of November, 1862, at
the Leipsc Gewandhaus concert he played
Joschin's Hungarian Concerto in q manner
that could not be surpassed. In 1868 Wilhelm
made his first European trip, and every sue
sceedng year visited different countries. On
the I'D of March, 1873, he obtained verdict
from the Vienuese critics to the effect that he
was the greatest violinist 10 the world, con-
firmation Of the previous dec ison of the lead
ing journals OF the great continental cities At
the famous Wagner festival held in Royal AL
bert Hail. London, in May, 1877, he led the
picked orchestra OF 200 musicians.
Last night this great artist appeared for the
first time in Portland at City Hall, and his
triumph was complete. The audience was
very small-there might have have been three
hundred present-but what it lacked in number
it more than made up in appreciation aud
enthusiasm II was not uutil the third num-
soon as he stepped upon the platform it was
evident that the audience was in the presence
of genius. The resemblance Of the distinguish
ed violinst in feature, to the late Stephen A.
Douglas-the Little Giant of the West --@as
something remarkable. There was the
massive head, the peculiar arrangement Of the
hair, the determined chin, the expressive eye,
with which all acqua ntauces of the deceased
statesman are familiar. There the resemblance
ended. Wilhelm is a man Of commanding
OF sture, who conveys the idea of great forcs
and power. As a lady eXpressed it, "5here is
something grand ABOUT his personality" and
it is this very grandeur that he seems to inpart
= hsn vNln
areat vi0linsts-to Wieniswski who accom-.
panied Rnbsnste'n, to Ole Bull, to Jacobsonn
and Iisiemann, the two latter not the equals of
the former tut stil. celebrated arts s-but
never before last night to such combin alton
of all Lnss is understood BY the WORD genius.
We Can ony lken Wilhelmj as
violinist 60 Rabensteio as pianist. To each
belong The same wonderful bteaieh of style,
to each The fiery tervor tbat burns ioto the
listeners !ain. Bat WilhslDj has other
qualities that we tail to tind,ev u IL Wienawski;
tie possesses certain dlspasslonate and
quiet ease that renders the nearer almost
Oolivious of the bow So pure are the tOues,
SO ch their coi0rng that they hav@ WILL been
called pbeDOmepa while his cQntd5ile Sings
with del cious warmth aud sweetness. Prob-
ably we shall never oear from any vi0liuist in
thus gener alton, any compositions of Cnepin's
rendered with the ravlshing pa hos, the deliea-
cy of treatment, or that Dr. cullar penetrating
subtiety by which Wi hemj exp presses the ten
Otf, UIHAuN DOtSV OIL Thai unQ4 ppV composer.
The N0ctarne be Interpreted last night was
reveiauon aud no little add tional col0ring was
impaired to it by the charming acc moanl-
ment of Nine Carrepo The Psgauini Concer-
to, one of the most difficult com POSITIONS known
to musicians, was vanqnished without the
slightest effort and with the utmost grace of
execution and expression. The artists bow,ng
was supe b, and all through bis interpresat'oos
Ut his great work-and OF the airs H0ngr0is"
with which he closed the coocsrt-he never in-
dnleed in any trickery, or any striving after
effect He responded TO bot one encore, not
when he gave an air OF Bach's with the same
wonderful completeness of tone and beauty Of
s'vle that marked his interpretation of the
Concerto, and on this occasion also Nine. Car
reuo assisted as accompabi t.
Nine CarrenO played with great fire and
sentiment, and her execution was rem arkshy
clear aud distinct Her various numbers were
rendered WITH intelligence, suffused With artist
ic enthusiasm, aud charac erlzed by taste
and corr, ctDess. La response to two eucOres
sne gave first valse Of Chopin's land the march
from the "Ruus of Athens" the latter lacking
some what Of the sup-ro treatment it received
here at the hands of Perabo S'gnor Tag'ia-
pletra possesses roog, resonant Dafltone,
aud captured his audience with FAnre's palm
Tree" La response to an encore be favored
his hearers with D01mi pure Miss james Is
vocalist whose voico pleased large majority
of the audience and, upon Call, she sang
"T'was within mile of Ediub Iro' town"
Mr.. Strakosch accompanied most satisfactorily
and We Can only commiserate those who de-
prived themselves Of an evenings indulgence
that will 1--we in the memory like some de-
lightfal dream.
Doe Bidwell drew aqother good house at
MUSIC FL al last night She will return here
January I'd.
the sale of seats for the opera of Faust-to
be given BY the Adelaide Phillips opera COM
pany at Portland Theatre next Monday night
was brisk yesterday morning.
Among the performers in the q nce Tom
CABIN rronDe, who will appear at City Hall
next Tuesday, are Mss Minnie Foster as Top
sly, iitIlo Portla Aloee-whO appeared az Port
land Theatre a. Kats, the hot cora girl. +.
Fanning "a Uncle Tom, and 9. I'll. Clark as
Phioehas Fietcber.
Homer D. Cope will render Damon and
Pythas at Portland Theatre uext Wednesday.
We hear that Mckee Raukn and Kitty
Blanchard with their play, "rne Dauites."
will appear in this CITY about Christmas.
Remenjl, the viollnist, had queer expert
euce 10 New York, Sunuay DIRht. He was to
give conc-rt at the Grand Opera House, out
when he got to the entrance the d00f-seeper
positively refused to let b. IN 10. Exoos NATION
and expianstion did no good, so III ally the vio-
l,nist used violence and knocking down the eff
fcent doorkeeper, made his way in, and made
the concert possible.
Cara Louise Kellogg says she % ade her on
cratic debut in PiGtsburg, over a butchers
shOp-When she was just 16-n liGtls white
tarletan dress, trimmed with black velvet, that
was made for her to wear at the Prince of
Wales ball
CHARLES Reade's play, dramatization of
'W oite LIES" shows his incapacity as a dram
atist. Miss Claxton's company, at the Lyceum
Theatre, New York, Interpreted it in respecta
BILE but not brilliant manner. Alice Liogard
apparently mistook the character of Josephine
for Lady Macbeth.
Alfred Wigan, the celebrated English dram
ati.t and actor is dead.
DurrDg Mapl-son's second opera season in
New York, in March, Aida, Lohengrin and
Tanpnuaser will be produced
Ada Cavendish is very successful in San
Francisco.