The Portland daily press., 1884-05-12


"RecitaIs''-A YOung Debutante-A Sur
prise and success The Fuller Pic
lures and Sales The Memorial Volume.
Special Correspondence Of the Press)
BOSTON, May 10.
For the past fortnight we have all had
"croups and coughs" and sore threats to an
alarming extent, owing to the treacherous
weather, which does its worst on this corner Of
Massachusetts bay. We had little spell Of
sunshine three weeks ago, and off went our
furs and our cloaks, and we smiled blandly at
each other and said, "We're going to have an
early Spring this yearr Two days after tho
wind was NNE, the sky was sullen, and the
bitter, icy rain penetrated through our new
Jersey jackets, and made rs glad to unpack
our iura. We never learn anything by expe-
rience here in Boston. We are like the royal
family Of Stuarts in that particular. Every
Spring we go through just the same pro-
gramme of fond belief in the first South wind,
and consequent betrayal of our trust Even
now the red parasols haunt with the tulips and
the crocuses, while the East wind clutches "a
and the rain threatens.
But it has been a notable Spring thus far,
for the great Theodore has introduced rs to
the Wagner operas that were sealed secrets to
as before, and the whole concert programme in
other directions has been of an unusually 6na
order, while the theatres have been more than
up to their old mark in Attractions" and tho
art-world has shown its choicest work. All
my readers know by this time that the Wag-
ner festival was a success, though probably not
half the audiences understood or appreciated,
much less enjoyed, the performances But tho
musical enthusiasts who did understand and
appreciate and enjoy, were Of class and posi-
ton to carry the multitude, so to speak, to
make the festival fashionable, an event, and
Wagner the musical hero of the dag. To sit
through one Of those concerts was an event in
more than the musical sense, If one had ones
wits about him thoroughly. One could at
once distinguish the genuine enthusiasts from
the spurious. Half glance would show the
bindling eye, the awakened soul. Halt Q
glance would show the wandering vision, the
stiied yawn. And then, oh, how droll, II it
hadn't been so exasperating. to see and 70 hear
the applause break forth as vociferously from
the yawning, wandering multitude as from the
select few who knew what they were about.
But the wanderers waited for the first note to
and then how they did go oni The extra con-
certs last Tuesday were proofs Of the foregone
festival success Theodore Thomas was de-
lighted with his Boston experience. From
what he had known years before, he did not
expect such warmth, and he is coming again
with still greater preparations and arrange
ments another season.
Among the smaller concerts, there has been
plane forte recital here, that was such de-
served success and in way 30 unexpected,
ft,ok rraf Ia on1.n< Al Il
ist is young lady of twenty, and Maine girl,
or resident of Maine until quite recently. She
Is q Miss Dewitt, daughter of the late Mr.. III.
A. Dewitt of Augusta, Maine. She has for
several years been studying music here under
the instruction of Mr. Sherwood. Industrious
and painstaking she has been one Of the few
young girls who has not had TO be pushed up
to her werk by any ambition but her own.
While other girls had been getting superb
cisl sort of musical brilliancy to make them
selves shine in society, Miss Dewitt has been
hard at work over Bach, Beethoven. and
Chopin and List, not to make show in the
end but to make herself thorough musician.
Last week, Thursday evening, we had the
result of this hard work, and it was TO many,
to most OF US, surprising result Mr.. APP
thorp, the cultivated critic of the Boston
Transcript, touched the key uote of intelligent
appreciation of this young pianist, when he
said that lone needed only to hear her play
the adagio in the Beethoven sonata'-it was
Tue hOudbd III u ldb Ops AtS NO. II 10 1901
sure of her talent" Another point was, what
struck every listener in the hall, her sense Of
security. 1t was as Mr.. Apthorp said ga sense
of security which inspires confidence" and
the critic voiced the general feeling by saying
in this connection that some young players
play accurately enough, bat one feels all the
while that they are on the verge of a slip;
others do make occasional slips, but
you never feel beforehand that they are going
to. Commend as to the latter sort" think
most of US who went on Thursday evening
had little idea what we should meet. 1t was q
debut, and we we're going to be considerable and
not over exacting. Before the first number
was well over-it was al Bourree from Bach
we began to prick up our ears, and to look and
listen with new feeling. This young lady
very evidently knew what she was about when
she undertook to give recital, and Mr.. Sher-
wood knew what he was about when he con-
sented to play a duet with her, and Adamow-
ski knew what he was about when he also con-
sented to "assst" at this recital, and to play to
this debutantes accompaniment. Perhaps the
most popular piece with Miss Dewitt's audi
ence was Liszt's "Walderrauchen." 1t is not
too much to say that she played it exquisitely,
leaving nothing to be desired Of touch or ex-
preston.
The critic OF whom l have spoken declared
that one felt tempted to say that this was
played ito absolute perfection or the other
assistants was Miss Rollwagon, young lady
from the West, who has distinguished herself
at the Boston Symphony Orchestra concert,
and the Handel and Haydn and at the Hem
schell recital. This young lady has fine con.
tralto voice, and varied the instrumental per-
formances with two contralto solos. It Is easy
to be seen that piano recital which had such
assistance, and which was sustained 30 finely
by It's principal, means something more than
the amusement Of that hour. Miss Dewitt, IL
am not much mistaken, has career before
her. She is certainly not one Of that crowd OF
promising young debutantes of whom we say in
one breath, "Hail and farewell"
In art, the Fuller memorial exhibition a.
the Art Museum has been the great attraction.
Every one who had picture Of Fuller's loaned
it, and the result was fine show. The ia
nous "Winifred Dysart," the Priscilla" ard
"Arethusa" aud "Nydia' excited the most
attention perhaps, and the most comment,
One of the best portraits, the clearest and best
flesh painting, was the portrait OF Mrs. Faller
There are many opinions of the Fuller style
that hazy atmosphere-and the drawing but
there is but one opinion of the poetic beauty OF
lures belonging to the estate is q disappoint-
ment financially.
The memorial volume with engraved speci.
mems of the artists work is progressing and
will be rare volume indeed. The price will
be $25 per volume, and OF course the number
and the sale must be limited.
The loving interest which the artists have
shown in this exhibition and the sale is de.
lightful to witness and to hear about. Now
and then one comes across a fine enthusiasm Of
feeling like this which goes far to disproyiuR
all the talk about artists jealousies and dis
sensions 1t Is too late in this letter to mention
the new poet that has Just put her first book
before u.s. But next time will tell her story.
Nora PERRY.
The woman who works. strong in her self
respect, strong in the respect of all who toll