Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-26
IMPORTANT CONCERT.
The Beethoven Quartet Club at Old City
Hall Finished Work Of Mr.. Retter and


The Beethoven Quartet Club at Old City
Finished Work of Mr.. Retter and
His Associates-Amusement Notes.
The most important concert thus far yielded
by the promising season of lS909l was that OF
our own Beethoven Quartet Club at Old City
Hall last night Mr.. Carl Retter, director and
pianist. Mr.. Fred g. Toerge, violin, Mr.. George
Toerge, viola. and Mr.. Charles F. Cooper,
violoncello-the regular members of this
quartet-were assisted in one number last
evening by Mr.. Louis Abel, flute, and Mr..
Oscar Loeblich, French horn. The vocalist
was Miss Clenentine De We're. of New York,
the brilliant young woman whose constant ap-
pearance in the country's best concerts, to say
noth1ug of her unprecedented church salary,
entitIe her to be called the most prominent
soprano now before the American public. The
programme read thus:
Capr,sfcitO; sf;tnu Quartet, op; 4a, for piano and
Noctqrne, op. 49, for violin, flute, French
All, morn and piano ;Doppler
sonats; op. AZ (kreutzer), for piano and
Adagio sosienuto, presto. 0ee'nO'en
Andante con variazioni.
: Finale, presto.
Qnartet. op. IS, for piano and string instru-
Alearo
Romanze, adagio motto, cantabile.
1ntermezzo, vivacp
Finale, motto vivace.
In almost every particular this was an admir-
aDIe selection and arrangement, preserving a
hlgh standard while affording due amount of
variety and novelty. Mohr's Capricco a single
anaante movement with an interlude in
rapid tempo, possesses abundant interest
both melodic and structural to warrant
us repetition from former programme of this
club. Beethoyen's noble and beautiful
hreutzer'' Sonata is all too seldom heard;
such classic needs not the adventitious aid
nj an iconoclastic tartar to make it at all times
welcome.
Two of the numbers were complete novelties
In Plttsburg. Indeed, the nocturne was SUCH
not only as to the musical ideas themselves
Dut also as to the combination of instruments
CHOSEN as the vehicle for their expression. 1t
Is pleasant to see the wind instruments even
occasionally nowadays accorded the place in
cnamber music which once they held so firmly
Mr. Doppler's piece is melodious and the tonaI
effect undeniably good; there is not enough
muslclanship in its development. however to
give IL high rank in this department of COM
position.
The other novelty was Taubert's quartet, of
which the first movement seemed, on first
nearing rather incoherent, though with mo-
ments OF power. The romance began with a
rich, broad melody for VIOLA which was then
gracefully discussed by the other strings and
glowing treatment of epIsodaic material, fol-
ioWed ny return OF the original melody and a
lew reminiscent measures forming a lingering
close; 1t was beautiful and effective move
Inc SCueTZO-llke mBefmeZZO was
grotesque and somewhat dry; but the all too
prle1 nnale made a climax of great fervor,
breadth and power.
Mr.. Retter and his associates have never
done cleaner and more finished ensemble play
ing. Iak1ng the quartet numbers throughout,
the Interpretation was artistically satisfying
TO high degree. Minor blemlshes
could be pointed out here and there;
but-with the single exception of the
Hating flute in the nocturne-there was no
deiect that could seriously interfere with the
enjoyment that the listeners very heartily
expressed throughout the evening. The posi-
tive excellencies were too many to be enumer-
ated within this mornings limits of space and
time. Mr. Retter and Mr.. Fred Toerge merit
especial praise for their faithful and intelli-
gent performance of the sonata, which makes
no small demand upon head, heart and hands.
Miss DeVere, while evidently wee bit
hoarse and being. as stranger even more
than the others, open to the depressing iniiu-
ence of the empty benches, thoroughly sus-
tained her high repute. The Massenet aria,
with its emotional intensity and lack of sus-
tanned melody, formed a particularly trying
selection to sing in the absence of an
orchestra and large audience. But
Miss De We're made noble and
backs, and well earned the double recall
to which she had to respond. In the familiar
SHADOW Dance" there was less difficulty: she
delivered Meyerbeer's brilliant foIituri with
| almost fawless execution. admirable phraslng
and intelligence. The insistent applause
brought the singer back taking off her gloves
SO as to accompany herself IN a charming little
French ballad, which she sang with graceful
archness and winsome tenderness quite in con-
trast with the dramatic fire of the "Herodiade''
aria and the brilliant fire works of the Meyer
beer scene.
1t is altogether incomprehensible that SO
promising concert-and so well advertised.
roo-should have mustered an audience that
seemed lost among the waste of empty seats in
the big hall. Small credit to Pittsburg to show
such faint appreciation of the two seasons of
faithful, unselfsh work in the cause of art
done by this excellent organization. The sub
scription being so small, Mr.. Retter states that
the club will probably cancel it's contracts, re-
fund what has been paid for the balance of the
series proposed and adjourn sine die. A thou
sand Dities, if this determination be final
G. W. s.