The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-19
SACRED CONCERT.
1t Evoked I'm Sunday
!. Like Applause.
The, Vienna Prater Orchestra for Once
Discarded Its Uniform and APP
peared in SwaIlow-TaiIs.

TIE Imperial Vienna Orchestra showed
how seriously they took their first sacred
concert yesterday by discarding their gay
uniforms as too frivolous for the occasion.
and appearing instead in conventional
evening dress.
Metropolitan Temple was very well filled.
considering that II o'clock il the forenoon
is not an hour at which the public is won't
to frequent concerts. Evidently. however,
the spell OF Herr ScheePs conducting pos
sesses an attraction which can lure people
from the extra forty winks in which so
many tired mortals indulge on the Sabbath.
1t was interesting to notice how intently
each member OF the audience followed the
conducting. Every pair of eyes in the
whole assemblage seemed to be riveted
on ScbeePs baton, as though it were a
magnet and they the object to be attracted.
Again, nothing but praise can be found
for the whole performance. The over
ture, "Coriolan." was played in a manner
to further populaIiZe tile great Ludwi Won
Beethoven in. San Francisco. Goun od' S
Hymn to st. Cecilia" was executed
:faultesslY by: the orchestra. The violin
,soloist. Herr. John Marauardt, as usual
played with a remarkable degree of
artistic expression, even. If his tone was a
little thin.
People of a serious turn of mind must
have received. a: shock when they saw
"a 'fanta aupon LA Traviata" included in
the programme of sacred" concert. The
story of :Violetta, better known as LA
DAME aux Cameiias, is certainly not
what one would associate with Sabbath
Tian -liteTature: But so eXQulsitely and
feelingly was the music of La Traviata"
interpreted, that It's frivoiity lostils sting.
so TO speak Even: the "BrinuisP" seemed
filed with a higher sentiment than that of
a mere drinking song; and. those of the
audience~who>Ga COME prepared 10 scoff
at. tire Intrusion of LA TraViata" re-
mained: oved and touched by it, in spite
Of themselves.
The f0rt passages toward the end OF
the fantasia were particularly well exc
cuted. indeed. the. orchestra never shows
its strength more than I'M IFS loudest pas
sages, for however crashing they never de-
generate lnto noise. The balance that
Herr Scheef knows how to preserve be-
/: tween his instr hmen is is so perfect that In.
the f0rtlssmo, passages one never hears,
as. alasl is too often the casa, the brass
and Instruments Of percussion. drowning
the strings ard reeds
The appl ause lavished upon the "Hymn-
to st. Cecilia and the "TraviSta" was
OF the "warmest description. Theorches-
. ira responded: by playing a Bscn gavotte
and a pfZZlcatO movement by, Leo Dellbes.
-. The. beautiful Bach Gouhod ave
. Maria" was delightfully."- executed by Carl
= Grienaher. 'celloist, and ~FTaulein Alex
andra Breitschuek. Pesls of applause
showed how much the audience had ap-'
!: precated the performance of the popular
work.: but in acknowledging it Herr
Grienaner showed none of the unselfish
:spfrItOf his conductor, Herr Scheel, who
is in the habit:pf making all his men rise
and participate in. an ovation. 1t. never
seemed to. dawn upon the 'celloTst that the
:: lady was included n the applause. In
deed, after repeated bows, he retired from
the. stage, leaving her. alone.
Naturally one does not expect soloist
to share applause with an accom- pianist
under ordinary circumstances, but Bach's
beautiful :~arpeggiOs, which inspired
. GounOd to write the melody of his "a We
Maria" are an extraordinary accompani.
ment,: and were eXecured yesterday with
at least as much vrluosity as was the
melody itself, :
The. overture 10 .:Athaiia" was excel
1ently rendered by the orchestra. Handlers
- Largo" movement also was: treat, of
which the audience demanded "a repeti-
: ton. -.
AN "'Albumblatt" by Wagner, contain
:: ing:a harp solo, which Ffauiein a. Brett.
: schuck performed exceliently, com pleted
most enjoyable programme. !.