The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-02
MELOPOBIA'S CONCHR7.
Given Last Night at Hasbrouek
Hall-The Solo
lists.

There was a curious lifelessness about the
greater part of the Melopoeia concert last
night, noticeable in the chorus and to some
extent in the audience. Hasbrouck Hall
was nearly filed, yet the applause given the
choral numbers was, with one exception,
p~erfunctory in character, and the most
elaborate composition, SUCKERS visions,
SO far as its reception was concerned, fell
fat, The progromme, which contained the
name of Moszkowski without the z and
Rheinberger without the h, and list" with
out tibet t, bore also the names of Miss Dora
Valeska Becker and Herr Conrad Behrens,
the soloists Of the evening, which ensured
some enthusiasm, otherwise there was o
Furthermore the chorus was not up to its
accustomed standard, surely not to the high
water mark, which it reached in the concert
just preceding. SUCKERS VISIONS a finely
written composition, arranged with the ac-
compartment of piano and organ, was
the most ~pretentious choral MEM
Der and the most praiseworthy.
The organ gave The stability and breadth
otherwise impossible from such a small choir
of women's voices; the piano accumulated
the rythms and held the parts severely to the
key. In a composition so intricate in char
acter as this is in parts a chorus is often likely
W liza u ~ NiOoNA oEOA ANNNO-
as 10 reach chaos in pitch, SO that it is asmat-
ter of congratulation that at no time was
there faulty information, Indeed, in this re-
spect the club was in the main beyond criti-
cism. since in no composition save the last
was there a noticeable lapse in pitch. In
spite of the choir's good work, notably at the
passage, ''The breezes softly murmur, !" the
applause ceased almost before the singers
were seated.
Though this was the most p~raiseworthy
number, the most successful was Giro Pin
suits "Welcome, Pretty Primrose" After
its popularity was ensured by the success
sopranos made with it as a solo for so many
seasons, it was arranged for women's voices,
SO as to preserve the pleasant effect of the
accompaniment by imitation among the
parts. The chorus sang it admirably-deli-
cately, with due attention to light and shade.
It is a pretty triple, and it pleased everyone
to the extent of a recall. Rheinberger's
ssReverie" was marked by the excellent sing
ing of the second sopranos rather than by
excellence in the ensemble. In Victor Har-
ris' melodious part song, THE First Violet"
and indeed throughout the evening, the first
sopranos were insecure, and their attacks
ragged. ~ %
good effect, in former times, depended upon
one soprano voice, now no longer heard with
the MelopRia.
Mrs. F. Fl. Molten sang Kucken's ssThe
Wish,'' often known as 'Die Rose" con-
c~onscientiously and with sentiment. The
hummlng accompaniment called to mind the
truth that the ideal instrument is the human
voice, and that the soloist can have no more
effective setting than a background of pure
vocal tones.
THE soLoIsTs.
1t was by no means the first appearance in
this city of Miss Dora Valeska Becker, the
| yiolinist. who has PLAYED at the Schubert
~--l - HTa1an0n;o hafopo nc Tvo1 &C hnTnrn
the Fortnightly Musicales. Miss Becker
chose for her entrance number a Hungarian
Fantasia, "Puszta Klaenge." Although not
so announced upon the programme, it is in
reality a concert duo for violin n
piano, Aghazzi, the Hungarian pianist,
violin part by Hubay, a pupil of
Joachim and first violin of the celebrated
David Pepper Quartette. The piano part,
| which is a solo in itself, was played by Mr..
Gustav L. Becker. Miss Becker succeeds in
a remarkable degree in presenting the ele-
ment of nationality in Hungarian music,
which finds i'll the violin the instrument best
adapted to express its peculiar character
tics. This success in giving Hungarian
music its natural atmosphere may be due in
! part to her long study with Joachim, in part
topersonal prediction; at any rate, it is in
disputable.
Recalled, she played an arrangement Of
the Intermezzo from L~eoncavallos Il
| Pagliacci.D Her. second number was the
great adagio from the ninth violin concerto
| of Louis Spohr, a composition distinguished
by it's continuous singing tone: in fact, a
recognized test for bowling and tone produc-
| ton. 1t was in this that Miss Becker did her
best work of the evening. Her closing NUM-
Der was one of Moszkowskis Spanish"
dances. Miss Becker was recalled three
times. but declined to play again.
As for Herr Conrad Behrens, his reputa-
ton as a basso was made long g upon the
operatic stage here and abroad. He has one