Evening star., 1896-03-25
AMUSEMENTS.

Boston Symphony Orchestra.-Although
the Boston Symphony Orchestra Is always
sure CT a gocc attendance at it's concerts,
for it has constant clientele that en-
braces not only the professional and anna
teur musicians. but all who love music as
an art and a recreation, the audience at
Metzerott Music Hall last night on the oc-
casion of it's fifth and last concert this sea-
sen, was unusually large. Every seat was
filed, and nearly all the available standing
room was occupied. 1t was q Wagner
night, and Conductor Paur had made up a
program composed entirely of selections
from the works of the great German COM
poser. In this Mr.. Paur showed admirable
Judgment in choosing numbers that were
not devoid of melody, and which were best
adapted to the taste of all audience that
was not composed entirely of musicians.
The program opened with the "Rienzie'
overture, and the orchestral numbers that
followed were the preludes to acts 1 and 3
OF 'Lohengrin.'' the "Siegfried" idyl;
Faust overture. the prelude to Die
MeisterSnger,' and the Ride of the Val
kyries." from die Walku1e." The most of
these were famliar and the applause that
followed each indicated the satisfaction of
the audience at the admirable work of this
admirable organization. 1t is not alone in
the mechanical execution that this orches-
ira stands at the head of all similar bodies
in this country, but in it's intelligent inter-
In large sense, of course this is due to
the master-reading of Conductor Paur but
he flndS a prompt and sympathetic response
IN the force at his command. This was par
ucularly noticeable in the "Lohengrin" and
S!egfrted numbers, where the delicacy of
the execution was exqusitely beautiful
The Ride of theValkyries' was never given
with more picturesque effectiveness, even
uy this orchestra, ard it was fitting close
to a program that was perhaps the most
enjoyable of the season. Mr.. Ben Davies,
the English tenor, was the soloist, and he
sang the prize song from die Meister-
singer and Sigmund's song from the first
act of Die Walkure'' very effectively His
voice is a lyric tenor of sympathetic quality
ard considerable power, and he sang with
musicianly Intelligence and spirit He COM
ple,ely captured the audience and was re-
called again and again to bow his acknowl-
edsTnents.
Now that the concerts for this season are
over, and the symphony Orchestra will not
be with us until next November, it may not
he out of place to trace the history of this
splendid organization. Its success and de-
yelopment have been the result of series
of conductors, each of whom has been in
advance of his predecessor. The idea of
an orchestra of this kind was due to Col.
HiSSinson of Boston, a wealthy banker,
who had the means to secure the proper ma
terial, and was willing to expend all that
vas necessary to put it on proper footing.
He told the writer once that lie had expend-
ed S2,0.O0D on this orchestra before it began
to be self-sustaining.
Its first conductor was Mr.. George Hem
schel, who took the musicians and welded
them into q compact body of players He
had great energy and capacity for work
and his task was not easy one, by any
means, for when he started he had a good
number of competent individual players
but who needed to be taught to play to-
gether in good form. This he accomplish
ed, and then gave way to Mr.. Gericke
who infused soul and feeling into his
force and taught the members to play with
l lH- Nrff foIyA i
of fire and personal magnetism, and there
are those who think that some of his read
ings and effects have not been surpassed.
Those who have attended the concerts of
this orchestra year after year under all its
conductors remember Mr.. Gericke very
kindly, and some think the orchestra made