Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-04-30
GRAND CONCERT
Pittsburs Festival Orchestra Delight
ed Audience at Central Opera
House at Matinee Performance.


The Pittsburg Festival Orchestra
1 gave a splendid concert in the Cen
ltral Opera House Saturday afternoon.
THE audience was small, be II said
to the shame of the town, but what
ii lacked in numbers it made up in
genuine appreciation and enthusiasm.
1t was a rare treat, indeed, for seldom
does such an aggregation of musicians
deign to stop in Martinsburg, even for
la matinee performance. In the alb
Isence of Mr.. Carl ~Bernthaler, who is
iii. Mr.. Franz Kohlar conducted the
lorchestra and gave the scores an in
| telEigent reading. His names Is dig
unified and free from gymnastics. The
orchestra is finely balanced, ard it
was particularly noticed that Mr..
lKohlar never allowed the brass in
| struments to assume undue prom
| inence until the last number On the
program, namely, LISTS Hungarian
lRhapsody, No. 2. Indeed the full
power of the orchestra was not re-
vealed until then. However, in those
passages requiring a delicacy of touch
and poetic Interpretation the crches-
ltra was, perhaps at its best, and the
program abounded in such. The aud
Hence expected much from an orches-
ira constituted as this is and it was
mot disappointed, but it is r~egretable
THAT so few, comparatively, heard 1t.
THE music. itself, was everything that
lcould be desired, embracing a wide
range of composition, and its rendi-
ton could not have been otherwise
lthan artistic by this orchestra.
Interest in the concert was height
ened by the fact that two singers Of
the Metropolitan Opera Company
Mime. Alice Merritt-C Cochran, soprano,
/ and Miss Lillia Smelling, eontralto
We're to appear with the orchestra.
THE singing of these artists was a dis
| tinctive feature of the concert, and
had not the orchestra been of the
quality that it is they would have car
ried most of the honors. Dividing the
honors with these superb vocallstS
was the singing of Mr.. Frank Croxton,
one of the best bassos even heard in
lMartinsburg. The absence of DR..
Franklin Lawson, tenor, necessitated
three changes in the printed program,
but they were scarcely less accept
able. Two other features of the con-
cert were noteworthy. One was the
cello solo by Mr.. Goerner who played
La Meditation by Massenet. The other
was the harp solo by Mr.. Vito who
lgave a concert valse by Hasselmanr.
After the overture to Weber's opera
lof "Oberon" Nine. Merritt-Cochran
and Miss Smelling sang a duet from
"Hoffman's Tales" by Offenbach. They
lcaptivated the audience and at the
lconclusion of the song they received
an ovation. In their solo work. how
ever. each had a better opportunity to
display the quality of her voice and
her method of singing. The former
sang an aria from Louise by Chsrp-
enter and the latter the aria "Ah,
Mon Fills from M~eyerbeer's opera
"Prophete.' AS an encore Nine. Mer'
| ritt-C cochran sang a beautiful Irish
love song. Mr.. Croxton sang Handlers
t"Hear Me, Ye Winds and Waves with
fine effect and responded to the en-
Icore with BOAT Song by Harriet
Ware that was one of the gems OF
the concert.
Special mention should be made 81
the flute and clarinet duet by Mr.
iSaudek and Mr.. Van Amburgh. They
played a Tarantelle by Saint-Saens
with orchestral accompaniment, which
was one of the dainty performances
of the afternoon.
AS an evidence of the impression
that the concert made on the audi
ence every number on the program
was encored and, with one or two eX
iceptions, all We're g~raciousuly respond
ed to. The concert was an artists
Triumph if not a financial success.