CHORAL HALL.-HERR WILHELMJ'S CONCERT.

Auckland Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3559, 5 January 1882, Page 3

CHORAL HALL.-HERR WILHELMJ'S CONCERT.

The second of the Wilhelraj series of concerts was given last night in the Choral Hall with pronounced success, before a crowded audience. Every item upon tho programme was received with marks of the highest approval, and only a few escaped the inevitable encore, tho performers in tho majority of cases graciously acceding to the demands made upon them. The gifted violinist himself bore the fall weight of these honours, supplementing each of his three set contributions with a further selection, so that in reality he gave six performances. They varied both in character and style, and in their interpretation all the manifold resources of the wonderful instrument were brought into active play. The first was a fantasia of bis own composition, and it wa3 given with surpassing skill, tho most exquisite variations ot tone being produced with a siDgle sweep of tlie bow,and the subtleties of the violinist's art beirjg threaded with the grcatcit case. Schubert's " Aye Maria," as on the previous night, was magnificently executed in response to tho recall and served to demonstrate the capacity of the violin for intensified musical expressiveness. The next nunibor rendered by tho eamc hand was one of Chopin's beautiful nocturne?, which was given with its full effect. The audience would take no denial to their call for "more," and therefore they were treated to the familiar Christy Minstrel air, "The Old Folks at Home," which seemed to> derive new attractiveness from the splendid manner in which it was played. A fantasia by Ernst upon airs from " Othello, was performed, and it proved the gem of the concert. The execution was simply grand, a caprccioso movement in the concluding part of it being taken with both clegaaco and brilliancy. The encore was answered with a portion of •' Auld Kobin Cray ."iven most plaintively. Miss Conron confirmed the good opinion which in her hrst appearance as a vocaliat sbc had created. She sang with great taste an aria from "Dei Freiscbuiz" full if passionate icelus and pregnant with emotional sentiment and then on being recalled, followed it up with a pretty ballad by Osgood, viz,, " Down by a Shadowy Lane. ■ ~At a subsequent stage of the evening she also tan«, "Dresden China," a ballac by Mo Iloy and Cowcn's setting of Mrs Hemans s admired poem, "The Better Land, 'ihe latter piece was veiy successfully rendered indeed. Mr Max Vogrich played tfpon the grand piano a concerto by Hcnscl, nnd three compositions by Lust, viz "Forest Scenes," "Galop Chromaliriu'eJ and a fantu.sia on airs from " Sonnambula," in tho interpretation of which nuiple justice was done the great maestro. Tho instrumentation was highly cllcctivc, the rapidity of the angering being quite as remarkable as its precision, while the volume of sound evolved at times strucK

one as forcibly as its rippling gentloncss entranced at other*. The alternating diminuendo and crescendo of tbo galop were very prettily pxecuted, while the whirl and furofe of tone and the overwhelming harniorjy with which the concerto ends were performed with their fuJl power and effect. The third concert will be given this.evemng,