MADAME ARABELLA GODDARD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLII, Issue 4311, 5 December 1874, Page 2

MADAME ARABELLA GODDARD.

Clmstchuroh audiences are seldom demonstrative, extreme reserve being their usual characteristic, but that which assembled yesterday evenmg on the occasion of Madame Arabella Goddard’s last appearance was the exception of exceptions to the general rule, WM ky an enthusiasm as justifiable as it was spontaneously offered as a recognition of the wonderful talent of thegMatest artssfe on tbs pianoforte the world has yet seen.' "4 hat Madame

Goddard felt and appreciated the fgkuwapMi' of the applaoie she received mnyES flKlliiH from the fact that, although in announced for the liberal noßer of| fo|% selections all of £pip|t ela|Mptf«i>d exacting character, she plipMSwess jpto tohr additional pieces. She first apjtaiuredjid.on and variations on smith,” in all of, #hich hpr ||tdcutioh was admirable. The encore .pisp« indthis instance was “ Salle Oude,” a sparkling composition J - performed as it only could diave been by by Madame Goddard. She nett appeared in flgrandiantasia.bylhalbergonthecelebrated Prayer in Bossini’s “Mosfiin Bgifo/'in the execution of which, while delicacy and force of expression were by turns apparent, the solemn ■ eharaeter of-tbe tbeme was never lost sight of, by the perfo||^ r the request for a--repetition' of this fantasia, Madame Goddand }kindly responded h <j;. substituting another of Thalberg’s. wonderful fantasias—that upon the—“-Last Bose .of Summer”— played with' thh |ixceeding taste,* the ■ distinguishing feature of all her performances. - In the second part of the concert, Madame Goddard first played : a fantasia by Bussac on the Scotch airs “ Bonnie Dundee,” “ Annie Laurie,” and “ Logie o’ Buohan.” These the pianoforte was fairly made to sing, and the variations Were"placed with thht rarity of “touch,” an approximate to which should be ' the ambition of ait the performers on the; instrument!- - Again* Was the player recalled, ■ and again did she indulge her audience with k ' Scotch fantasia,-thispue by MadUme-Oury, ori ■ “The .'Bide' 4 Bells" of Scotland,” “Kelvin and “Wha wadna’ fecht for ■ Charlie.. The concert, and the series, were brought to k dohcldsion'With Jules de Semi’s grand fantasia onßuie Britannia,” and “Gbdlpave the Queen.” . On'the'Uttei; piece' being arrived at,the audiedce foee ap one person, and remained standing until its conclusion, when they gave, •tent to their feelings in a burst of applause that fairly shook the building, during which -every bouquet left in the house—for many had been, thrown in.the earlier.parts-dfe'the evening —'found its way to the platforih ! during the. time Madame Goddard was bowing -her farewell. In this, however, she paused, and returning to t|iej instrument once more gave the National Anthem portioupf the fantksii, together with the telling variations upon it, finallyretiringamid. aatorrn of plaudits, the intensity , and heartiness of which can only be expressed'.by the word “ ovation j” and not content with this, a large proportion of the audience waited outside and loudly cheered the great pianiste as she passed from the hall to her camage r thus fitly bringing to a close a concert season which, fromits commencement, has been nothing loss'than a continuous triumph. The violinist, Herr Doehler, played twice, as announced in the programme, and twice in response to. encores'. One of the repeat pieces,. “La Melancholic,” by Brume, was an exceedingly taking composition, whiph, had .opportunity offered, We should have liked tohear again. . His second encore was the 'Andante finale of the Th&ma, by Hanmanh, played by him as well as at . the concert of the previousrevening. The vocalists earned a ( good deal ,of applause, Mrs : Smythe receiving an encore for “ Who’s at my window,” and substituting “Bobin Adair,” and Mr Eainford another for “ Will o’the wisp,” for which he gave the “Tillage Blacksmith.’’ Sir Skinner appeared to greater advantage than on • any former occa-. sioh, especially ;so in “ Alice, where art thou,” The best of the concerted pieces was Mercadante’s “Sweet is the hour of rest,” of which, in obedience to the wish of the audience, one verse was repeated. ' Mr Lee was again at. his. post- as aocompanyist, and Mr Williams, Madame Goddard's agent, and; his subordinates were r indefatigable in their > endeavours to secure the comfort of the large audience with which they had to deal. Madame Goddard and'eompany leave for. Wellington to-day. i