CHORAL HALL.-TERR WILHELMJ'S CONCERTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6288, 12 January 1882, Page 5

CHORAL HALL.-TERR WILHELMJ'S CONCERTS.

o Tin: series of concerts which terminated hut evening should be remembered not only foi" the great eminence of the performers but for the exceptionally rare character of the performances. There was a very large ami r'ashiouable audience. Max Vogrich stands a-j a pianist in the same rank with Kctten, wiioso splendid playing was the theme of general admiration about twelve .months aim. Miss Marie Con rou lias been placed, we think deservedly, beside Miss Christian, who lias hitherto had no rival in these colonies n< au interpreter of ballad music. Comparison-are not admissible in such notices as the lire -cut, bus it sneaks much for Miss Courou that such a favourable comparison has bc.-u suggested by her excellent style and maim'-! , . There is nothing comparable to Wilii-'iiuj's perforipauces for depth of tone, for cuinul stive harmonies, or for that admirable proportion which is noticeable through?' it his rendering of each selected pi.jee.' TU-. c /ncert opened last iiu-ht with :>. tine Impromptu (piano)., which displayed to the fullest extent the'firm style and precision of tho player. Miss Conron aaug tlio cavatin.i '"O>;u '-■ bollu " with her usual fi;ii;li. This was followed by the l! rami CuiiCii't'i of Mendelssohn (violin), played by Wiliiclmj. This performance is, as we luive already said of it, i;nuid beyond tin; experience of all but a few who reside in the English colonies. No criticism that would not enter iu'o detail coulJ possibly do it justice. It is useless to say it was applauded and encored. To repeat it immediately would have been hardly possible. Misi; Conron sang Mrs. Hemans' beautiful song "I Hear thee speak of a better Laud" with «. feeling to which her natural repose of manner lent an indescribable charm. Max played a bouquet of popular airs "Robin Adair," "We May Koam,"and Wilhelmj .again performed his brilliant " Polonaise," which seems the very perfection of technique. "The Krcutzer Sonata," of Beethoven, was the next and last' item performed by Wilhelmj (violin) and Max Vogrich (piano). Such music as this had never been previously heard iu Auckland. Encores are often very objectionable because they are indiscriminating. But one can easily excuse them on such an oceaaion as last evening. Each encore was very generously responded to by Wilhelmj, who played "Auld Robin Gray," "The Old Folks at Home," and other popular airs. If these concerts have not been so successful, in respect of the numbers attending them as they deserved, the circumstance is to be attributed to the limits of the population of this place, and the fact that it is so much dispersed as to make coining to a concert in Auckfand a distant journey. But every true lover of music did attend, and the acknowledgment is without exception that we have heard, during the last ten days, a very rare musical treat.