THE WILHELMJ CONCERTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6496, 22 December 1881, Page 5

THE WILHELMJ CONCERTS.

Bach's *• Chaconne," which wa« the pi fin ae rmutamee of last night's Concert, is great only to the initiated. The ordinary oar it otmm merely as a composition of superhuman difficulty. The problem for the single violin, which is played without oorompanimeotof any tort, is to produce upon the ear the effect of several. In the hands of an ordinary performer, the result must l» chaotic, a blurred mass of unmeaning musical phrases. ®SF Wilhelmj, being a great artist, the Chowan®"was heard in all comp'etenes* of effect. The opening theme is a strange minor, quaint rather than mournful, winch progresses gradually into the liveliest play of fancy. The movement becomes energetically rostlros, like a laranteU# j it* leading character, an air of great beauty, shining clear among the most extraordinary teceni ricitie* of the wildest imagination. There it, after a perfect tempest of this species of unrest, a change to the major, during which the sound i# of many violins, grandiose and full. Another change bring* great brilliancy of treatment, which introduces us to rite most wonderful off cots, perhaps, passible to the violin. It is a series of movements which appear as if played on two violin*. The effect is not the ordinary ons common to the violin, and sometimes heard from the (lute in tie hands of a first-rate performer—of an air steadily making its way to the ear, in a shower of variations, intricate but subordinate. It is aeol two violins, playing distinct characteristic passages, each with it* own theme, and each having its own set of variations. After many passages of this kind, the end finds the audience in breathless astonishment. When we say that all this was made intelligible to the moet ordinary ear, we say enough to show bow great a master of the violin Herr Wilhelm] has proved himself to the most ordinary comprehension to be. HU other pieces (three of them encores) comprised the “ Ave Maria," his own elegant " Fantaisie," and tome examples of Chopin and Ernst, with which Herr Wilhelmj has made us familiar during the season.

Mis* Oonron delighted the audience with her beautiful characteristic Spanish ballad (a substitution for her last announced number), and Bubenstom's graceful song, “ Thou art Like a Flower." She likewise gave a fine rendering of •* O Mia Fernando," from Donixetti’s **Blivorita," and of Mendelssohn's "Cradle Song." Mr Vogrieh gave us a most delightful rendering of the Moonlight sonata, delicate, poetical, in the best classical spirit: without doubt the finest interpretation over heard here. A Berceuse, of Chopin, beautifully played, a Polonaise of the some composer, rad his own Fantasia, on airs from « Robert," complete the list of Mr Vogrieh's contributions to tho programme. a The next concert will be on Friday.