The Remenyi Concert.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 127, 4 May 1885, Page 2

The Remenyi Concert.

We again remind our readers of the musical treat to take place to-morrow evening at the Public Hall, when Reuienyi, the great violinist will appear for one night only. An exchange speaking of the extraordinary powers of this wonderful player, says : — The maestro's first piece was a fantasia on " Othello," by Ernst, and really when one attempts to describe such a marvellous exhibition of exquisite melody t weird pathos, brilliant execution, and flood of harmonious sound, words are wanting to convey one's ideas, and all effort at descriptive criticism seems futile. It was easy to follow the well known incident, the strong passionate love, the insidious serpentine instilling of .the fatal suspicion, the agony of mad unreflecting jealousy, the cruel deed of murder, the heartbreaking remorse, and finally the flood of revengeful action of which all Shakespeare lovers know so well the details. The common remark is that Reiuenyi has an ecclesiastical appearance, and it is difficult to get rid of this impression till he takes his beloved violin to his besom. Then, as he bends caressingly over his instrument as a leer with the queen of his heart, and as one begins to doubt whether it is the man that made the violin and not the violin that made the man, the imaginary ecclesiastical mask drops away, and the genius of the inspired musician flashes from every line of that remarkable face. See his varying expression as fingers and bow bring out the wonderful speaking tones of the music we all love"so well, but never thought so much of before. Now he is grave and passionless as a judge, or again he is as stern as Brutus condemning his son ; now he rages like an angiy patriot hemmed m by his country's foes ; and now he is light and gay, even playful. To understand Hemenyi you must keep en rapport ■with him throughout. The man must be watched, as well as the violin listened to ; and then you will catch some of his sacred fire, and your homage at his triumph will be a tribute intelligent as well as sincere. And again, speaking of his rendering of La Marseillaise, when the encore was demanded. " The delight of the audience which had been enthusiastically shown throughout the concert, had now no bounds. Hands, feet, sticks, and voices, were combined to make an uproai', which only ceased when the great Mastro hud re-appeared twice, to bow his ncknowledgemedts." Another paper affords us the following : — " As he stood there with his violin m position, and his bow following the inspirations of his genius, there came from the strings such a flood of melody as fairly enraptured his hearers. At times faint as the murmur of the zephyr ; anon fierce as the shrieking of the tornado, came the grand music of the parting between Valentine and Raoul, m the artist's own arrangement of the well-known selections from " Les Huguenots." The whole scene was recalled vividly to those who had heard the opera m other parts of the world, and listened to some of the great singers of the day, pouring forth the wailing agonies of the doomed ones. To hear Remenyi re-endow them with voice and being, was to make one doubt one's senses and ask ' can this be real, or is it a dream !' " It is quite unnecessary for us to make any further quotations. Remenyi is coming, and that should be sufficient to ensure his meeting with an enthusiastic reception.