The musical evening at the Astor House on Thursday night deserves a more lengthy notice than we Were able to give yesterday. A more enjoyable function could hardly have been conceived. During dinner, which was served in a manner that showed to advantage the arrangements of the house, the band of S. M.S, Kourfiirst Friedrich Wilhelm played light, but good music. The pieces were none the less charming that they were familiar to concertgoers, and in no case could they be said to be hackneyed. The conductor rightly judged that guests chatting over the din-riner tables would not be in& mood to unravel the thread of strange compositions.
After an interval, the band proved its metal by attempting more ambitious works, The programme, which will be already familiar to our reades, contained the Fantasia on Lohengrin and tivo so-called Hungarian dances by Brahms. Such pieces alone would hive sufficed to satisfy lovers of music, They were splendidly played. The Fantasia is, of course, dramatic, and it must be confessed that the first of Brahms' dances would not be wel. comed in ball room on account of sharp contrasts, But as orchestral music no better fare could be provided.
In the second half of the evening concert the band challenged comparison with the Municipal performers by playing that light melody which figures so largely on the repertoire of the Town Band. They played with all the airiness which such compositions demand, and drew the plaudits of the audience time after time. Perhaps more of the applause might have been judiciously accorded earlier efforts.
Tt is a pleasure to think that Shanghai has at hand so gool an orchestra as that of the Kurfiiest Friedrich Wilhelm. The versatility shown on Thursday was wonderful. Strauss's and Wal iteufel's waltzes and the piece from Rossini were Wanner, the first, especially, showed a layed sweetly, while the excerpts from forceful interpretation which did credit to the German conductor. At times the noisy instruments were rather overpowering in the Marches; the two selections from Schubert were certainly less convincing than most of the others; but it is in no mero spirit of benign hospitality that we congratulate the conductor and his colleagues on their success.
The audience, in which the German clement was well represented, showed fine good-taste in really listening to the music, and talking only in subdued tones during the softer passages. If one youthful enthusiast at the back of the hall rather disturbed the digestion of those finishing dinner, he did not make the attempt twice.
One' small error of judgment requires allusion—the title given to a delightful and truly unpretentious entertainment.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.