The Symphony Concert.

The first of the series of six concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Wilhelm Gericke, was given in Sanders Theatre last evening. The programme was as follows:

Wagner. A Faust Overture.

Mozart. Aria. (Marriage of Figaro.)

Aria. (Magic Flute.)

Solos for Violin.

Raff. a) Cavatina.

Ernst. b) Hungarian Songs.

Songs with Piano.

Lassen. a) 'Tis a Dream.

Forster. b) Ich Liebe Dich.

Fuchs. Symphony in C major.

The soloists were Mme. Lilian Norton and Mr. Franz Kneisel. Mme. Norton suffered from a slight cold and the consequent huskiness at times marred the effect of her singing. Her voice is sweet and full, and her artistic perception generally good. The Mozart arias were very acceptably rendered. Mme. Norton failed to catch the spirit of the Lassen song according to our previously conceived idea of it, but that by Forster was sung with much more feeling, and was marred only by the huskiness before mentioned. In response to a recall, she gave Gurlitt's "Messenger," in which she was even more successful. Nothing better could be imagined than Mr. Kneisel's rendering of the Raff cavatina. His tone was pure and sweet, his intonation perfect, his phrasing broad, and he also showed true musical feeling. His second selection was not so happy, being chiefly noteworthy for a remarkable exhibition of harmonics, and for some rather questionable double stopping.

The orchestra does not seem to have suffered from the changes which have been made in it. Some roughness was perceptible in the playing, but this was probably due to the unaccustomed nearness of the listener. The "Faust" overture was very finely played, all the crescendo's and the principal climax being well worked up. The symphony, the work of a young Viennese, of not much experience in orchestral writing, is a truly musicianly and interesting composition. Although not sketched in the broad proportions we find in Beethoven and Schumann, it has the true symphonic character. Of the four movements, the first and third are the best, the fourth at times coming dangerously near, though not actually reaching, the trivial. The orchestration is good throughout, a certain preference being given to the wood over the brass. On the whole the symphony may be considered a valuable addition to the repertoire of the orchestra, while it formed the chief attraction of a very enjoyable and successful concert.