Scan 17
Musical Courier 1891-05-13: Vol 22 Iss 586, 1891
130 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 484. See the scan on archive.org.
1ness man, possessed of a persistence that stopped only when the object was accomplished, it was his indefatigable labors that carried the first festival through to success, when others were discouraged and faint hearted.
3As for the present efficient board of government it consists of the following gentlemen:
5Officers—Orlando M. Baker, president; Rev. George H. Griffin, vice-president; Thomas H. Stock, treasurer; Benjamin F. Saville, librarian; Frederick H. Gillett, clerk.
7Directors—George A. Russell, Edward S. Bradford, Varnum N. Taylor, E. Porter Dyer, William E. Wright, William C. Newell, George R. Bond.
9ORLANDO M. BAKER.
11We herewith present a good likeness of Mr. Orlando M. Baker, the president of the association and a member of the great firm of G. & C. Merriam & Co., the publishers of the Webster Unabridged Dictionary. Of him the "Paper World" says:
13Two years after Mr. Merriam's death, Orlando M. Baker and H. Curtis Rowley were admitted to membership, and the firm name was changed to G. & C. Merriam & Co. Mr. Baker was a man admirably fitted for the position to which he was called. He was educated at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary and College, and for ten years, from 1856, was a very successful teacher in Milwaukee. Till 1874 he was engaged in the book business, but was then chosen assistant State superintendent of education for Missouri, with headquarters at Jefferson City. During his term the superintendent died, and Mr. Baker for some time discharged the duties of the office. He then came to Springfield and entered the service of the Merriams, his experience with educational matters and the sale of books especially qualifying him for the position. His fitness was deservedly recognized, and after five years of service he became a member of the firm, the name of which, for the first time in fifty years, was changed by the addition of " & Co."
15As for the selection of G. W. Chadwick as conductor, no better one could have been made. He is young, active, alive, energetic, progressive, magnetic, an excellent musician, an earnest worker and a man who takes great pride in his work. It is not surprising, therefore, that the festival chorus, which numbers now about one hundred and seventy to one hundred and eighty selected voices, should have done him and themselves great credit, and as the orchestra, which is known under the somewhat mystifying title of the Boston Festival Orchestra, consists of forty-two musicians selected and drilled by Victor Herbert, and therefore quite competent and effective, it cannot be wondered at that the festival as a whole was an artistic as well as a financial success.
17G. W. CHADWICK.
19His youthful bent not succumbing to parental discipline, the art of music was decidedly the gainer when a very young man, George W. Chadwick, of Lawrence, Mass., was free to become her votary. After a season as instructor in one of the smaller Western colleges, Mr. Chadwick went to Leipsic, where he studied with Jadassohn and Reinecke. This was in 1877. In 1879 he removed to Munich, and remained for a time under Rheinberger. On his return to the United States Mr. Chadwick located in Boston, where he now resides. In the smaller forms he has been a prolific writer, especially of songs. His more important productions, which, as one critic observes, "show his sympathy with the romantic schools, but also evince a determination to be clear in form and treatment, and to make no sacrifice of distinctness for the sake of picturesque effect," are: For solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, "The Tale of the Viking;" dedication ode, "Lovely Rosabelle," "The Pilgrims;" chamber and orchestra music, three string quartet; quintet for piano and strings; overture, "Rip Van Winkle," Handel and Haydn Festival, May, 1880; overture, "Thalia," Handel and Haydn Festival, May 3, 1883; overture, "Melpomene," Boston Symphony Orchestra, December 24, 1887; overture, "The Miller's Daughter," Sin Francisco; symphony No. 1, C, Harvard Musical Association, February 23, 1882; symphony No. 2, B flat, Boston Symphony Orchestra, December 11, 1886. one of two readings
20His youthful bent not succumbing to parental discipline, the art of music was decidedly the gainer when a very young man, George W. Chadwick, of Lawrence, Mass., was free to become her votary. After a season as instructor in one of the smaller Western colleges, Mr. Chadwick went to Leipsic, where he studied with Jadassohn and Reinecke. This was in 1877. In 1879 he removed to Munich, and remained for a time under Rheinberger. On his return to the United States Mr. Chadwick located in Boston, where he now resides. In the smaller forms he has been a prolific writer, especially of songs. His more important productions, which, as one critic observes, "show his sympathy with the romantic schools, but also evince a determination to be clear in form and treatment, and to make no sacrifice of distinctness for the sake of picturesque effect," are: For solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, "The Tale of the Viking;" dedication ode, "Lovely Rosabelle," "The Pilgrims;" chamber and orchestra music, three string quartet; quintet for piano and strings; overture, "Rip Van Winkle," Händel and Haydn Festival, May, 1880; overture, "Thalia," Händel and Haydn Festival, May 3, 1883; overture, "Melpomene," Boston Symphony Orchestra, December 24, 1887; overture, "The Miller's Daughter," Sin Francisco; symphony No. 1, C, Harvard Musical Association, February 23, 1882; symphony No. 2, B flat, Boston Symphony Orchestra, December 11, 1886. one of two readings
22Now we shall proceed to a short sketch of the performances, giving at the same time the complete program of each concert:
24Wednesday Afternoon, May 6.
25Overture, "Der Freischutz" … Weber
26Aria from "Lucia" … Donizetti
27Concerto for piano, No. 1, in B flat minor, op. 23 * … Tchaikowsky
28Miss Adele Aus der Ohe and orchestra.
29Cavatina … Raff
30Played in unison by all the violins.
31Orchestra.
33Songs with piano—
34(a) "Sunshine Song" … Grieg
35(b) "The Bird in the Wood" … Taubert
36Miss Stewart.
38Suite, "Peer Gynt," op. 46 … Grieg
39"Daybreak."
40"The Death of Aase."
41"In the Halls of the King of the Dovre Mountains."
42(The imps chasing Peer Gynt.)
43Orchestra.
45The Weber overture was played with spirit, and the "Peter McGinty" suite, as the orchestra boys jocosely named it, pleased the audience immensely. Chadwick conducted well. Miss Rose Stewart has a fairly well trained coloratura, but her leggiero soprano is really too light for the work she undertakes. Miss Aus der Ohe made the success of the afternoon, although her playing would hardly have satisfied the composer, as it was somewhat lacking in strength and breadth. She played the same concerto in New York on Saturday afternoon, under Tchaikowsky's direction, and also pleased the New York audience. As an encore she gave the Wagner-Liszt "Spinning Song." Mention must also be made of the superb Steinway concert grand piano which she used, and which told effectively even against the sometimes a trifle noisy orchestral accompaniment.
47The following was the program of the evening concert:
48"Stabat Mater" … Rossini one of two readings
49"Stabat Mater" * … Rossini one of two readings
50Miss Clementine De Vere, soprano. Mrs. Julie E. Wyman, contralto.
51A. L. Guille, tenor. D. M. Babcock, bass.
52Chorus and orchestra.
53Cavatina, "Salve dimora," from "Faust" … Gounod
54A. L. Guille.
55Psalm cxxx, "Out of Darkness" … Gounod one of two readings
56Psalm cxxx, "Out of Darkness" * … Gounod one of two readings
57Miss De Vere, Mrs. Wyman, Mr. Guille, Mr. Babcock.
58Chorus and orchestra.
60The theatrical Rossini "Stabat Mater" went well, except for a single slip up, the non-entrance of the soprani, which came near ending in a smash up if Chadwick had not caught them up energetically. The Gounod setting of the 130th Psalm is likewise in the semi-religious, semi-theatrical style, but it is a finely conceived piece of writing at that, and as it is rarely heard outside of the church it was quite a treat.
62Clementine de Vere took the audience by storm with her magnificent singing of the "Inflammatus," and the high C in its close held sonorously above the chorus and orchestra. She had to divide the honors, however, with Mr. Guille, the French tenor, who was a great favorite with everybody, especially the young ladies. He was in superb voice and sang the "Salve dimora" with fine expression, taking the high D flat with full chest tone which brought down the house.
64He was vociferously recalled again and again, but as there was no piano on the stage and no orchestral preparations for an encore were made, Guille, to the genuine regret of the audience, had to desist from singing one.
66The third concert took place on Thursday afternoon, when the following attractive program was presented:
68Overture, "Carneval Romain" … Berlioz
69Orchestra.
70Jewel song from "Faust," "Ah, è strano poter il visosuoveder." Gounod
71Mrs. Kathinka Paulsen-White.
72Suite for string orchestra, op. 12, in E major … A. Foote
73Allegro. Romanza. Gavotte.
75Solo for violin, grand fantasia from "Otello" … Ernest Felix Winternitz.
76Songs with piano, (a) "A Dream" … Grieg
77(b) "Under the Linden" … Hoffmann
78Mrs. Paulsen-White.
79Symphonic poem, "Les Préludes" … Liszt
80Orchestra.
82Mrs. Paulsen-White was a great disappointment. She has very little voice and she knows still less how to use it. The audience, somewhat to the writer's astonishment, was entirely alive to the fact, and though generally a trifle over-enthusiastic throughout the entire festival they did not recall the lady, even after her songs. Winternitz is a talented young fellow, played well and was appreciated, giving the Moszkowski "Serenata" for an encore.
84The string orchestra, though numerically somewhat weak, did well with the three movements from Foote's suite. It is graceful, fluent and pretty, but not very deep music, the romanza being the best of the movements. The best work of the orchestra during the entire festival was done in the "Préludes," Liszt's undoubtedly finest symphonic poem, which was played with spirit and precision under Chadwick's energetic direction.
86The most variegated program was that of Thursday evening:
88Ballad, "Lord Ullin's Daughter" … Hamish MacCunn
89(First time in Springfield.)
90Chorus and orchestra.
91Scena and aria, "Bella mia fiamma, addio" … Mozart
92Mrs. S. C. Ford.
93Piano solo, grand polonaise in E … Liszt
94Miss Aus der Ohe.
95Anthem, "Great is Jehovah the Lord" … Schubert
96(Arranged with an accompaniment of men's voices and orchestra, by Franz Liszt.)
97Conducted by E. Cutter, Jr.
98The Orpheus Club and orchestra.
99(The tenor solo by W. H. Rieger.)
100"The Kobolds" … H. W. Parker
101(First performance. Composed for and dedicated to the association.)
102Chorus and orchestra.
103Aria, "Reginella" … Braga
104Mr. Rieger.
105Concerto for violoncello … Goltermann
106Victor Herbert.
107Mad scene from "Hamlet" … A. Thomas
108Miss Stewart.
109Selections from "Philemon and Baucis" … Gounod
110"Pastorale."
111"Chorus of Bacchantes."
112"Dance of Bacchantes."
113(First time in Springfield.)
114Chorus and orchestra.
116Specially interesting to the writer were the two choral novelties. Hamish MacCunn's shows great originality, but as it is one of his earlier works (op. 4) it is still somewhat clumsily scored. Parker's, on the other hand, shows the skillful hand of a most fluent writer, in fact quite a technical virtuosity in writing, and his ideas are graceful and pleasing, if not over original, while his handling of them is ingenious to a degree. The chorus did well with his work, while MacCunn's ballad suffered somewhat at the hands of both chorus and orchestra. The Orpheus Club sang very finely under their own conductor and they were encored. It seems to us, however, that these gentlemen should have joined with the festival chorus, which was somewhat weak in the male department throughout the entire festival, instead of reserving themselves for this sole occasion.
118Among the soloists, Victor Herbert, who is a tremendous favorite with Springfield audiences, made the greatest hit. He played with virtuosity and beautiful tone and expression. As an encore he gave the Chopin E flat nocturne (transposed down to D). Rieger was in good voice and sang well, and, as usual, very conscientiously. Of Miss Stewart we spoke before. Mrs. S. C. Ford was likewise somewhat of a disappointment, both as to her impure intonation and false method. Her soprano voice, however, shows ample material, although in a rather poor condition. She, on the slightest provocation, sang for an encore a Chopin-Viardot mazurka.
120It must not be forgotten to mention that the chorus did excellent work in the pretty and sprightly "Bacchantes" music from Gounod's "Philemon and Baucis" which was redeemed.
122The writer happened to stumble the next day over a criticism of this concert contained in the Boston "Herald." After giving ample praise where none was due and entirely omitting to mention the names even of Chadwick and Herbert, the able critic of that paper continues by saying:
124Mr. Rieger's tone showed the true artist. After singing Verdi's aria, "Celeste Aida," he was twice recalled.
125H. W. Parker, the organist of Holy Trinity Church, of New York, conducted the performance of "The Kobolds," a sprightly piece of his own composition, which he dedicated to the association.
127The fact of the matter is that Rieger did not sing the "Celeste Aida," but substituted the aria mentioned in the above program, and as for Mr. H. W. Parker, he was detained in New York on important business, while Mr. Chadwick conducted his work well and produced an excellent effect with it. But what can be said in defense of that writer for one of the biggest papers of the music proud Hub? He must have been either drunk or he shone through absence, in either of which cases he had no right to telegraph to his paper.
129The Friday afternoon brought the only Beet-
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