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Musical Courier 1892-09-14: Vol 25 Iss 655, 1892
88 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026. Printed page 9. See the scan on archive.org.
1Organ Loft Whisperings.
2OUR ORGANS—(Continued).
3ELECTRICITY AS APPLIED TO MODERN CHURCH MUSIC—THE ELECTRICAL ENVIRONMENT OF OUR CONGREGATIONS—STORAGE BATTERIES AND INSULATED WIRES UNDER OUR BAPTISMAL FONTS, MARRIAGE VOWS SPOKEN OVER WOUND DYNAMOS, AND THE FAVORITE PILLOW OF THE AGED DEACON A MERCURY TROUGH.
5"And he shall hold the lightnings in the hollow of his hand."
7THE modern church organ must be of as much interest to the electrician as to the musician. Above and beyond all, the latterday contrivance for efficient mechanism in the musical world is the marvel of the obedience of electricity to man's decree.
9While in no case is it the direct or active force, in organ manipulation this subtle agency is made the silent, rapid and infallible means for directing the active force.
11It is as if a man from being obliged to fell his own trees, hew his own wood, build his own fires, cater for and cook his own food, and wash his own dishes, should suddenly be put in possession of a perfectly trained and skillful chef through whom all orders are executed, leaving his vital and spiritual force free to the task of directing labor in place of its execution.
13Almost all muscular force in organ playing is superseded by electrical and pneumatic agency.
15By the merest touch of the organist's finger the key leverage is made to connect with lines of electrical wires, enclosed in small cables to the organ proper, making an almost piano touch, one of the boasts of the time. Modern operation goes with wind pressure, not against it; the result is an exquisite facility.
17In obedience to the artistic demands of the player, electricity directs the pneumatic power by which certain positions of certain shaped valves may be changed and the variety in degree of loud and soft be secured.
19By the agency of electricity may key box, wind chests and pipes of the organ be distributed, placed wherever convenient and as far from the current source as necessary. A stage organ may be completely dismembered and thrown about among the wings and flies, leaving space for stage setting and scenery. By it are echoes switched about through churchly ceiling and dome, bringing celestial effects to imagination's pew door. Kettle drum, bass viol, French horns by the dozen may be called into place in the great orchestral cyclones; for, look! by the detachment of the keyboard from the rest of the instrument the organ can play its part out of sight but in distinct hearing of the audience.
21Electrical motors are found to be the most successful and satisfactory of any yet invented, the unreliable shifting belts, with their flap and squeak, being gradually superseded by the use of a resistance coil. There have been no water motors in the city since the passage of an ordinance prohibiting them, and gas has been found wholly unsatisfactory in operation, besides necessitating the regular attendance of the "gas man" upon the premises, which no sane or honest citizen could be expected to favor.
23The electrical coupler is another mechanical peculiarity of recent time which produces wonderful effects, with no change to either keys or action. This fact the amateur organist will appreciate.
25The new system of combination making also adds to man's capacity for being artistic.
27By electrical aid the modern wind chest is no longer a plow, making of the organist a laborer. Deriving as it does all of its power from pneumatic pressure of the bellows, and using this pressure with the least possible motion, at the least possible distance from the point of attack, a single pipe or twenty stops may be opened or closed with far less exertion than the fastening of a lady's glove would cost, while the former "catastrophe" of the half drawn stop is made an impossibility, and the manipulation of the largest organ is made easy as that of a piano.
29Even the swell boxes are made to open and close in obedience to movements of the swell pedals, communicated either by electricity or pneumatic power.
31All this mechanism, so complex in result, so simple in action, extends downward from the keys into the room below, and then all the levers and contacts are spread out so that their action may be accurately observed, and any fault or irregularity be corrected with the utmost facility. While ample for all demands, the electrical currents used are extremely light and are dangerless.
33Yet, even as all the various departments of artistic intelligence are subject to the one great brain control in man, so is the organist's mentality, as master of all these obedient forces, made free to go forward to the full extent of his ability toward the full fruition of creation, which is the essence of spiritual development.
35In the apparatus of the Marble Collegiate Church there are twelve distinct mercury troughs, besides 116 mercury cups, required for the option, coupler, and a total of 623 different electrical contacts in and upon the small key box, which is scarcely five feet high and which looks no more important than the ordinary roll top office desk. Five cables conduct the various insulated wires from this innocent looking box to the gallery organ over the ceiling of the church, four other distinct cables being required for the chancel organs! The storage battery is located in the chancel bellows room. Its electro motive force (eight volts) is fed over the same wires that light the church and run the motors.
37Few, indeed, of our passive worshippers can realize the study required to arrange the currents for the various methods of supply and shutting off necessary to the playing of a simple hymn.
39"Main line switches," "starting boxes," "cut out switches," "automatic belt shifters," "fast and loose pulleys," "wound dynamos," "storage batteries," "rheostats," are a few of the contrivances serving as environment for the latterday saint. No wonder congregations are restless and nervous. No wonder they twitch and move more and sleep less than their forefathers did. No wonder that great enterprises are hatched and great schemes planned in the magneto-humano organism forming the pew sitters of 1892!
41Among the prominent electrical organs of this city are Grace Protestant Episcopal Church, Calvary Protestant Episcopal Church, the Music Hall, Protestant Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, St. Bartholomew's, St. Leo, Sacred Heart, Calvary Baptist, St. Agnes', St. George's. The beautiful organ destroyed by fire in the Metropolitan Opera House was electrical. Those in the shop for the Mendelssohn Glee Club and for the Church of All Saints in Harlem are also under lightning control. The organs in Chickerling Hall and at St. Thomas' Church are partly electrical. Of important electrical organs out of the city are the Auditorium, Chicago; the Garden City, L. I., American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, and Trinity M. E. in Denver, Col.
43FANNIE EDGAR THOMAS.
45FOREIGN NOTES.
47Unhappy Singers—London, September 10, 1892.—There is dismay in the ranks of the operatic artists in London whose signatures are found at the bottom of the contracts with Messrs. Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau for the proposed season of opera in America, which was to have begun at the Metropolitan Opera House this fall.
49A copy of the Paris edition of the "Herald" containing Schoeffel's statement that these contracts were all cancelled by the fire has wrought this havoc.
51No less a personage than Sir Augustus Harris, who has seen one of these contracts, holds that Mr. Schoeffel's contention will not stand for an instant. Even if the contracts are vitiated as regards New York they will hold good as regards the rest of the tour, provided they are all of the same tenor as that seen by Sir Augustus.
53One important member of the company at least flatly repudiates the view taken by Mr. Schoeffel. This is Sandow, the strong man, who was to have been a feature in one of the operas. He declares he will hold Messrs. Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau to their bargain, and sue for heavy damages if they break the contract.
55In the meantime Mr. Mapleson, Sr., and Mr. Marcus Mayer are putting their heads together, and there is a probability of their forming a strong company to give Italian opera at Hammerstein's new house during the winter season.—"Herald."
57An Operatic Clock that Sings.—The "Petite République Française" says: "A French engineer, Mr. Terrier de Villeneuve, who is living at present in New York and has worked for some time past in connection with Mr. Edison, is about to send to the Chicago exposition a unique clock. The clock, which will be combined with a phonograph, will in twelve hours perform the four operas of 'Lohengrin,' 'William Tell,' 'The Huguenots' and 'Faust.' The phonograph will reproduce the voices of the most celebrated singers who have appeared in these operas, such as Patti, Faure, &c. The orchestra will be a phonographic reproduction of the Grand Opéra of Paris."
59Frankfort-on-the-Main.—Unusual activity is to be displayed during the season about to commence at the Frankfort-on-the-Main Opera, where, besides the leading operatic works of Mozart, Weber, Beethoven, Meyerbeer, Verdi and others, a "cycle" of Wagner's music dramas is to be given, extending from "Rienzi" to the "Nibelungen" tetralogy, the latter to be produced several times. In addition to these attractive features, Mascagni's "Cavalleria" and "L'Amico Fritz," both on the same evening, will be included in the répertoire. The Frankfort Opera, we may add, is not one of the state subventioned institutions of the fatherland.
61The "Allgemeine Deutsche Musik Verein."—The musical performances in connection with the meeting of the Allgemeine Deutsche Musik Verein on the 16th and following days of this month, at Vienna, will include a scenic representation at the Imperial Opera of Liszt's "St. Elizabeth" (16th inst.); the same composer's symphonic poem, with choruses, "Prometheus," and orchestra works by Wagner, Goldmark, R. Strauss and Brahms. Liszt's "Coronation Mass" ("Krönungs Messe") is to be given in the Court Chapel on the 18th inst., under the direction of Professor Hellmesberger.
63A Converted Gaul.—Under the title of "Pèlerinage à Bayreuth" an interesting contribution to French Wagner literature has just been published in Paris (Savine, éditeur) from the pen of Emile de Saint Alban. The author, until lately an unreasoning antagonist of the Bayreuth master, has returned from the Festspiele his ardent and unconditional admirer.
65A New Opera.—A new opera, "Die Teufelslocke," the libretto by Bernhard Buchbinder, the music by Robert Fuchs, the Viennese composer, is to be brought out next month at the Leipzic Stadt Theater. Jahn, the director of the Imperial Opera in Vienna, will be present on the occasion, with a view to the subsequent production of the new work in the Austrian capital.
67Its 150th Anniversary.—The Berlin Royal Opera is preparing to celebrate on 7th of next month the 150th anniversary of its existence. The house was inaugurated October 7, 1742, by the first performance of an opera written to an Italian libretto by Graun and entitled "Cesare e Cleopatra." The first performance of any opera in Germany was that of Heinrich Schütz's "Daphne," produced at Tor-gau in 1627.
69HOME NEWS.
71Cappa in the Far West.—Carlo Cappa and his famous band are winning glory in the far Northwest. He played last week with overwhelming success at Tacoma and Portland, Ore., and, as usual, made a great sensation.
73Edmund J. Myer's Summer Season.—Edmund J. Myer has just closed a delightful and a prosperous season with his summer school for the voice at Round Lake. After spending a few weeks in the mountains he will reopen his studio in this city October 3. Mr. Myer will return to Round Lake next summer.
75The Seidl Concerts.—The Seidl concerts at the Madison Square Garden are extremely popular, the programs under the great Wagner conductor being all that could be desired from the eclectic point of view. Several singers have appeared, and on Friday evening Constantin Sternberg, the well-known composer pianist, played (first time in this city) Godard's "Introduction and Allegro," for piano and orchestra, and thereby deserves the gratitude of both the public and the critics for introducing such a delightful and thoroughly musical novelty. On being recalled Mr. Sternberg played his own taking "On the Lagoon," and later, "In der Nacht," Schumann; "Pan and His Flute," Godard, another charming novelty, and the pianist's clever "Tarentella." Mr. Sternberg was warmly received after his too long absence from our concert platform.
77The Towers School of Vocal Music.—This excellent school is at 9 East Seventeenth street, and is under the direction of John Towers, formerly leading singing boy, Manchester Cathedral, England, and subsequently solo bass, Royal Academy of Music, London; pupil of Pinsuti and Regaldi, Royal Academy of Music, London, and of Kullak and Marx, Berlin; member of the Sing Akademie, Berlin; director vocal department and lecturer, Utica Conservatory of Music; author of "Let Children Sing," "Modern Singers and Singing," "An Easy Catechism of Music," &c. Among other attractions of the school is the following:
79Every pupil has the option of attending the talks on English and French literature (the latter in French), given occasionally by Mrs. Towers. The value of these talks is no little enhanced by the fact that Mrs. Towers, in addition to knowing Dickens, enjoyed the great privilege of the personal friendship, among others, of Philip James Bailey, Miss Braddon, Bulwer-Lytton, Carlyle, Dickens, Flourens, Gilfilian, Miss Martineau, Mazzini, John Stuart Mill and Thackeray.
81The whole of these advantages are offered without any additional fee or charge whatsoever.
83Zielinski Plays.—Energetic Chevalier de Zielinski recently played at a concert at Niagara-on-the-Lake pieces by Bruno Oscar Klein, W. L. Blumenschein (the barcarolle), Karganoff and Emil Liebling. Mr. Zielinski might very appropriately be called the novelty pianist.
85A New Boy Soprano.—Music lovers of this city are to have a chance in a few weeks to listen to the lad who has attracted marked attention in the West as the "boy soprano." He is Cyril Tyler, a ten year old Italian youngster, with long, curly hair and a strikingly handsome face. Edgar Strakosch, the son of the impresario, will introduce him to New Yorkers for the first time on September 20 at a private entertainment.
87The lad is the son of Mr. Tagliere, an Italian opera singer, who married a French opera singer, and he inherits musical ability from both parents. He sang some time ago in Theodore Thomas' concerts in the West, and was heard also in Grace Church, Detroit, where he was the vocal star of a choir of seventy voices. The boy is remarkable for the ease with which he attains "high C" and for the extent of his répertoire, which includes recitatives and arias from the Italian composers, as well as anthems and cantatas by Mendelssohn, Händel and Gounod. He sang Gounod's "Ave Maria" in the Thomas concerts.
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