Scan 18
Musical Courier 1893-04-12: Vol 26 Iss 684, 1893
91 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 19. See the scan on archive.org.
1which were city events. From the small flower garden below there came to his window one day the tones of the superb and thoroughly placed tenor voice of young Humphries. The owner, who carries a song on his lips when not eating or speaking, was surprised by an invitation from the master to take the tenor rôles in Beethoven's "Adelaide," soon to be given, and in other compositions later, for which coaching and instruction should be given in exchange. The excellent opportunity was not lost on the young Englishman, who gained an enviable reputation side by side with Connolly in the best musical atmosphere.
3Voice production, oratorio and ballad, with organ loft and concert directorship, are Mr. Humphries' forte. He is vocal instructor at Westminster School, Dobbs Ferry, a school of considerable importance, where many of the wealthiest people in New York send their sons to be prepared for college. He is conductor of the Amphion Singing Society, of Mount Vernon, and of the well loved Banks' Glee Club, of this city.
5This latter society originated among the clerks of the banks' clearing houses, led by one of their number, but finally came to the care of Mr. Humphries, thirteen in number, steadily growing in numbers and popularity (despite the fateful number at commencement), as the notably fine concerts given in Chickering and Steinway halls, the Lenox Lyceum and Carnegie Music Hall, can testify. This is its ninth season.
7Hon. J. Edward Simmons, president Fourth National Bank, is president of the club; Hon. Henry W. Cannon, president Chase National Bank, vice-president; Mr. Fernando Baltes, cashier Mechanics and Traders' Bank, treasurer; Messrs. G. G. Williams, George Montague, F. D. Tappen, W. A. Nash, E. K. Wright, H. C. Fahnstock and Wm. Sherer, all presidents of important city banks, are the board of directors. The associate members are of the best people of the city, among them Messrs. E. Francis Hyde, E. B. Harper, S. V. White, W. Rockafeller, John Sage, Wm. Steinway, Albert Weber, Drexel, Morgan & Co.; Robert Jaffray, F. Dean, W. F. Havemeyer and several heavy mercantile concerns.
9Among the prominent active members are: Messrs. J. J. Burns, a fine baritone; A. J. Broad, a rich basso; H. W. Chapman, baritone, a young man of much promise; E. H. Dextler, W. H. Hosford, Fred Harvey, of the Heavenly Rest, formerly one of Thomas' traveling stars; J. R. H. Hall, E. D. Jardine, nephew of the well-known organ builder, an extremely intelligent and delightfully mannered young musician, a fine basso, member of the Metropolitan Society and a capable organist, officiating in St. James' Lutheran Church; A. Kingsland, a good tenor; O. E. Loew, a church singer, bass; J. H. Monroe, J. Moull, E. E. Madiera, a theological student; Dr. W. Mahoney, of St. Francis Xavier's; R. Norris, A. C. Roberts, literary as well as musical; C. W. Stranahan, W. F. Spencer, baritone; D. A. Slattery, Jr., Andrew J. Smith, H. Trost, Jr., of the Forty-fourth Street Synagogue, also of the Liederkranz; T. R. Warley and R. S. Zimmerman.
11Mr. F. Baltes, the club treasurer, was one of the original members, and has unfailingly since been one of its principal promoters. A good musician, he is a most affable, modest and loyal good fellow.
13Male glee are a feature of the club music. The English glee combination is a baritone, one male alto, one basso, two tenors. Owing to the scarcity of the male alto in this country, this combination is here a rare one. This peculiar voice, which can be used but in combination, is scarcely desirable enough, artistically or financially, to warrant training. When found here it is usually imported from Europe, and Mr. William Mahoney, of St. Francis Xavier, is perhaps the best exponent in this country.
15The original music of the Lutheran Church was largely choral. Of Episcopal scope, the "Te Deum," Jubilate" and "Gloria in Excelsis" are sung, and four anthems are rendered at St. James' every Sunday in addition to the regular service. Barnby, Tours, Sullivan, Stainer, Bristol, Buck and Wordman are well loved by the singers.
17The choir is a double quartet. The soprano, Miss Grace Cunningham, is probably the youngest soloist in New York. Pupil of Mr. Humphries, she has acquitted herself creditably already in "The Messiah," "Creation" and "Judas Maccabeus." Young, talented, with a rare faculty for interpretation, a career is safe to predict for her, unless Cupid interferes—always a higher achievement for a woman than any career.
19Miss Carrie Raymond, the contralto, is a charming Western girl, a good student, with beautiful voice.
21Mr. H. Clamroth, the basso, is a first-class lawyer as well as singer. He is son of the professor in the Normal College whose death a year ago was so widely mourned. Mr. Clamroth's musical expression is excellent. Mr. Humphries sings tenor. Of the second quartet, Miss B. M. Cox, Mrs. Martin, Mr. Grieshaber and Mr. W. F. Spencer are members.
23Mr. Jardine's talents are well known in New York. A pupil of Mr. G. W. Morgan, he has decided talent for the organ and good musical insight.
25Saturday—rehearsal day—is welcomed by all members of the choir as being one of the most agreeable events of the week.
27The congregation of St. James' once occupied a Fifteenth street church; nor is it quite understood why the jump was made into the Seventieth, as many of the members still dwell in the old district, also in Brooklyn.
29Dr. J. B. Remensnider, the pastor, a most earnest and talented churchman and agreeable and courteous gentleman, is fond of music, especially of congregational singing.
31A unique and interesting performance took place in the Fifth Avenue Theatre Easter Sunday afternoon, namely, a trial performance of the lyrical portions of a new opera which has been written by Dr. F. Hamilton Wier. Some four score friends of the young composer, and a few whose interest it is to discover the good in the new, were assembled, a full orchestra was on hand, and five of our best choir singers interpreted the rôles vocally. The subject treats the comedy side of "feminine progress." The opera is in three acts. Although bereft of chorus work, scenery and acting, the music held interest throughout. It is swinging, dashy, expressive, with many charming, catchy melodies, which were enthusiastically encored. Orchestration, score and words are all by Dr. Wier, who himself conducted the "trial," to the great surprise of his friends, who will never cease discovering new "resource" in the young surgeon. The work of the singers showed what our organ lofts contain in the way of vocal efficiency. Without previous ensemble rehearsal they acquitted themselves creditably in reading and enunciation, Miss Kathryn Fleming and Mr. Grant Odell, of the Church of the Covenant, showing especial talent for interpretation. Miss Gray, Miss Johnston and a young man with a sweet tenor voice were the other singers.
33"Josephine Geo." has (for fun) arranged a unique, correct and altogether ecclesiastical hymn from the tune "Yankee Doodle." The most orthodox deacon, even though a fife or drummer of the war, would fail to recognize the jubilant, rakish strains in its new dress. It is a triumph in the art of rhythm change.
35Miss Ella Wheeler Bond, of Hermosa, S. Dak., the talented young violinist who studied last winter at the Lambert Conservatory, has distinguished herself by composing words and music of an unusually good four part Easter song, which has been printed and was sung in the churches of her native town on Easter Day. In the key of F, 4-4 time, the little song has tasteful vocal scope, logical form and sweet harmony. The words are stirring and lyrical.
37Miss Bond is niece of Ella Wheeler Wilcox, and though yet in her teens gives evidence of remarkable musical genius.
39Miss Emma R. Bartlett is an accomplished vocalist, self possessed, artistic, thoroughly trained, with a fresh young bird-like voice enhanced by the charming personality of the young girl. She is coming to be a valuable auxiliary to her father's choir.
41FANNIE EDGAR THOMAS.
43Music in Boston.
45BOSTON, April 9, 1893.
47"SAMSON," an oratorio by Händel was given in Music Hall, Sunday evening the 2d by the Händel and Haydn Society, under the direction of Mr. Zerrahn. The solos were sung by Mrs. Nordica, Miss Rollwagen, Messrs. W. J. Winch, Plunket Greene and Gardner S. Lamson.
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51"And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
53"And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him, and we will give thee, every one of us, eleven hundred pieces of silver."—Judges XVI, 4, 5.
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57The story of Samson and Delilah has furnished the text for many musical works. Riemann gives this list of operas and oratorios: "Il Sansone," Italian oratorio by G. P. Colonna, Bologna, 1677, although there is no mention of this work by Walther, Fétis or by Riemann in his "Musik-Lexikon"; "Sansone accecato de Filistri," oratorio by F. A. Urio, Venice, about 1700; "Simson," German opera by C. Graupner, Hamburg, 1709; "Samson," grand opera, by Rameau. Voltaire made the sketch of a libretto for this opera, but the orthodox cried out against the audacity of "the infidel" in using a biblical subject for the stage, and they prevented the performance. Voltaire alludes to the fact in a note to the libretto published in 1752; in the note he refers to "Samson" appearing with "Harlequin" as a miracle worker at the Comédie-Italienne, and says that Rameau used the music written for "Samson" in other operas, as "Zoroastre."
59The "Samson" of Rameau was given privately at the house of La Popelinière and with success; "Samson," English oratorio by Händel, 1742; "Samson," oratorio by George von Pasterwitz, about 1770; "Samson," French oratorio by Lefroid de Mereaux, Paris, 1774; "Simson," oratorio by Rolle, 1785; "Samson," oratorio by Tuczek, 1809; "Samson," opera by Wenzel Müller, Prague, about 1808; "Il Sansone," Italian biblical opera, by Basili, given at the San Carlo, Naples, during Lent, 1824, with Nozari and Lablache in the cast; "Samson," a French opera by Duprez, the famous tenor (the elder Dumas assisted in the libretto). Duprez in his "Souvenirs d'un Chanteur" calls this opera "my cherished work, in which I put the most of my heart, intelligence, time, and, I may say, myself." The first scene represented "Gaza" and the meeting of "Samson" and "Dalila;" the second was at Sorek, with the seduction and the treason; the third showed "Samson" grinding at the mill of the Philistines, and the fourth was the pulling down of the temple of Dagon. Pauline Viardot, Miss Duprez and Puget were the chief interpreters in the concert performance; Viardot was the mother of "Samson," "Méhala."
61Duprez was unable to put his opera on the stage. Fould, the Minister of Fine Arts, told him the stage setting of the last act would cost over 100,000 frs., &c. Duprez then changed the words to suit a subject almost analogous, taken from the Crusades; the opera was then called "Zéphora." "Samson," however, was translated into Italian and German, and was given in concert form in Berlin in September, 1857. Duprez's account of his work contains many interesting and peculiar opinions concerning the character of opera in general. "Samson," a grand opera by Raff, has not been performed; at least I can find no note of a performance. Saint-Saëns' "Samson et Delilah" has had a singular experience. It was finished about 1872, although in 1870 the second act was tried with Augusta Holmes, Henri Regnault, the painter, and Bussine. The same act was sung in 1874 at Mrs. Viardot's country place. She was "Delilah," and the other singers were Nicot and Auguez. The first act was sung Good Friday, 1875, at the Châtelet, Paris, in oratorio form, and the singers were Miss Bruant, Caisso and Manoury. The first operatic performance was in German, December 2, 1877, at Weimar, under the direction of Lassen, and with Miss von Müller, Ferenczy and Milde.
63In 1880 the third act was given at a Colonne concert in Paris under the direction of the composer and with the assistance of Miss Walta, Lamarche and Lauwers. In 1883 the work was given at Hamburg with Sucher as Delilah, and it was afterward sung in the theatres of Cologne, Prague and Dresden. Its first performance as an opera in France was at Rouen, March, 1890, with Miss Bossi, Laffarge and Mondaud in the cast. It was first sung in Paris at the Eden Theatre, October 31, 1890, with Rosine Bloch, Talazac and Bonhy. Afterward it was sung at Lyons, Marseilles, Aix-les-Bains, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes, Montpellier, Nice, Dijon, Florence, Geneva. It was given in concert form in Brussels under Saint-Saëns' direction and at Liège. But not until November 23, 1892, was it sung at the Paris Opéra, and then with Mrs. J. Deschamps, Vergnet and Lassalle. I am under the impression that its first performance in the United States was in concert form March 25, 1892, in New York, by the Oratorio Society under Walter Damrosch, and the singers were Mrs. Ritter-Goetz, Montariol, Moore, Fischer, Distelhurst and Robinson. one of two readings
64In 1880 the third act was given at a Colonne concert in Paris under the direction of the composer and with the assistance of Miss Walta, Lamarche and Lauwers. In 1883 the work was given at Hamburg with Sucher as Delilah, and it was afterward sung in the theatres of Cologne, Prague and Dresden. Its first performance as an opera in France was at Rouen, March, 1890, with Miss Bossi, Lafarge and Mondaud in the cast. It was first sung in Paris at the Eden Theatre, October 31, 1890, with Rosine Bloch, Talazac and Bonhy. Afterward it was sung at Lyons, Marseilles, Aix-les-Bains, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes, Montpellier, Nice, Dijon, Florence, Geneva. It was given in concert form in Brussels under Saint-Saëns' direction and at Liège. But not until November 23, 1892, was it sung at the Paris Opéra, and then with Mrs. J. Deschamps, Vergnet and Lassalle. I am under the impression that its first performance in the United States was in concert form March 25, 1892, in New York, by the Oratorio Society under Walter Damrosch, and the singers were Mrs. Ritter-Goetz, Montariol, Moore, Fischer, Distelhurst and Robinson. one of two readings
66Luis Cepeda, Allu and Ondrid y Segura wrote the music for a Spanish drama, "Dalila," about 1875.
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70Singularly enough, in the greater number of these operas and oratorios Samson is a tenor. It is not surprising that in the last century and in the early part of this century the tenor voice was employed, perhaps for reasons of tradition. But in these days of realism we should expect to find Samson with a "Judenbass," or a "bierbass," or with tones like unto the tones of a sarrusophone contrebass.
72Who was Delilah?
74According to the Book of Judges, she dwelt in the valley or by the brook of Sorek.
76Ewald says that her name signifies "traitress."
78Knobel calls her "Die Zarte."
80Lange regards her as a weaver woman, if she was not absolutely a "zonah." And in this connection read the essay of Montaigne on "Cripples," in which he refers to the Greeks who decried women weavers.
82Renan smiles a fat smile and dubs her "une drôlesse," which is, being interpreted, "a bad lot."
84Others find that her name is akin to the verb "einullen," to lull asleep.
86Chrysostom argues gravely, and without warrant, that she was the wife of Samson; and the pious Milton, whose domestic experience was sour, accepted cheerfully the opinion of the Holy Father.
88Some have called her an Israelite in the employ of the Philistines, a political hetaera. It is hard to determine the nationality of the dwellers in Sorek, for the frontier was as shifting as the love of the woman who immortalizes the locality.
90In the libretto of Saint-Saëns' opera "Delilah" is a zealous priestess of Dagon; she refuses to deliver up "Sam-
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