Scan 15
Musical Courier 1893-06-21: Vol 26 Iss 694, 1893
93 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 16. See the scan on archive.org.
1SEVENTH COLUMBIAN LETTER.
3CLOSING CONCERTS OF THE RUSSIANS—THE INFANTA SNUBS THE MUSICAL FORCES BY STAYING BUT TWO MINUTES AT THE GALA CONCERT—"THE MESSIAH"—THE "PASSION MUSIC" (ST. MATTHEW), BACH—EDWARD LLOYD'S DEBUT AT THE FAIR—A FLOOD OF RUSSIANS IN "THE METROPOLIS"—RAPIDLY INCREASING AUDIENCES AT THE "FREE POPS"—A NEAT NOVELTY IN A SUITE BY ARTHUR BIRD; NO. 3, OPUS 32—A CONCISE RÉSUMÉ OF THE MAY MUSIC AT THE EXPOSITION—GREAT M'LEAN CLAN SCOTTISH GATHERING—COLOSSAL ATTENDANCE AND MONSTER DEMONSTRATION ON GERMAN DAY—VERY INTERESTING PROGRAM ANNOUNCED FOR THE CONVENTION OF THE WOMEN'S AMATEUR MUSICAL CLUBS, AT JACKSON PARK IN THE RECITAL HALL OF MUSIC HALL, ON WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY OF NEXT WEEK—CLUBS FROM EVERY PART OF THE COUNTRY TO BE PRESENT—A SHUFFLING UP OF MUSICAL CRITICS ON THE STAFFS OF THE CHICAGO CITY PRESS—FIRST AMATEUR CONCERT IN THE WOMEN'S BUILDING—FINE BELL RINGING—KATZENBERGER'S GERMAN COLUMBIAN CHORUS MAKES ITS "FAIR" DEBUT—STRANGE DWINDLING OF THE FESTIVAL FORCES FROM 2,000 TO 1,000 VOICES—WHY SHOULD CLEVELAND HAVE 4,000 VOICES AT AN ORDINARY "SAENGERFEST," WHEREAS WE CAN ONLY MUSTER BY HOOK OR CROOK 1,000—THE FESTIVAL OF WESTERN CHORAL SOCIETIES NEXT WEEK.
5CHICAGO, June 16.
7WHAT with "The Lineffs" at the Exposition, a Russian troupe at "The Trocadero," Cossacks at the circus and further Cossacks at "Buffalo Bill's," we have had amusement à la Russe in sufficiency. It appears as though we were having a propaganda for the Slav. The electric lights would not work on Saturday night, so we had the program postponed to Sunday evening. The final Russian concerts took place on Monday and Tuesday afternoons at 3 o'clock. All was repetition with the exception of a polonaise from Suite No. 3 of Tchaikowsky. The same composer's fest overture "1812" was repeated at the Tuesday concert. It were much to be desired that other national choirs were here to give us equally novel concerts of the folk songs of other nations. The "Lineff Choir" undoubtedly takes the good will of all who heard them with them. The popular concerts have been very largely attended, the audiences well nigh filling the "Festival" Hall. I append the programs:
9MONDAY, JUNE 12, AT 12 O'CLOCK.
10March, "Boabdil" (new)…………………………………………..Moszkowski
11Overture, "The Land of the Mountain and the Flood"…..McCunn
12Suite No. 3, op. 32 (new)………………………………………Arthur Bird
13Swedish Rhapsody……………………………………………..Lalo
14Waldweben, "Siegfried"………………………………………Wagner
15Waltz, "Sphaerenklaenge"…………………………………….Josef Strauss
16Serenade………………………………………………………..Schubert
17"Scènes Napolitaines"………………………………………….Massenet
19TUESDAY, JUNE 13, AT 12 O'CLOCK.
20March, "Queen of Sheba"………………………………………Goldmark
21"Overture di Ballo"…………………………………………….Sullivan
22Serenade for string orchestra in E minor…………………..Arthur Foote
23Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 14…………………………………Liszt
24Symphonic Poem, "Rouet d'Omphale"………………………..Saint-Saëns
25Waltz, "Village Swallows"…………………………………..Josef Strauss
26Selections from Act III, "Meistersinger"……………………..Wagner
28The only novelty was the suite by Arthur Bird. The march "Boabdil" of Moszkowski was also a new thing for Chicago. The suite is quite a complex little score of considerable interest, and was well played, barring a bad muddle in the first movement. I cannot understand why these occasional mishaps of such a disturbing character should occur with such an orchestra as that of the Exposition. The opening satz of the suite has a fugato-like alla marcia theme and a ballet-like second of much brightness and sensual coloring, with an intervening à la musette side idea; the ballet theme being then repeated in the harps with very pretty effect, and the movement closing with the fugato passage. The andante is a subdued and quite attractive number in the style of a serenade or elegy. The third is a pizzicato, part menuetto, part waltz, and part scherzo. The finale is close to a breakdown, reel or hoedown, with a folk-song intermezzo. The work is well within the reach of most amateur organizations and would be a good thing for them to take up. A curious accompaniment was afforded to the "Waldweben" from "Siegfried" by some little birds in the rotunda of the roof. They twittered and chirped to their hearts' content, and the sounds of nature only enhanced the wonderfully true to nature music of art. I wish Thomas would not play a Strauss waltz immediately after a noble Wagner tone-poem, without any go-between. It is disturbing. The concert given on Saturday at Festival Hall in honor of the Infanta was a miserable failure. In the first place the weather was dreadful, then the guest of the day came late, and upon seeing the meagre handful of snobs gathered in the boxes (the public being excluded) she remained about two to four minutes and withdrew. Surely the popular lady would have been better pleased and more honored had the vast audience room been filled with the people, who were outside in thousands and more than willing to hear the concert. Many were invited, but very few accepted, as it was generally believed that the affair had been abandoned. The program was:
30Orchestra, polonaise, No. 2………………………………………Liszt
31Part songs—
32"The Two Lovers"……………………………………………..Heeht
33"Judge Me, O God"……………………………………………Mendelssohn
34Aria, "Lend Me Your Aid"……………………………………Gounod
35Orchestra, "Spanish Rhapsody"……………………………….Chabrier
36Children's songs—
37"Largo"………………………………………………………..Händel
38"Voices of the Woods"……………………………………….Rubenstein
39"Land to the Leeward, Ho!"…………………………………Arthur Foote
40Part songs—
41"Lead, Kindly Light"………………………………………….Dudley Buck
42"Lullaby of Life"……………………………………………..Henry Leslie
43"Spring Song"…………………………………………………Mendelssohn
44Orchestra, Hungarian Dances…………………………………Brahms
45Aria, "Cujus Animam"……………………………………….Rossini
46Chorus, "Awake," "Die Meistersinger"……………………….Wagner
48Edward Lloyd was very warmly welcomed by the very, very exclusive and woefully select (as to numbers) audience, and he was obliged to respond with two encores. The concert might as well never have been given, for nobody heard it, and there were strong suspicions that the Infanta was not at all pleased at the lack of warmth in the reception given her by the miniature representation of the local "400."
50Sousa's concerts in the Court of Honor on Sunday, June 11, were listened to by vast throngs. The programs were:
51Overture, "Patrie"……………………………………………..Bizet
52Cornet solo, "The Holy City"…………………………………Adam Albert Bode.
53The "Hallelujah Chorus"………………………………………Händel
54Songs of Ciro Pinsuti………………………………………….Morelli
55Hungarian Divertissement…………………………………….Steenbruggen
56Solo for tuba, "Hercules"…………………………………….Cavollini
57Elden Baker.
58Salonstueck, "Suesse-Kuesse"………………………………..Brahms
59"The Garden of Hesperides"…………………………………Curtner
60A Mosaic of the most admired themes of Bellini.
61Hymn, "Old Hundred"……………………………………….Bellini
628 to 10
63Recessional march by Baker, adapted by…………………….Godfrey
64Overture, "Tannhäuser"………………………………………Wagner
65Xylophone solo on popular themes………………………….Lowe
66Charles Lowe.
68Themes from "Rosamunde"………………………………….Schubert
69Euphonium solo, "Facilita"…………………………………..Hartmann
70Mr. Raffayola.
71Two compositions by Raphael Fassett………………………..
72Sousa's Band march.
73Duet for two cornets, "The Rivals"………………………….Godfrey Messrs. Rode and Clark.
74"The Chariot Race" (by request)……………………………Sousa
75Airs from the "Bohemian Girl"……………………………….Balfe
76Hymn, "Nearer, My God, to Thee"………………………….Mason
78Would the people of America believe it! "Dixie" and other airs have actually been played at the Fair. This occurred at the meeting of the Commercial Travelers' Protective Association on Saturday. Sousa also gave them a program in the Festival Hall.
80Confusion in the Naming of Halls and the Place of Holding Concerts.
81"Choral" Hall and "Festival" Hall means one and the same thing, but the passing visitor does not know this, and he is obliged to chase about a mile or two ere he knows where a concert is to be. Frequently no placarding of concerts is done on the day of the concert. Consequently many arrive late or miss the concert entirely. Every concert should be largely posted up throughout the grounds, and all changes of date or time and place should at once be displayed where the public cannot but see them. This essential business routine is, however, most imperfectly attended to.
83The $1 admission again deters many from being regular attendants. The Russian concerts have proved beyond any doubt that at 50 cents a ticket large audiences will gather day in and day out. It is better to have the immense large hall full at that price than half empty at $1. I am now giving voice to the generally outspoken opinion of people and press, and such voice is well worth paying attention to.
85Great Gathering of the Scottish Clan McLean.
86The wild music of the great Scotch warpipes has been heard in our borders during the past week, for the Pipers' Band of the Forty-eighth Highlanders of Toronto, Canada, and pipers from many corners of the land have been stretching the pigskin to its uttermost capacity. The great Scottish concert in Central Music Hall on Friday night was a remarkable event of its kind.
88Interesting Program of the Convention of Women's Amateur Musical Clubs to Be Held Next Week.
89I give the official program of the above mentioned convention, as it promises to be of considerable importance by reason of the large number of clubs participating and the influence to be exerted by these bodies in the future development of the art.
91First Convention to Be Held Within the Exposition Grounds.
92Next week will witness the holding of the first convention in the Exposition grounds. It will be musical in character and will be held in Recital Hall, the Women's Amateur Musical clubs of the country being the societies that are to convene for the discussion and exposition of matters relative to the forming and maintaining of organizations similar to those they represent. Four days—Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday—will be occupied by the convention, two sessions, from 9 to 12 a. m. and 1 to 2.45 p. m., being held daily. The committee having charge of the meeting consists of Mrs. Theodore Thomas, chairman; Mrs. W. S. Warren, vice-chairman; Mrs. George Benjamin Carpenter, Mrs. F. G. Hall, Mrs. Frederick Ullman, Mrs. Charles Haines, Mrs. H. H. Gardner, Miss Nina Lunt and Mrs. Francis King. The objects of the convention are stated to be: (1) To show the actual standard of musical culture among the best class of American women in all parts of the country, and the character and quality of the educational work in music being done by women's amateur musical clubs; (2) to stimulate the formation of such clubs in places where they do not now exist, and to improve the work of those already organized by giving them an op-
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