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Musical Courier 1894-02-14: Vol 28 Iss 727, 1894
66 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 12. See the scan on archive.org.
1IT was the best private meeting ever held by the Manuscript Society—that now famous organization made up of all that is good, meritorious and ambitious in the line of home-made musical composition—and it occurred on Monday evening of last week in Room 8 of Music Hall. The program was varied and interesting, just the right length and magnificently interpreted. Two anthems by Addison F. Andrews: "Why art thou cast down?" and "Fear not, little flock," were so exquisitely rendered by Mrs. Alma Reynolds Bullocke, Miss Evaline A. Watson, W. H. Rieger and Dr. Carl E. Martin that they seemed to actually possess a grain of merit. Louis R. Dressler did the piano part, as Mr. Andrews does not pretend to play. Dr. Carl E. Martin's sonorous bass voice served to show off three excellent songs by C. C. Müller: "Night's Consecration," "The Deaf Mother" and "The Dwarf and the Giant." The English words are by Addison F. Andrews. Two movements, adagio and finale, from trio for piano, violin and 'cello, in A minor, by Dr. Benjamin Cutter, of Boston, received competent rendition at the hands of Dr. Smith N. Penfield, Johannes Miersch and Paul Miersch.
3That very talented young lady from Boston, Miss Margaret Ruthven Lang, was present to the delight of all; and Grant Odell fairly outdid himself in singing her intensely dramatic and difficult song, "Hajarlis." Miss Lang showed lots of genius, and Mr. Odell showed lots of voice. It was a beautiful number. Mrs. Gerrit Smith sweetly and artistically rendered three charming French songs by Frank E. Sawyer. Two dainty quartets for male voices, "Clouds" and "Sunshine," by Frederick Schilling, were well sung by the Schumann male quartet, George E. Devoll, the new tenor from Boston, taking the first tenor part in the absence of S. Fischer Miller. Mr. Schilling has dedicated these compositions to this popular quartet, so that they are bound to be sung extensively. Then came sandwiches, crackers, punch, cigars, &c., followed by a delightful season of informality and good fellowship, during which S. Fischer Miller and John D. Shaw sung and Mr. Miersch played a violin solo.
5Dr. Cutter's trio and Miss Lang's and Mr. Sawyer's songs were heard again last evening at Chickering Hall, at the society's second public concert of this season. In addition to these, last night's program included a string quartet by H. W. Parker, of Boston; an introduction and andante religioso for piano, organ, violin and 'cello by Titus D'Ernesti, and a quintet for piano and strings by W. W. Gilchrist, of Philadelphia, played by Charles H. Jarvis, of Philadelphia, and our own Beethoven String Quartet. The third public concert will take place on March 14, more than a month before the date originally set, in order that the services of the Symphony Orchestra of New York, Walter Damrosch, conductor, may be secured. So much for the encouraging doings of the far famed Manuscript Society.
7The Mendelssohn Glee Club's concert on Tuesday evening of last week was simply great. At the rehearsal on the previous evening the soloists were Miss Katharine Fleming, contralto, and George W. Fergusson, baritone, the latter being a member of the club. Both were well received and did good work. The soloists at the concert were Miss Lillian Blauvelt, soprano, and Henri Marteau, violinist, with Victor Harris as accompanist. There is no need of puffing these great artists in this column; everybody recognizes their remarkable merit. The club's ensemble work was very close to perfection. The singing of Charles B. Hawley's "Bugle Song" was particularly effective. This composition was first sung by the Schumann Male Quartet at one of the public concerts of the Manuscript Society last year. Mr. Mandyczewski's piece, "Memory," which received its initial performance, proved to be a fine bit of contrapuntal writing, but ungrateful and wearisome to the audience.
9Just a few items about the Mendelssohn concert. Everybody thinks that George W. Fergusson and Thomas Evans Greene look very much alike. Townsend H. Fellows, the eminent Albany baritone, was spotted in the audience. He listened to the club for the first time, and was completely captivated. Many bonnets were worn in the gallery. There is seldom an excuse for people who attend full dress affairs not going in proper garments. If ladies object to dressing in evening attire where it is requested they should stay at home. The lady—no, woman, or fiend—who talks aloud all the evening to her escort, to the intense disgust and annoyance of those sitting anywhere near, was present in the gallery. Many mentally consigned her to the galleys or the gallows. Some such punishment she certainly deserved, and so did her escort as an accessory after the fact. The club now has fifty-one active members on its roll.
11The other day I received an engraved document, worded as follows: "Mr. Harry Pepper, Mrs. Emma V. Monheimer, married on Monday, January 29, 1894; 513 West End avenue." Inclosed was a visiting card, which read: "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Pepper, 513 West End avenue." This tells its own story. So the jolly, popular tenor, the famous warbler of ballads, has returned from Dakota, armed with a bill of divorce from one lady, and has taken unto himself another, and a widow at that. Well, Harry! you have my most sincere congratulations; and all your old friends will say the same thing to you. And now, ye tenors, real or alleged, who aspired to succeed Harry Pepper in the choir of St. Mark's Church, withdraw gracefully and promptly and say no more about it; for it seems a foregone conclusion that Harry can remain in that choir loft as long as he likes. Pepper gets hot sometimes under proper circumstances, so don't get in his way! He has not given to St. Mark's the old Biblical excuse: "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."
13R. Huntington Woodman's many friends sympathize with him in the sudden death of his distinguished father, Jonathan Call Woodman. The funeral services were held last Thursday at 1425 Pacific street, Brooklyn. Mr. Woodman was over eighty years old. In his youth he was associated with Dr. Lowell Mason, of Boston, and wrote the well-known tune "State Street." On removing to Brooklyn he became professor of music in the New York Institute for the Blind, the Rutgers Female Institute, the Packer Collegiate Institute, in Brooklyn, and elsewhere. He sang, played the organ and directed the music in a number of New York and Brooklyn churches. His talented son is organist and director at the First Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn.
15The popular contralto, Mrs. Adele Laeis Baldwin, has been engaged as soloist for the Banks Glee Club's concert at Music Hall February 26.
17What a strange thing they are about to do at Dr. Heber Newton's church! On May 1 they will drop their charming soprano, Miss Margaret H. Elliott, and their capable tenor, Richie Ling, retaining only two soloists, the present contralto and baritone, Mrs. Adele Laeis Baldwin and Perry Averill. Sopranos and tenors need not apply, for the quartet will not be filled up again. This is one of the best quartets in Gotham, and it seems a great pity that it should be disintegrated. Nobody knows whose insane idea has brought about this remarkable action. Of course, the church is bound to regret it in due time.
19The first lecture of the third free course at the Cooper Union will be delivered by Frederic Dean next Saturday evening on the "National Hymns of the World." Mr. Dean will be assisted by a cornetist.
21Many people were turned away from the First Presbyterian Church last Wednesday afternoon, being unable to find seats at William C. Carl's seventeenth free organ recital. Mr. Carl's program consisted of selections played by him at the first of his series of recitals at the World's Fair, and included a Christmas pastorelle, by Theodore Dubois, and an allegretto, by Salomé, both composed for Mr. Carl. Two very delightful songs by Mr. Carl were finely sung: "Spring Voices," by George L. P. Butler, tenor, and "A May Song," by Miss Kate Percy Douglas, soprano. From the titles of these songs it is evident that Mr. Carl considers winter's backbone broken. This gifted organist will give more recitals after Easter, if dates can be arranged.
23P. A. Schnecker is destined to soon join the ranks of America's younger cantata writers, following in the footsteps of Chadwick, Parker and Shelley. He has received an order from a well-known Boston music publisher for a sacred cantata or oratorio, has his subject and words selected and is hard at work with the composition. He calculates that about one hour will be consumed in its performance, and that it will wake the dead. This last expression, it should be explained, does not refer to the possible merits or demerits of the work, for Mr. Schnecker is a very modest man, but is thrown out as a gentle hint regarding the subject matter of the libretto.
25Mrs. Marie Antoinette Summers, the well known Brooklyn soprano, has been engaged to sing at Chautauqua during the month of August next. She will be heard in "The Creation" and other works on February 20 and 21 at the Savannah, Ga., festival.
27William E. Ashmall is a very busy man, and is doing a good work with his "Organists' Journal" and "Musicians' Home Journal." The former is now in its fifth volume, the latter in its second. Once a month these publications are issued, and they always contain a most excellent selection of compositions.
29Music will be "in it" to-morrow night at the Arion Society's carnival. She will be represented by an enormous float (not an enormous drunk), on which will ride an ideal figure surrounded by fleecy clouds. White swans will be harnessed to the float, which will be followed by drum majors, Spanish students, Paderewski (perhaps you are not aware that the gentleman is in this country), Tyrolese, German shepherds, negro minstrels, Chinese, hurdy gurdies, Italians with monkeys, Scotchmen, sailors with accordions, a child musical prodigy, piano manufacturers and others. The accounts heretofore printed in the daily press go on to say, "the pageant this year will be unusually beautiful." How could it be otherwise with a lot of piano manufacturers in line? It is a singular thing, come to think of it, that nearly all our piano manufacturers are exceedingly handsome men. Now, gentlemen, there's a compliment worth having.
31The second concert this season of the Brooklyn Choral Society, C. Mortimer Wiskie, musical director, will be given at the Brooklyn Academy on the evening of February 27. The chorus of 400 voices (not "the 400," but 400 nevertheless in round numbers) will sing among other numbers the church scene from "Cavalleria Rusticana." The soloists will be Mrs. Lillian Blauvelt, Miss May Lyle Smith, flutist, and C. Arturo Marescalchi, baritone, with Albert Greenhalgh as accompanist. It promises to be an exceptionally fine concert.
33Mansfield Normal Notes.
35MANSFIELD, Pa., February 3, 1894.
37AN excellent program was given last evening in Alumni Hall. The large audience which greeted the artists seemed to enjoy the entire program, judging from the frequent encores.
39Mr. John C. Bostelmann (well known to many New York musicians) won unstinted praise for his excellent work, as did the others who took part.
41The Normal school of this city may justly feel proud of their music department, which for the past six years has been under the direction of Mr. Hamlin E. Cogswell, whose untiring efforts have been to establish an excellent standard of instruction.
43The orchestra connected with the school are now studying the Schubert symphony in B minor. The large number of piano students show an earnestness which can but result in benefit.
45The Virgil clavier is used with excellent success. The writer, having been present at the Scranton meeting, was much interested in the Virgil-Zeckwer controversy, the fine playing of Miss Geyer convincing every unprejudiced person of the benefits derived from the use of the clavier.
47THE MUSICAL COURIER is a welcome visitor to our school, and is eagerly sought after by the students.
49NORMAL.
51Enna.—The opera "Die Hexe," by Aug. Enna, has been produced successfully at Stockholm.
53THE NEW YORK CONSERVATORY OF CATHOLIC CHURCH MUSIC.
54Established under the patronage of
55THE MOST REV. ARCHBISHOP M. A. CORRIQAN D.D.
56Particulars may be had on application.
57REV. JOSEPH GRAF, Director,
58139 East 43d Street, New York.
60New York College of Music,
61128 and 130 EAST 58th STREET.
62ALEXANDER LAMBERT, Director.
63ALL BRANCHES OF MUSIC TAUGHT
64Faculty comprises the most eminent instructors,
65SEND FOR DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE.
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