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Musical Courier 1895-05-15: Vol 30 Iss 793, 1895
100 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026. Printed page 10. See the scan on archive.org.
1PHILADELPHIA, May 6, 1895.
3THERE does not seem to be much connection in the world of music between business prosperity and artistic endeavor. I think it was at the beginning of the present season and in about the first letter I sent you that I hazarded the remark that in times of financial distress the minds of persons interested in art were turned away from the frivolous and toward the legitimate. This has been conspicuously true of the past season and thus has my little prophecy comes to pass. First-class attractions in music have met with the largest encouragement.
5It would go clear beyond the limits of a single article to recapitulate the significant happenings of the season of 1894-5 in the music of this city, at which, on the score of slowness, so many of our sister cities poke no end of fun. We have laughed with you and at you, and occasionally added a joke on ourselves. For instance, at the great game of baseball a few days ago in Baltimore a spectator fell from the top of a high fence; one of our funny men wrote of the occurrence, and furnished the cheerful information that he did not hurt himself, as he was a Philadelphia man and came down slow. This is the very best slow joke on Philadelphia I ever heard. We can at least defy the law of gravitation. Slow but distinguished is our past watchword.
7But next season there will be one department at least where we will cease to laugh with the rest of the world. If they call us slow we will straightway proceed to show how fast we can fight. That department of human activity is music. Before recounting victories past and victories to come, let us see the constitution of our musical army, as gleaned from the past season. What are the forces at work and what the result of a year's endeavor? Drawn up in line we will mention the conservatories:
9There is the Broad Street Conservatory, under Prof. Gilbert R. Combs.
11There is the Spruce Street Conservatory, under Prof. Richard Zeckwer.
13There is the Central Music School, under Dr. W. W. Gilchrist.
15And in addition to others there was and may be again the Philadelphia Summer School of Music, although Mr. Presser tells me he will not personally conduct it this year.
17So much for the general schools, aside from the advantages of eminent private instructors. Next in importance come the clubs and societies.
19The Utopian Club.
20The Manuscript Music Society.
21The Philadelphia Symphony Society.
22The Mendelssohn Society.
23The Orpheus Club.
24The Treble Clef.
25The Matinee Club.
26The Melody Club.
27The St. Andrew's Choral Society.
28The Beethoven Quartet.
30To these influences we are to add opera of our own next season. Three pianists have made very successful bows the past winter—Miss Kate Hull Bundy, Mr. Ernest Schelling and Mr. Albert Hermann Kulling—and Mr. Robert Tempest, who has practically returned to the concert stage, promises much fine work in the future.
32The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the French and Italian opera and the Damrosch Wagner opera were all brilliantly successful.
34There will be a broadening and deepening of all these influences for the season of 1895-6. The chip is on the shoulder of musical Philadelphia. Who says we are slow?
36Nearly all of the closing spring concerts of the organizations cited above have taken place, and the close of the month will end the season for the local societies and clubs. The work has in every instance been faithfully performed, and gratefully received by the audiences. The associate membership has shown an increase over preceding years, and it is of a character which knows and appreciates the work done by the active members.
38This afternoon the Orpheus Club will close its twenty-third year's work by a musicale given in honor of the associate lady members. The chorus will have the assistance of Arthur Hartmann, violinist, the sterling little artist who has won much fame and respect this past season. Mr. Cross has labored intelligently and zealously all these many years, and, with the best works in the class of choral music always in study, has brought this splendid organization to a remarkable degree of effectiveness and precision.
40On Tuesday evening the Peakes Operatic Society gave its first public appearance at the Mercantile Club's Theatre in the club house on North Broad street. The cast was made up of pupils of Mr. Frederick Peakes and on this occasion in Gilbert and Sullivan's Sorcerer scored a hit in this beautiful little auditorium. The cast follows:
42J. W. Wells……………………………………………..E. S. Grant
43Alexis…………………………………………………….W. S. Schoedler
44Dr. Daly…………………………………………………R. J. Strine
45Sir Marmaduke………………………………………L. F. Wales, Jr.
46Notary……………………………………………………H. S. Shanklin
47Lady Sangazure………………………………………Miss F. Purves Bernard
48Aline…………………………………………………….Miss Katherine Cook
49Constance……………………………………………..Miss Isabella Wales
50Mrs. Partlet…………………………………………..Mrs. Katharine Remington
52There was a chorus of fifty voices with orchestra under the direction of Siegfried Behrens, with E. S. Grant as stage manager. The Peakes Operatic Society was formed last fall by the pupils of Frederick Peakes for the purpose of developing an interest in operatic work and bringing the students before the public. It will be interesting to learn of the results accomplished by the new Philadelphia company, whose first production is under the patronage of Mrs. T. H. Andrews, Mrs. W. L. Elkins, Jr., Mrs. C. P. Sinnickson, Mrs. George Heston, Mrs. F. J. Mathews, Mrs. W. H. Potter, Mrs. T. C. Stellwagen, Miss Mary Harkness and Miss E. H. Marshall.
54The spring concert of the Treble Clef took place on Wednesday evening in Musical Fund Hall. This society is devoted to women's voices. The chorus had the assistance of Mr. Kirk Townes, baritone, and Mr. Van Gelder, violinist. The Spinning Song, from the Flying Dutchman, Spring Song, from Samson and Delilah, and Mr. Neidlinger's Peggy Chorus were given with fine effect. Mr. Van Gelder gave the Prize Song from Wagner and Wieniawski's D major polonaise. Director Neidlinger was warmly congratulated upon the work of his society.
56The third annual subscription concert of the Mendelssohn Club took place on Thursday evening. Philadelphia composers were represented on the program by the Lullaby of Gilchrist, Hunting Song, by Hecht, Fanning's Moonlight and Liberty Chorus, two choruses by Mrs. J. Maree Corbin and Neidlinger's Jerusalem for solo and chorus. Miss Carlotta Devignes, contralto, Miss Gertrude A. Hayden, soprano, and Miss Gertrude Keppelman, violinist, assisted.
58Among the musical events of the past week was the fortnightly meeting of the Melody Club, which was devoted to the production of original compositions by members of the club. The program, arranged by Dr. E. I. Keffer and Mr. Philip H. Goepf, gave interesting evidence of the earnest results accomplished by the composers of Philadelphia.
60The most important of the larger instrumental numbers were Mr. Gilchrist's quintet for piano and string, which received careful and finished interpretation from Mr. H. A. Lang, Mr. E. D. Brill, Dr. E. I. Keffer, Mr. Febling and Mr. Heiland; a trio for piano and string by Mr. Lang, played by the composer, together with Mr. Brill and Mr. Heiland, and two movements, the scherzo and finale, from a symphony which has just been completed by Mr. Owen Wister, who was assisted in its execution by Mr. Ingham. Another new composition was Mrs. Celeste D. Heckscher's Romance, for 'cello, played by Mr. Heiland.
62The program furnished a widely varied and attractive series of songs. Mr. Goepf was represented by Mother and Child and a little German song, Ich Fühle Deinen Odem, sung by Mrs. W. H. H. Robinson; Mr. Douty by Sweet and Low, Sometimes With One I Love, and So Blue Thine Eyes, which have been heard before, but which it will be a pleasure to hear again. Three songs by Mrs. Chalia de H. Graham, Spanish in temperament, were given by Mr. E. G. McCollin, who as composer contributed a Sanctus for women's voices, with violin obligato, the incidental solos being sustained by Mrs. Thayer, and the violin obligato by Dr. Keffer.
64The program for the closing concert of the Manuscript Music Society is not yet ready for announcement. It will be given in the Academy of Music on May 14. The society has made rapid strides this season and has added many members to the various classes.
66Mrs. Charles Whelan, Miss Margaret Elliott and Mrs. DeWitt Everest sang at a musicale at the Stratford last Tuesday evening in aid of the children's ward of the University Hospital. The affair was artistically most enjoyable, and a large sum was raised for the commendable purpose mentioned.
68The fine musical library of Charles H. Jarvis was bequeathed to the University by the great musician. It will be catalogued and installed with appropriate ceremonies in the fall. There will be a room in which will be placed a piano set apart for the library, and students of music may have access thereto.
70WALTER BACON.
72The Inkasoehne.
74HUMPERDINCK wrote the following for the Frankfurt Zeitung after assisting at the first representation of the new opera by Willem de Haan, at the Court Opera House at Darmstadt. The opera called Inkasöhne (Sons of the Inca) met with an undisputed artistic success, having received a fine interpretation and stage setting. The composer of Hänsel and Gretel said:
76"If the first born opera, The Emperor's Daughter, by the Hofkapellmeister of Darmstadt reminded me of the middle phase of Wagner's musical productions, the music as well as the libretto of the Inkasöhne diverges widely from the key of the Bayreuth school. The old sunny empire of the Incas presents itself. Astalpa, the last daughter of the princely house, is to choose for a husband between Ajatarko and Huaskar, twin sons of the old Inca. She finds herself unequal to the demand, as both youths have been dear to her since her childhood.
78Each of the brothers displays a noble sentiment and makes a sacrifice in favor of the other. This is given a religious background by an oracle, which darkly hints that dissensions between brothers would bring on the downfall of the Inca empire. Ajatarko and Huaskar are both of one accord to prevent such a catastrophe. As there seems to be no possibility of solving the great first proposition Astalpa determines to make a free sacrifice of her life to end the threatened calamity. On the day the sacrifice is to take place and at the last moment she expresses the wish that not Ajatarko, but Huaskar should give her the death stroke. Unconsciously she determined her preference, the choice of which had given so much distress and doubts.
80De Haan has formed his libretto after a Belgian story. The absence of the so-called evil principle prevents a telling theatrical exterior contrast. The composer and the librettist unfold the whole from one ground thought, as the scenes in which the confidential servants of the princess exchange jokes and teasing conversation with the armor bearer Uros are only episodes. The action is ideal, and so is the music. All the acting characters use an elegant, pure language; the local color obtained its recognition only through the costumes and decorations, perhaps also through the procession of priests and warriors in the Temple of the Sun, when the rhythmic instruments produce certain barbaric sound effects. The strength of the new opera is in the delicacy of the harmonics and in the fullness of the combination of sound effects. The melody preserves throughout the character which is in keeping with the situation; it cannot be detached to form a subject of its own. Next to the adherence which is given in the score of Inkasöhne to the ground idea, the clever building up of ensemble and chorus pieces, as well as the fine sentiment of the characteristic figures of the different personages, will outshine all the rest. The weak points of the work are those that are humorous; in this the means seldom obtain the expected effects."
82Died.—Paul Petersen, a talented pianist and teacher, who some time ago acquired the proprietorship of the Becker piano manufactory in St. Petersburg, died recently in that city.
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