Scan 7
Musical Courier 1896-12-16: Vol 33 Iss 876, 1896
35 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1Trials of Orchestral Conductors.
2"Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise."
3Editors The Musical Courier:
4I NOTICED in your last issue a reprint of an article which appeared in the Detroit News, purporting to give an accurate statement why the Detroit Oratorio Society could not flourish under my direction. I hardly need explain to you that it is customary among men of artistic standing to totally ignore communications of such a character, and especially so when the writer has not the moral courage to sign his or her name. Being a public character gives anyone the right to ventilate their opinions, no matter what the motives be, in adjudging my artistic qualifications. Permit me to explain to you that the paper which published the article is known to cater nearly entirely to news of a sensational character.
5The day after the appearance of this remarkable piece of information, which set my defects in such a glaring light, the News sent a special messenger to my residence, anxious to obtain an article from me defending myself. No doubt they thought they could start a spicy controversy and were rather disappointed when I told them "that I did not believe in newspaper recriminations, that such a contemptible misrepresentation was too far below my dignity to discuss."
6However, as you have been led to reprint the statement and thereby throw open the musical condition of Detroit to the world, I now feel called upon to let a ray of light and truth fall upon the whole situation, and perhaps the city of Detroit will at some future time derive the benefit of my efforts.
7I was called to Detroit to conduct the symphony concerts, and was given to understand by several prominent musical enthusiasts that it would not be a difficult matter in a short time to have a permanent orchestra, such as the other great Western cities boast of at the present time. In connection with the orchestral work, which I knew would not amount to much this year, I endeavored to organize an oratorio society. I at once secured the interest of prominent musicians, and the Tuesday Musical, the leading society of Detroit, issued invitations to all the singers and choirs, thus bringing the Detroit Oratorio Society to life amid considerable social and professional éclat. About 200 members were enrolled, including nearly all the professional teachers and singers. Everybody seemed delighted with the prospect of having in a short time a grand chorus of from four to five hundred voices. I had planned to give the Messiah at Christmastide and St. Paul later on, the season to conclude with a May festival.
8It happened to rain on the first rehearsal night and about fifty very indifferent singers put in an appearance. With the exception of Mrs. Ida Norton not one of the capable singers turned out, and she practically sang the soprano parts herself.
9I believe I said on that evening that I hoped we would have better weather next week, so that we could earnestly commence the study of The Messiah. At the next rehearsal I had about the same attendance, though nearly an entirely different chorus met my gaze. On inquiry I discovered that that had been the customary method of the former choral society; members came and stayed away as they pleased. Mr. Laichinger, the secretary of the Detroit Musical Society, stated in a public meeting that the old society, with a membership of over 300, rarely had as many as 100 present at the rehearsals. Now, think of studying a work like The Messiah with a chorus of such unsteady methods, where the most of them had never sung in a chorus in their lives before and where a large percentage were poor readers and the most of them possessed poor voices. Imagine the necessity of dissecting every part, every phrase, every bar, and I might say every note, in order that the chorus could make any progress whatever! Imagine going over the same ground at every rehearsal on account of the many new faces which were constantly showing themselves! If any able singers did attend any of these rehearsals they must soon have realized that there could not be much pleasure in joining such a chorus, and, only as could be expected, stayed away. All this was indeed very discouraging to me, as well as to those few who did attend regularly and who did take an active interest in the work. I also fully realized the absolute futility of attempting artistic progress with such an indifferent chorus and, what was worse, such irregular attendance. I therefore did not hesitate for a moment to impress on the chorus the absolute necessity of more discipline and the necessity of everyone making an effort to increase the size of the chorus. I also stated that I would not stay in Detroit unless I saw a great improvement in every respect, for I was not accustomed to such methods and my time was too valuable to waste in useless efforts. This speech is represented as my worst break and is put down as a scolding lasting from ten minutes to half an hour at every rehearsal.
10Then the statement that the chorus had to learn a passage one way and the next time an entirely different way leads me to doubt the sanity of your informer. Really, life would be too short to attempt to teach a chorus several ways of interpretation. The other charges mentioned are on just the same idiotic basis. I doubt if there are many conductors in the world who can dissect The Messiah note for note, as I had to do, without referring to the score. The richest part of the whole argument lies in the revelation that the chorus was not a success because I was not a professional singer and did not teach voice culture and tone production. Really this last assertion might be funny if it were not so serious and appertained directly to the work of numberless choral societies.
11No, my dear friends and benighted singers of Detroit, I did not for a moment attempt to teach you how to sing; you are supposed to know how to sing before you are qualified to join an oratorio society. Such a society is not a singing school. I did not pose as a vocal instructor, but came as an orchestral conductor, capable of conducting any choral work which you could possibly learn to sing. The duty of your conductor lies in his ability to rehearse the vocal parts in a musicianly manner: but the chief test of his worth lies in his ability to combine the chorus with the orchestra at the public performance.
12This only an experienced orchestral conductor can do, and it would not require a great effort to point out a large number of prominent societies whose conductors regularly at every public concert become the laughing stock of the musicians. On these occasions the orchestra becomes an elephant on their hands, and they do not know what to do with it. I need only remind Detroit of the experience of their former choral society, which was under the direction of a most excellent and respected musician, who is a most thorough vocal and choral instructor, yet the public performances, with orchestral accompaniment, were said to be more fun than a box of monkeys, and the experiment cost the society about $6,500 in a few years. I have been told that Detroit never has had a good performance of The Messiah; and that once Berlioz's Damnation de Faust was attempted with the local orchestra. Imagine an orchestra which is not capable of playing the introductory eight bars to Schubert's unfinished symphony attempting such a work! The orchestra had about twenty rehearsals, and the more they rehearsed the worse it went. The result at the concert was a damnation without Faust.
13I am perfectly willing to acknowledge myself a failure under such inartistic conditions, but I really believe I would have lost every particle of self-respect if I had not resigned when I did.
14On one occasion just three tenors put in an appearance, two of whom could not read and the third was too much frightened to go it alone, although he made every effort to do so. About the sixth rehearsal, the night before the election, which might this year have been considered a bad night, we had the best attendance, over 100 being present. We had an excellent rehearsal, and I began to feel hopeful that after the election things would brighten up. The rehearsal after that eventful day brought out an attendance of about thirty. This statement, which can easily be verified, proves that the members did not drop out after the first rehearsal, but that they came and absented themselves just as they pleased and as has been customary in Detroit for years past.
15I cannot imagine for the life of me why anyone should be prompted to circulate such a series of infamous misrepresentations, which they know to be false in every particular. Is it professional jealousy, is it personal pique or genuine ignorance?
16However, notwithstanding all the serious drawbacks enumerated, the chorus was able in two months' time to learn eight of the choruses of The Messiah in a fair manner, which they never would have been able to do if I had not drilled them so thoroughly and patiently.
17Of course one cannot deny the good people of Detroit the privilege of imagining themselves quite as far advanced in musical culture as the effete East. I will conclude my missive by enumerating a few of their special advantages: they have a few very excellent musicians, who would only be too happy to be able to leave the city to enjoy a more congenial musical atmosphere; they also have quite a number of very prosperous singing teachers, who object to their pupils joining oratorio societies, as they say chorus singing injures the voice, and besides there is a danger that they might gain a little broader view of music in general; they also have a 5 cent singing school, where prospective singers can enjoy hearing the director relate anecdotes. They have 15 cent popular concerts, 50 cent chamber concerts and 62 1/2 cent symphony concerts. All these factors undoubtedly must exert a powerful influence in advancing the musical standard of a community. one of two readings
18Of course one cannot deny the good people of Detroit the privilege of imagining themselves quite as far advanced in musical culture as the effete East. I will conclude my missive by enumerating a few of their special advantages; they have a few very excellent musicians, who would only be too happy to be able to leave the city to enjoy a more congenial musical atmosphere; they also have quite a number of very prosperous singing teachers, who object to their pupils joining oratorio societies, as they say chorus singing injures the voice, and besides there is a danger that they might gain a little broader view of music in general; they also have a 5 cent singing school, where prospective singers can enjoy hearing the director relate anecdotes. They have 15 cent popular concerts, 50 cent chamber concerts and 62 1/2 cent symphony concerts. All these factors undoubtedly must exert a powerful influence in advancing the musical standard of a community. one of two readings
19I should like, however, to speak a word of praise and encouragement to the ladies constituting the Tuesday Musical. The work of these ladies is practically the only redeeming feature of the musical life of Detroit, as through their efforts leading soloists are enabled to at least appear in recital work during the season. The orchestral situation is even more hopeless than the choral. It seems the mission of every orchestral player to work against everybody else, to attend as few rehearsals as possible and to receive as much pay as possible. I discovered a good many points which were quite a revelation, notwithstanding my experience as orchestral conductor, for instance: Two trombones being preferable to three, as the third did not time anyhow, the third and fourth horns being rejected on the same ground; a second oboe being considered an unnecessary luxury and expense. When I insisted that I must have the full complement of instruments I was given to understand that I would have to have twenty first violins to counterbalance the brass and wind instruments. Yet this orchestra has in the past aspired to play Beethoven and Mozart symphonies, Massenet suites, in fact anything.
20My resignation from both oratorio and symphony societies is the only redeeming feature of the whole controversy. I have been likened to a round peg not fitting in a square hole; no, I am a pretty square peg and do not fit in any round hole.
21I trust, however, that my mission has not been entirely in vain, for it gave me the opportunity of thoroughly discussing the musical situation of Detroit with several public spirited men, who can be counted on in the near future to undertake a change for the better. "Tis an ill wind that blows no good." Yours truly, ROSS JUNGNICKEL, Steinway Hall.
22Wallenstein.—The pianist and composer Martin Wallenstein died at Frankfort November 29. A piano concerto, an overture and an opera, Das Testament, had value.
23Reinhold Becker.—The one act opera Ratbold, by R. Becker, was produced for its first performance at the City Theatre, Mainz, on Thursday, November 26, with great success.
24The Masterpieces of Vocalization.
25EDITED BY MAX SPICKER.
26A graded series of Vocal Studies for all voices, selected from the celebrated works of Bordese, Bordogni, Lamperti, Marchesi, Nava, Sieber and many others.
27Twenty-three Books at 50 cents.
28Will be sent for examination.
29Send for latest Bulletin.
30G. SCHIRMER, NEW YORK.
31Wm. H. RIEGER,
32Tenor.
33ORATORIO, CONCERT AND SONG RECITALS.
34For terms, dates, etc., address 18 E. 22d Street, New York.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.