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Musical Courier 1900-04-11: Vol 40 Iss 1046, 1900
70 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 13. See the scan on archive.org.
1616 Twelfth Street, N. W.
2WASHINGTON, April 7, 1900.
4LAST week's Washington letter contained an account of some of the great advantages which makes Washington a fit city for a future musical centre, and a promise was made to enumerate some of the present disadvantages which musicians here have to encounter. First, last and all the time, the local musicians are not properly paid; and that really is the root of all the musical evils now existing in Washington. The best music teachers are not sufficiently well paid, and all who can do so conveniently will leave the city to go where they can earn a proper salary. Singers and players are not properly remunerated for concert work and competition keeps cutting the prices lower.
6Then we are sorely in need of a concert hall, and although we have most encouraging prospects in this regard, the want of one is just as keenly felt at present as if there were no prospects.
8We have no conservatory or musical college where students may study all the different branches of musical science and art and may obtain what is known as a broad musical education.
10Then there is that demoralizing tendency of the population—and especially the churches—mentioned in a previous article, to secure the services of artists without remuneration or at a very small pittance, and this tendency should be stamped out with the utmost determination by the musicians themselves.
12In a later article I will try to sketch out the remedies of these evils which are almost entirely financial, and therefore very effectual, and will then return to the bright and much more encouraging side of the present situation.
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16The choruses which the Choral Society are preparing for their concert on April 27 are "Scene and Prayer" from "Cavalleria Rusticana"; "When Dusky Twilight," "La Sonnambula"; sextet, "What From Vengeance Yet Restains Me," from "Lucia"; "Brightly the Rosy Morn," "William Tell"; "Hail Mighty Ptilia," from "Aida"; "Take My Offering," "Paris and Helene"; "Let's Enjoy While the Season," from "Don Giovanni"; "Prisoners' Chorus," from "Fidelio"; "The Stars That Are Shining" (Gypsy Chorus), "Preciosa," and the Finale from "Die Meistersinger." The soloists who have been engaged for the concert are Sara Anderson, Mary Helen Howe, Miss Bond, W. H. McFarland, Mr. Kaiser, Myron Whitney, Mr. Rand and Mr. Walter.
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20Mr. Edward Droop, of the Droop & Sons' music house, will give an Angelus concert at the Saengerbund to-morrow night. The program will consist of "The Jolly Robbers" overture, by Suppé; "Grand Valse," by Chopin; "Spinning Song," by Wagner; Grieg's "Papillon," Chamindi's "Lesonyers," Gottschalk's "Pasquenade," Nevin's "Water Nymph" and "Narcissus," Paur's "La Cascade," Mendelssohn's "Rondo Capriccioso," "Whistling Rufus," "Love's Dream After the Ball," and Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever."
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24The program for the Saengerbund concert of last week consisted of several numbers by the society, the assisting artists being Mrs. Annie Lillibridge Goodhue, Anton Kaspar, Mrs. Shoenecker, Samuel Cross, Estelle Wentworth, C. F. Crosby, Charles Moore and Wilhelm Sauer.
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28The position of Cora Merriam Howes in music is a rather unique and original one. Miss Howes combines music with patriotism, making it her self-assigned duty to aid the cause of her country by music and poetry on all national occasions. She has carried her bent to a still further degree by volunteering to spend one hour and a half each week at the Congressional Library in examining the compositions of American composers, and tabulating her comments on each work examined. She has worked steadily at this labor, never missing a week since last July; and she hopes to see the day when her efforts may be utilized by presenting these works at concerts. These concerts will be given by a society for the encouragement of American composers and musicians, which will have to be formed, and will have to raise money for the concerts. Miss Howes is not at all daunted, however, by the largeness of the undertaking.
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32Jessica Cowling has formed an ensemble class of her violin pupils. It meets weekly, and string quartets with piano accompaniments are read at sight. There is a public meeting once a month which is devoted to one particular composer, and which shows the results gained at the weekly meetings. The next meeting will be devoted to Mozart, when the "Andante" from the "Eighth Quartet," "Divertimento," trio for violin, viola, and 'cello, E flat concerto for violin, minuet from "Divertimento" in D, Papageno's song from "Zauberflöte," and some of Mozart's quartets will be rendered. The class will be assisted by Edwin Hughes, the talented pupil of John Porter Laurence, who will play one of the Mozart sonatas for piano.
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36What painter-artist belongs to the Chamber Music Club? There was a hand-made announcement of their last concert—the only one of its kind—and illustrated in the window of Ellis's music store before the concert, and I have been pondering over it ever since.
38* * *
40The coming week will be marked by the presentation of many cantatas and other large musical works of a sacred character in the various churches. Some of them are: Gaul's "The Passion," Good Friday night at Trinity, direction of W. A. Kirkpatrick.
41Stainer's "The Crucifixion," same evening at St. Andrew's. Soloists: Charles G. McRoberts, Douglass G. Miller and Virginia Powell Goodwin. There will also be a string quartet.
42"The Seven Last Words of Christ," by Theodore Dubois, for the first time, at Concordia Church, Tuesday evening. Violin solo by Bertha Lucas.
43"The Crucifixion" will also be given on Wednesday at St. John's Church, under the direction of H. H. Freeman.
45* * *
47The "War Songs of Nations," at Columbia Theatre on April 22, promises to be of great interest.
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51There will be a musical service of special interest at the Pro-Cathedral to-morrow evening, under the direction of Ernest T. Winchester, the organist.
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55The following announcement has been received: "Some of the people of Capitol Hill have a movement on foot to start an institution to be known as the 'Washington College of Art.' In fact, it is already started, and it is expected to have its affairs in good running order in the early fall. The office is at the corner of C and Second streets, S. E., with Charles B. Fonda, well known in Washington as a thorough business man, as the manager."
56"Prof. Ernest T. Winchester, organist and choirmaster of the Pro-Cathedral, has been selected as director of the musical part, and Prof. Koehler, an instructor at Georgetown University, will have charge of the Thespian department."
57"It is intended to enlist the services of the finest instructors, as members of the faculty, and it is confidently expected that within a very short time this city will see a flourishing and incorporated college of music, second to none in the country. The people of this city should certainly appreciate and encourage such a plan."
58BERENICE THOMPSON.
60Ernestine Fish.
61Mrs. Ernestine Fish, of Boston, has just returned from Europe, where she has been singing in concert with great success. Mrs. Fish had offers to return to Germany next season for concert work. Mrs. Fish made an immediate and unqualified success wherever she sung. In Mannheim she was the soloist at a concert of the Mannheimer String Quartet, and the press had nothing but praise for her.
62A delightful change between the quartets were the songs of an American singer, Mrs. Ernestine Fish, of Boston. She sang with a beautiful, sonorous and most excellently cultivated contralto songs by Schubert, Grieg and Brahms. She showed as much intellectual understanding as warmth of feeling, and was recalled after every number.—Mannheimer Volksblatt.
63In the matinee of the Mannheimer String Quartet yesterday the vocal soloist was Mrs. Ernestine Fish, of Boston. Mrs. Fish possesses a beautiful alto voice of large compass and a cultivation worthy of great praise. We heard five songs from her "Irrlicht," "Rast," "An die Musik," by Schubert; "Herbstimung," by Grieg, and "Liebestreu," by Brahms, which were most interestingly sung. The hearty applause that the sympathetic singer obtained was well earned. With the Brahms and the last Schubert she was particularly successful.—Dr. W., in General Anzeiger.
64A contralto of Boston, Mrs. Ernestine Fish, owns a voice of splendid compass. She sang three songs by Schubert and one each by Brahms and Grieg. Particularly well sung was "An die Musik," by Schubert, but best that of Brahms' "Liebesreue." Here the singer displayed all the abundant beauty of her voice and art. She can always be heard with pleasure.—K. E., in Badische Landeszeitung.
65The vocal soloist was Mrs. Ernestine Fish, of Boston. The lady possesses a pronounced contralto of good compass. The timbre of the voice is noble, the tone is full and strong and yet not deficient in mellowness. The delivery of the songs revealed the technically finely cultivated artist with splendid tone production and smoothness in all registers. For an American her German enunciation is excellent. She sang songs by Schubert, Grieg and Brahms and gained a brilliant success.—Dr. Strauss, in Pfälzische Rundschau.
66An American, Mrs. Ernestine Fish, of Boston, sang songs by Schubert, Grieg and Brahms. Ernestine Fish possesses a pronounced alto voice of beautiful, sonorous quality in both high and low registers. The voice is finely cultivated and for an American Ernestine Fish speaks German very correctly. The interpretation of the songs revealed striking intellectual conception and warmth of feeling. The singer was recalled after every number.—J. Richard, in Mannheimer Tageblatt.
67Etta C. Keil.
68A large and fashionable audience listened recently to a piano recital given by the pupils of Theodore Salmon, in Carnegie Lecture Hall, Pittsburg, assisted by Miss Etta C. Keil, soprano, and Miss Katherine DeN. Wilson.
69The Rev. Joseph Tonello, of Galesburg, Ill., has written an "Ave Maria" dedicated to Mme. Emma Nevada, which she is to sing in Paris. It has all the religious sentiment coupled with musical judgment and discretion that is essential in a composition of that nature.
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