Scan 31
Musical Courier 1900-10-31: Vol 41 Iss 1075, 1900
41 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 32. See the scan on archive.org.
1Sims Reeves Dead.
3SIMS REEVES, the English tenor, died last Thursday at Worthing, Sussex, at the age of seventy-eight.
5A little country church of a Kentish village, still retaining its rural simplicity, though within an easy walk of Woolwich Arsenal and London's southeastern suburbs, preserves a tradition that Sims Reeves, England's greatest tenor, was its organist in his boyhood. He was born at Shooters Hill, Kent, October 21, 1822, and early displayed such musical talent that, under the fostering care of his father, who placed him in the charge of H. Calcott for harmony and John Cramer for the piano, he was not only a master of the organ, but proficient with the oboe, bassoon, 'cello and violin before he was fifteen. But nature had endowed the North Cray organist with the exceptional gift of a tenor voice of exquisite quality. He was trained at first as a baritone, and he first made an appearance as a public singer at a theatre in Newcastle-on-Tyne, in 1839, singing, as was then the fashion, between the acts. Three years later he was engaged by Macready to sing at Drury Lane in "As You Like It," and was a member of the same company as Miss Clara Novello.
7Sensible, however, of a lack of the necessary artistic culture and resolute to attain the summit of his profession, Sims Reeves sought in Paris and Milan full technical training, studying first under Bordogni and in Italy under Mazzucato and the maestro Bayetti. The stage of La Scala was opened to him, and his success in the part of Edgardo, in "Lucia di Lammermoor," was instantaneous with the critical Milanese.
9Returning to England in 1847, his début at Drury Lane, under the management of M. Jullien, with Berlioz as conductor, in his favorite part of Edgardo, was nothing less than a triumph, and thenceforward he ranked as the first of English tenors, to whom none in the last fifty years has approached, with the exception of Edward Lloyd, and that only in the field of oratorio. For many years no provincial festival was considered complete unless Sims Reeves was there to take the favorite arias of Händel, Haydn or Mendelssohn.
11As an artist Sims Reeves stood out persistently for those privileges which the possession of an unrivaled voice might be considered to confer on him. In the opening of his career at Milan he once refused to sing owing to a throat trouble, and though a squad of gendarmes carried him off from his house to La Scala, he remained obdurate. So frequent in his latter years did the disappointments to the public become that Sims Reeves was himself a sufferer. He never acquired the great fortune which lay within his grasp and his old age was spent in comparative poverty. To the surprise of his friends, he married in 1895 Miss Luccomb, and started on a singing tour through Australia. Bankruptcy left him without means, and only a civil pension of $500 granted by Queen Victoria in the spring of this year saved from utter destitution the aged singer. one of two readings
12As an artist Sims Reeves stood out persistently for those privileges which the possession of an unrivaled voice might be considered to confer on him. In the opening of his career at Milan he once refused to sing owing to a throat trouble, and though a squad of gendarmes carried him off from his house to La Scala, he remained obdurate. So frequent in his latter years did the disappointments to the public become that Sims Reeves was himself a sufferer. He never acquired the great fortune which lay within his grasp and his old age was spent in comparative poverty. To the surprise of his friends, he married in 1895 Miss Lucomba, and started on a singing tour through Australia. Bankruptcy left him without means, and only a civil pension of $500 granted by Queen Victoria in the spring of this year saved from utter destitution the aged singer. one of two readings
14Charlotte Maconda.
16ON November 7, Charlotte Maconda, the celebrated soprano, will appear as principal soloist at the big St. Louis Festival. This beautiful singer is one of the most successful artists in this country to-day, and there is no doubt that she will score a triumph before one of the largest audiences at the musical festival.
18Trained under the best masters in America, she stands in a class by herself. Her entire musical education was received in this country, and her successes prove that in America we have the best teachers of voice to be found anywhere in the world.
20Madame Maconda is a coloratura singer, but the rich quality of her medium register enables her to sing songs and arias not usually attempted by singers of her class. The authority with which she sings oratorio always calls forth unstinted praise, and her lieder interpretation is particularly charming.
22Always in the middle of a note she produces a flute-like tone that is most pleasing to the ear. When the quality of her voice is considered it is really remarkable to note the compass of her voice. She sustains high F above the staff with apparent ease and artistic surety, and in numbers requiring a high voice she is especially strong. She is a great favorite among the festival associations, as well as the symphony orchestras and large musical organizations, and her manager, Loudon G. Charlton, has already booked her for a considerable number of important engagements, including some in Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati, New Haven, Boston, Nashville, &c.
24Her fame reaches from shore to shore, and there are few musical people in this country who have not heard of the representative American coloratura soprano. The Cincinnati Tribune speaks of her as follows after her success at the big Saengerfest last year:
26Charlotte Maconda sang the "Bell Song," from "Lakmé," as only an artist of her fine proportions can do. She has a coloratura soprano voice that seems to be adapted to all the requirements and demands that can be made of it. Her command of embellishment has apparently no limit. Her tones are musical and soft as velvet—and yet they are endowed with remarkable carrying power. That was demonstrated last night in the vast hall, where her voice reached every nook and corner. Another remarkable quality of her voice is its purity of intonation. She was effective till the close, when she reached high D (above the staff) with the greatest of ease.
28Her work in the "Mad Scene" from "Lucia" is especially powerful and convincing, and is one of her principal numbers. In describing this work, the Portland Daily Advertiser says:
30Charlotte Maconda sang the "Mad Scene" from "Lucia" and carried her audience by storm. She has a pleasing presence, and her clear, forceful soprano is a delight. Her execution of the dainty music, with flute obligato, was thoroughly admirable. Other artists of perhaps greater fame have sung this same selection here, but no one with more instant success. She was so enthusiastically applauded that she was forced to repeat the Finale, receiving at the close a repetition of the ovation with which she was at first greeted. Since the festival began, nothing has given greater pleasure.
32Francis Fischer Powers Resumes.
34MR. POWERS arrived from his month's rest, following upon his very successful season of teaching at Kansas City, when he had nearly 100 pupils from various parts of the country. Several of his best summer pupils will continue with him here, and his lesson book is already well filled.
36On the way East he gave a series of concerts and song recitals, everywhere meeting with the greatest imaginable success, for there is not a city of any size but has its enthusiastic Powers pupils. In all case crowded houses were the rule, and the reception given this singer and teacher was hearty in the extreme.
38Mr. Powers' plans for the season will soon be announced—enough for the present that he starts with probably as large a class as any New York teacher, all eager for the six months' season which Mr. Powers devotes to the metropolis.
40Frederick Johnson is as usual Mr. Powers' right hand man, and the many who have doings with him are glad to see Johnson in his old place, as of yore.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.