Scan 12
Musical Courier 1901-04-24: Vol 42 Iss 1100, 1901
69 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 13. See the scan on archive.org.
1Francesco Fanciulli.
3FANCIULLI, the musician and bandmaster, is an American by adoption, although an Italian by birth, having been born at Port St. Stephen, a small village near Rome.
5He showed evidence of unusual musical talent at an early age, and when only nine he became a member of a philharmonic society composed of boys of the village, and within a very short time their instructor appointed him assistant leader.
7A great Italian bandmaster, who heard young Fanciulli play, advised his father to send him to the Florence Conservatory to complete his musical education. He studied harmony, counterpoint and composition, and devoted himself to various orchestral and band instruments. He soon became a proficient performer upon the trumpet. So rapid was his advancement that at the age of seventeen he was awarded a diploma.
9He entered into competition with thirty-five of the best professional musicians of Italy for the position of solo concert trumpet at the Royal Theatre, Pergola, where grand opera was produced, and was successful in securing the appointment. While at a student at Florence he acted for his teacher as assistant organist at several churches. At the close of his engagement at Florence he visited Rome, where he duplicated his successes, and afterward toured the country as cornet virtuoso, meeting with marked success.
11After his tour he was recalled to Florence to accept the position of director of grand opera at the Goldoni Theatre, and afterward the Politeama and National. In the year 1876 he came to America.
13His first engagement was as organist of St. Peter's Church, Brooklyn, and afterward of St. James' Church, New York. While here he met the great bandmaster Gilmore, who readily recognized his ability as a composer and arranger. Fanciulli was the first to write descriptive music, and so impressed was Gilmore with the young musician that he engaged him to write a series of that class of work, among which is "Gilmore's Band Tour of the Nation"; in the finale he blended in perfect harmony various national airs—"The Voyage of Columbus," "Trip to Manhattan Beach" and "Trip to Mars," which Gilmore, with his famous band, played throughout the continent, creating great enthusiasm everywhere.
15His latest work of this character, "With Dewey at Manila," a descriptive fantasia depicting Dewey's achievement at Manila Bay, was first played by his well-known Seventy-first Regiment Band at a special concert given in honor of the Admiral at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, during the Dewey festivities. He next visited Boston, where he conducted a short season of grand opera. Through Gilmore's recommendation and influence Fanciulli was appointed leader of the Marine Band at Washington, in which position he served five years, and at the expiration of his term obtained an honorable discharge. While there he brought the band to a high state of proficiency, and was instrumental in having the membership increased from forty to fifty-two.
17At the close of his services at Washington he decided to come to New York, which afforded a larger field for his work, where his ability has been both recognized and appreciated. When he arrived in New York he was elected and appointed leader of the Seventy-first Regiment Band, and he has brought that organization to a standard of excellency. He is popular, and deservedly so. His well directed concerts at Central Park and Manhattan Beach have made him and his band famous. After all, it is public applause that is most grateful to a leader, and Fanciulli has attained it most rapidly. Fanciulli's ability as a composer is national. Besides his marches, patriotic music and compositions for bands and orchestras, he has written many sacred works, masses, vespers, motets, and several grand and light operas.
19His greatest effort is the grand opera "Priscilla; or, the Landing of the Pilgrims" (soon to be produced). He is at present at work upon an opera to be called "Melinchen." As a man Mr. Fanciulli is a genial, courteous gentleman, magnetic to a marked degree, and always ready to work for the exaltation of his art. He is patriotic and bears the distinction of being the only New York regimental bandmaster who volunteered to go to the front during our war with Spain.
21Herbert Witherspoon.
23HERBERT WITHERSPOON, the bass, has been exceptionally busy of late. On March 20 he sang the whole song cycle "Maud" for bass voice, by Arthur Sommerville, also the "Daisy Chain," with Miss Margaret Hall and Mrs. Seabury Ford, in Cleveland, Ohio, and achieved great success.
25The following week he sang in "The Messiah" in Montreal, Canada, creating a sensation with the "Why Do the Nations?" His press comments also state that he created another sensation in Newark on April 11, at the concert directed by Frederick Voss at the Krueger Auditorium, receiving repeated recalls and encores. On April 16 he sang with the Amphion Glee Club in Hoboken, where he was equally successful.
27Mr. Witherspoon is one of those singers who can be called on at a moment's notice for almost any of the works now before the public, as his repertory includes sixty oratorios, operas and cantatas.
29Following are a few of his recent notices:
30* * * She shared honors with E. C. Towne, tenor, and H. Witherspoon, bass, both of whom made a very favorable impression. Mr. Witherspoon, indeed, created rather a sensation by his singing. He has a full, round voice, with both registers very flexible. He sang with the utmost ease. His fine presence added to his success. Mr. Towne also delighted the musically inclined people by his clear, high tenor notes.—Newark Globe.
32* * * Mr. Witherspoon has not been heard here before, but his fine bass voice and excellent method of using it created an excellent impression. * * *—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
34Herbert Witherspoon, the bass, possesses a fine voice, which he used with very considerable ability. He obtained some very fine effects, his chest tones being especially rich and mellow. His solo, "Why Do the Nations?" was sung with fine dramatic intensity.—Montreal Star.
36Carl Gralow and His Recent Triumphs.
38CARL GRALOW, whose splendid singing and fine personality have won him many friends here since his arrival from Berlin, Germany, some time ago, had two recent triumphs that deserve more than a passing notice. One was in "The Crucifixion," given on Good Friday last at St. Andrew's Church, Yonkers. He sang the bass part in the work with thrilling effect, and the other was at the Liederkranz Society, where he was the guest of honor on Wednesday evening last. Mr. Gralow's bass voice was never heard to better effect than on this occasion, and he not only had an ovation, but was elected at once a member of the club. Mr. Gralow has also been heard to splendid advantage at the musicales of Francis Fischer Powers, with whom he has studied since coming to this country. Musicians are agreed that a brilliant future must be his.
40Miss Norri's Western Tour.
42MISS MARGUERITE FREELING-NORRI, the contralto, is making a Western tour. The singer has also been engaged for six club concerts in Texas, and she will sing at Ouachita College, Arkadelphia, Ark., some time in May. Miss Norri will return to New York about the end of May.
44The Hay-Thompson Songs.
46THERE is a demand among all our best singers for songs with good English words. Heinrich Meyn was remarking on this fact when last in Washington. It is hard to find songs with good English words, and the English translations of German and French songs are so poor. The following newspaper clippings will show that the press is unanimous in praising the words of the "Three Songs," from Helen Hay's "Some Verses," music by Berenice Thompson:
48The frequent use of labials in Miss Hay's poems makes them particularly suited for vocal enunciation. Ms, Ns and Rs are the delight of the vocalist, and he comes to grief over guttural sounds and such combinations as "ch," "th" and "z." There is an art in writing words for music, though it would be difficult to explain what makes a good "song poem." The last song of the three published, "Sleep, My Heart," was written by Miss Hay with the intention of having it set to music. In the first line, "Love is a broken lily," the singer is able to make the "attack" on the smoothest possible sounds, and there is the least possible hindrance to the production of a good tone on the vowels in each word. This detail of song writing is little noticed, and Miss Thompson, who set Miss Hay's poems to music, is the first person to call attention to its importance, though many song writers have followed the rule unconsciously.—New York Press.
50The possibility of setting Miss Hay's poems to music has been more than once suggested by those who have heard her read them at entertainments for charitable purposes in Washington last winter. She has a full, rich contralto voice, and her poems had a peculiarly musical effect as she read them. It has been pointed out that her poems easily lend themselves to musical setting, because of her remarkable facility in writing words that are easy of enunciation by singers. The tone production is on vowel sounds, and Miss Hay is fond of using syllables which begin with labials. The last song, "Sleep, My Heart," which is the most nearly "popular" of the group, is a good example of her musical art. The accented syllables are placed in each line so as to correspond exactly with those in the same line of the next verse; the number of syllables is the same, and the sentiment expressed by the corresponding lines in each verse is similar.—New York Times.
52Miss Hay's words are especially suited for enunciation in singing. The second of the group, "The Everlasting Snows," is a sonnet in its poetical structure, and Mrs. Thompson has displayed much musical ingenuity in composing appropriate music for it. The iambic pentameter of the sonnet and its peculiar structure (in divisions of eight and six lines) make very difficult its setting to music in either triple or quadruple time, but those difficulties Miss Thompson has overcome without apparent effort, so far as the musical effect is concerned.—Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
54Hannah & Hamlin Notes.
56GEORGE HAMLIN, who was to have sung in Albany, N. Y., on May 2, has been released from that engagement in order to accompany the Thomas Orchestra on its coming Southern tour.
58Charles W. Clark left for Boston last Sunday, where he is to sing on March 28 with the St. Cecelia Society.
60Master Lloyd Simonson, the boy soprano, appears in a recital at Richmond, Ind., on Wednesday evening, March 27, under the auspices of the Woman's Musical Club.
62Sue Harrington Furbeck, contralto, was soloist at a musicale given on Tuesday morning, March 26, at the Illinois Club, and is also engaged to appear at Aurora, Ill., on May 21.
64Arthur Dunham, solo organist at Sinai Temple, will sail from New York on Saturday, May 4, for several months' absence in Europe, where he will combine pleasure with study. It is announced that his substitute at Sinai will be Mrs. Eleanor Fisher, well known as an organist and accompanist. Mr. Dunham will return about September 1, bringing with him a quantity of select new music, which will for the first time be available for organ recitals.
66Charles W. Clark has been engaged to aid in the dedication exercises of a new church at Neenah, Wis., the last week in April.
68The Apollo Club sang for the "Forward Movement" at the Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Church on Thursday evening, March 28. Arthur Dunham presided at the organ.
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