Scan 39
Musical Courier 1903-02-25: Vol 46 Iss 1196, 1903
70 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 40. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE ST. LOUIS APOLLO CLUB.
2St. Louis, February 15, 1903.
4To The Musical Courier:
5FOR many editions of your paper, dating back several weeks, you have constantly upheld the idea of equality in criticisms; or, I might put it, "Justice to whom justice is due."
6You have further remarked in your columns that you were at all times ready and anxious to correct any mistakes that your paper has printed. I am therefore going to put you on your honor and judge from what reply I may get whether you are acting in good faith or not.
7There appeared in your paper of the last edition, February 11, a criticism in regard to the Apollo Club's concert of January 27. With very few exceptions the criticism is entirely false and unjust.
8The Apollo Club was organized in the year 1893, and was not organized for the amusement of its members or of the members' friends. The purpose of the Apollo Club was to aid in the musical culture of St. Louis and musical intelligence among its members. It is true that Alfred G. Robyn conducted the club's work for eight years. But in that time you could count on your fingers the number of actually respectable and musical pieces that the club sang. If the "Stein Song," "They Kissed, I Saw Them Do It," and numerous other songs of the same type are to be classed as first class music, then indeed the club gave its patrons the highest class music. However, with the perfection that the club attained under its first director, it is a notable fact that the associate membership was becoming very much disgusted. As far as the club is concerned, all the rank criticisms that could be printed would not hurt it at all in comparison to the harm done to one of the most earnest and conscientious leaders it has been the club's good luck to obtain—I mean Charles Galloway.
9Does it not stand to reason that it is far more easy for a person to take charge of an organization in its very inception than it is to undertake the leadership when that organization has been led by another person of almost opposite characteristics? This was what Mr. Galloway had to contend with. True it is that our most lenient critic has condescended to acknowledge that the first concert of this season, 1902-3, was a marked improvement over all previous work of the club. Can it be possible that a strange leader could come in and master the peculiarities of the organization, make himself understood, and create a perfect furor of praise on the part of the public? And, further, can it be possible that this same critic, who so eloquently described the success of this last concert of January 27, and who predicted such a glowing success for the club's future work, and, further, who paid to our leader, Mr. Galloway, one of the highest tributes, and all of these lavish criticisms appearing in one of our leading daily papers—can it be possible, I ask, that this same critic will, in the space of a few weeks, change his mind and cause one of the most unjust and galling criticisms to appear in so renowned a paper as THE MUSICAL COURIER? It is certainly a very queer proceeding.
10If you would trouble yourself to secure the clipping from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat for Wednesday morning, January 28, you would find for yourself that these two criticisms do not fit each other at all.
11In reality, the work of the club at its last concert so stirred the people that too much praise could not be accorded its energetic leader. Now, if you will look at the previous concert programs for last year and years before that, what do you see for the club's pieces. Light, frivolous, unsympathetic, undignified, unconscientious selections. Look to these last two concerts at which our present leader presided. What do you see? Sincerity on the part of the leader; dignity, conscientiousness and hard work. Mr. Galloway is master of the situation. And never in all the history of the club have the rehearsals of this famous organization been conducted with such earnestness and conscientious work as has characterized the rehearsals for our last two concerts.
12Believe me when I say, once more, that it is not the club that is hurt so much as it is the reputation of our esteemed leader. And the longer you allow such rank criticisms to be published in your paper, you are not only hurting your subscription in St. Louis but you are influencing the people, who believe everything they read, to lose their faith in the music of St. Louis. You are injuring the growth of music here by letting such a person dictate to you, critically, the doings of the St. Louis people; and you will be harboring a pessimist who will criticise flatteringly if you can do him a good turn, and who will condemn you as a lunatic for trying to be musically inclined if you rub his mane the wrong way.
13Mr. Galloway will prove to the people very conclusively that the Apollo Club's music will not degenerate, as Mr. Robyn's spirit vanishes into the past. It is a great wonder to me that the stand our poetic critic has taken would permit him to even think of Mr. Robyn's spirit vanishing into the past.
14As regards Miss Ruegger's work your paper has well stated that she holds the warmest affections of the St. Louis people, and we wish her all success possible for her to obtain.
15Madame Lunn's work was beyond our expectations, as we had heard hardly anything concerning her work. Contrary to your esteemed critic's opinion, her voice was full, rich, and carried with wonderful quality even to the most piano movements. A MEMBER OF THE CLUB.
17Burrowes' Music Method.
18IT has for some time been the consensus of opinion of the hundreds of teachers of the Burrowes Musical Kindergarten Method that the name should be changed in consonance with the fact that this is really not simply a kindergarten method. It is a primary music method, but is so arranged that children of all ages are often encountered in the same class. At Borough Park and at the Fifty-sixth street branch, Brooklyn, as well as at the New York branch, 954 Eighth avenue (the Riesberg studio), the method is in full swing, now entering upon the second half term, these classes all taught by Mrs. Carolyn Wade Green, of Brooklyn. At Flushing, L. I., Mrs. Kirpal has several large classes, and in all these the interest of the pupils is sincere and continued; they come too early and stay too long—quite a contrast to the old experience of teaching children.
19Mrs. Green's experience with this method is printed in the back advertising columns of THE MUSICAL COURIER. Some well known professionals in New York are making personal inquiry into this method, with a view to instituting classes under their supervision. There is nothing in recent musical development which chains young students' attention as does this modern offshoot of good old Father Froebel.
21Miss Hilke's Song Recital.
22MISS KATHRIN HILKE, one of New York's most popular church choir singers, gave a recital in Mendelssohn Hall Thursday afternoon of last week. A large audience heard her in a list of twenty songs, beginning with the old Italian "Caro mio ben," by Giordani, and ending with the modern "The Nightingale Has a Lyre of Gold," by Arthur Foote. Besides songs in Italian and English Miss Hilke sang German lieder by Schumann, Brahms, Schubert and von Fielitz, and French songs by Dubois, Saint-Saëns and Augusta Holmès. It was a very interesting program and the soprano pleased many by her sweet voice and her animated interpretation, particularly of the modern songs. After the recital Miss Hilke was surrounded by her friends and congratulated upon the success of her concert.
24FANNIE BLOOMFIELD ZEISLER.
25IT is already known that this lady, who was to have been the soloist at the Boston Symphony concert on Thursday evening last in Carnegie Hall, was obliged to leave here suddenly for Chicago because of the dangerous sickness of her husband, Sigmund Zeisler. The cancellation not only applied to this concert, however, but also to the following dates which had to be relinquished: February 23, Bridgeport; 24th, New York recital; 25th, Brooklyn; 21st, Boston; March 3, Syracuse; 6th and 7th, Pittsburgh; 11th, Washington, and 13th, Baltimore. All these dates are now off on account of this sad state of affairs. It is hoped by everyone that Mr. Zeisler will recover and that Madame Bloomfield Zeisler will have a triumphant tour in all these cities, where there are thousands of people anxious to hear her play.
27Edward Barrow's Recital.
28EDWARD F. BARRROW, a young tenor and a pupil of Dudley Buck, Jr., gave an English song recital in the Astor Gallery of the Waldorf-Astoria Tuesday evening, February 17. He was assisted by Charles Gilbert Spross, pianist, and Victor Sörlin, 'cellist. His program was as follows:
29Songs—
30Jean ………………………………………………………..C. G. Spross
31Following Suit…………………………………………C. G. Spross
32The Night Has a Thousand Eyes…………………C. G. Spross
33Nocturne………………………………………………….C. G. Spross
34Eventide and Thee……………………………………C. G. Spross
35Spring Song……………………………………………..W. G. Hammond
36Edward F. Barrow.
37Piano soli—
38Frelude……………………………………………………Rachmaninoff
39Frühlingsrauschen………………………………………Sinding
40Witches' Dance…………………………………………MacDowell
41Charles Gilbert Spross.
42Songs—
43O That We Two Were Maying………………………..Ethelbert Nevin
44Those Azure Eyes………………………………………Garnet W. Cox
45O Come With Me in the Summer Night……F. van der Stucken
46My Little Love…………………………………………C. B. Hawley
47Lorna………………………………………………………Ernest Newton
48Edward F. Barrow.
49'Cello soli—
50Larghetto………………………………………………….Nicodé
51Arlequin…………………………………………………..Popper
52Traumerei…………………………………………………Schumann
53Victor Sörlin.
54Songs—
55One More Clasp………………………………………..Frank Lambert
56When Love Is Gone……………………………………G. Waring Stebbins
57Dear Love, When in Thine Arms…………………..Chadwick
58The Silent World Is Sleeping………………………..Dudley Buck
59Beyond Compare………………………………………Ernest Torrence
60Edward F. Barrow.
62Oley Speaks' Engagement.
63OLEY SPEAKS, the popular basso, filled three important engagements in New York and its vicinity last week. He sang in "The Messiah," with the Yonkers Choral Society at Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.; the "Stabat Mater," in Woodbridge, N. J., and at the Stony Wold concert at the Waldorf-Astoria.
65Elsa Breidt at Vanderbilt's.
66MISS ELSA BREIDT, a young and very talented pupil of Alexander Lambert, played for one branch of the Vanderbilt family Monday of this week. Other engagements at the homes of wealthy New Yorkers are being made for Miss Breidt. Older pianists predict a bright future for this young artist.
68Boice Pupils Sing at a Musicaie.
69PUPILS of Mrs. Henry Smock Boice sang at a musicaie Saturday afternoon, given at 28 East Twenty-third street. Among those who appeared were Miss Susan S. Boice, soprano; Miss Cora L. Duncan, soprano; Miss Ray H. Stillman, soprano, and Miss Kathryn M. Cloutier, contralto.
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