January 20th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
Liedertafel, Hans Gausel, director, promises to be our best singing
society, is keeping quite in reserve regarding concerts this season.
Opera Club (Rochester's pride), R. H. Lansing, conductor, have given
us "Pinafore," "Dr. of Alcantara," "Chimes of Normandy," in a style not
surpassed by any professional troupe that has visited our burg. They have
now in preparation the " Pirates of Pensanze" (by permission).
Alex. Britton, a once noted musician here, was buried last Wednesday
with masonic honors.
The Fifty-Fourth Regiment Band (40 pieces), Jac. Sauer, leader, and J.
E, Hartel, conductor, are active in rehearsal for their summer concerts at
Sea Breeze and Charlotte (our summer resorts).
Msenerchor, Prof. Al. Sartore, director, are busy in completing arrange-
ments for concert and bal masque February 21, indications of a grand
success.
LETEAH.
GALESEUKG, ILL.
LOCAL MUSICAL MATTEKS—TRADE NEWS.
GALESBURG, I I I . , Jan. 13, 1881.
N Tuesday evening, January 4, the Frija Male Quartette, of Chicago,
gave a good concert at our opera house, but for want of proper man-
agement, only about fifty persons attended. Frijas.—Get a live manager and
advertise a little, and we will give you a good house next time.
The Rive-King Concert Company, are to appear here next Tuesday
evening.
The Harmonia Quartette, of Chicago, with Miss E. C. Pratt, of our city,
will give an entertainment here, February 15. Miss Pratt has been engaged
as piano instructor for Knox College, in place of Carlo Mora, resigned.
The music trade has been very good during the past season; three
music stores doing most of the business. One store handles the Decker
Brothers' pianos, the Estey, the Clough & Warren and the Smith American
organs, another, the Chickering piano and the Mendota organs. Now comes
Kim ball, with W. H. Powers as manager of three or lour men, to stir up the
latent musical talent of the natives of the surrounding towns and country.
He will, probably find most of them already waked up, so he will not be
obliged to stay more than three or four months, at most.
O
"ACCIDENTAL."
11
MUSICAL PERFORMANCES.
CHICEEKING HALL.
THIRD CONCEKT OP THE PHILHARMONIC CLUB.
^T^HE New York Philharmonic Club gave their third soiree this season on
1. Tuesday, January 4th, before a large audience, among which the Ger-
man element seemed to be strongly represented. We noticed this fact
especially, as our teutonic citizens are not to be found very often at the
beautiful hall in Fifth avenue, may be for no other reason, but habit. Cus-
tom is a mighty ruler, and as Fifth avenue is a trifle too far west for the ma-
jority of them, we find the class of patrons of Chickering Hall thoroughly
American. That in this case an exception was made, we are glad to have
seen, for in matters of art the difference of nationalities must be ignored, and
we hope that our German friends will continue to show an impartial liking
to both our fashionable and established concert halls.
The concert opened with a quartette by Joachim Raff (op. 77 in D
minor) a work of uneven texture, although not void of merits. Raff wrote
so much all his life that everything could not have been expected to turn out
satisfactorily. Thisfquartette, belonging to a former period, is written in a
melodic strain, and the modulations are of a highly interesting character,
but the first and last movements become tedious and dreary on account of
their length and lack of versatility. The middle movements are beautifully
conceived and worked out. Those two movements were played exceedingly
well, while the others left many things to be desired, among which not the
least important was a pure and correct intonation. The beauties of the
quartette were recognized and duly applauded.
The novelty of the evening was a " Romanze " by Saint-Saens, for flute
with piano accompaniment. A strange idea of the composer to write some-
thing for flute, but as there are soloists on this instrument, which is very
effective in the orchestra and a bore as solo instrument, we suppose the
" Romanze" was written for a friend who wanted to have the name of the
modern composer on the programme of his concerts. De Vroye is continu-
ally travelling, and his performances on the flute are even liked in concert
troupes of itinerant character. The "Romanze " is sweet and dainty, but the
real interest is in the piano accompaniment. Mr. Mills performed this task
not only kindly, as the programme informed us, but exceedingly well. Mr.
Weiner, the member of the Philharmonic Club, played the solo part with
tender expression and a great deal of natural feeling. He was called out after
his artistic performance.
As musical /«>;•* d'wui-re, the club gave two little works, one of which,
Schubert's "Moment Musical," was specially appreciated. Schubert's
Quintette, "The Trout," op. 114, with the assistance of Mr. S. B. Mills,
closed the concert. The work was performed two years ago, and the effect
was as gratifying now as then. The fourth soiree is announced for Tuesday,
February 8, Mr. Richard Hoffman being the soloist.
Mr. Henry Wolfsohn, who so successfully managed the affairs of Wilhelm j
last season, will be the business manager of the Dengremont concerts.
Mr. Henry Woellhaf gave his third piano recital—season of 1880-1—in
Burlington, Iowa, on Saturday afternoon 8th inst.
George B. Carpenter, manager of Central Music Hall, Chicago, and who
in connection with the star lecture course and other ways has been identified
with public amusements and instruction in Chicago, was taken suddenly ill
on Monday night, Jan. 3d, with nervous prostration from overwork, and
died three days later.
THALIA THEATRE.
A few weeks ago Gustav Heinrichs, a music"teacher and man of family,
MARIE GEISTINGER.
eloped with one of his pupils, the seventeen-year-old daughter of Captain
NE of Germany's greatest singers in operette and opera bouffe is at pre-
Ananiah G. Wilbert, of Forked River, N. J. The late Grand Jury found
sent performing a star-engagement on the stage of the Thalia Theatre.
indictments against Heinrichs and the girl, and it being ascertained that
they were living together at San Francisco, a requisition was obtained from Marie Geistinger has been for many years prominent in Germany and Austria
Governor McClellan. Sheriff Holman started on Tuesday, Jan. 4th, in pur- in the cultivation of this genre of musical entertainment, and has obtained a
position similar to that of Judic or Schneider in France. She was always
suit of them. Captain Wilbert accompanied him.
considered a good singer and actress, but her fame dates from the night
The Metropolitan Opera House Company filed their annual report with when she created " The Belle Helene " in Vienna, in the beginning of 1865,
the Secretary of State on Thursday, Jan. 6th, as follows: Subscribed capital, the composer himself conducting. Then the Viennese raved about her, and
$600,000; cash assets, $54,801.81; no debts.
since that time she has been considered a star of the first magnitude. Mile.
Geistinger is not young any more, but her looks defy even the closest calcula-
The marriage of Miss Litta (Marie Von Ellsner) with Mr. Cleveland, tion.
We may call her the German Dejazet. She looks on the stage as beau-
tenor, is promised, by some Western papers, to take place next month.
tiful as ever, and face and figure are the envy of many a younger actress.
Miss Beebe, Miss Emily Winant, Mr. Theodore Toedt, and Mr. Georg That Mile. Geistinger made her appearance at the Thalia Theatre, we are sorry
Henschel will be the soloists in the grand performance of " Elijah " to be for. She needs complete surroundings, for she is used to them, and does not
given in Philadelphia on the 25th inst.
wish to rely solely on her own merits. As many pieces of her repertoire are
originally French, and have been seen here with Tostee, Irma, Aimee and
Mr. J. N. Pattison announces his annual concert at Steinway Hall for Paola
comparisons are being constantly made by the audiences, and
the evening of January 25th. The artists who will assist him on this occa- not to Marie,
the advantage of the German star. And this is not the fault of the
sion are Miss Isabel Stone, of Boston, soprano; Miss De Lussan, soprano; lady, the
ensemble is to be reproached for it. Mile. Geistinger's conception
Mr. Albert Lawrence, baritone; Mrs. Harbison, pianiste; Mr. Stanfield, of the characters
in opera bouffe is higher than that of her French predeces-
tenor, and Mr. Arbuckle, the famous cornet player.
sors ; consequently more quiet and less amusing, although much more artis-
A musical festival is to be given in Chicago in June, and already $50,000 tic. She, being a great actress, interests through her original conception,
have been subscribed toward the expenses. Mr. William Candidus, the while her surroundings, eager to follow the star in her ideas, simply become
tenor of the Frankfort Opera House, and Mr. Remmertz, of this city, tedious and intolerable. We have seen of late Mezieres, Duplan and other
have been engaged, and it is announced that the management are in treaty French comedians, and those German gentlemen in the Bowery with their
drawling manner of acting and speaking become a bore after the light viva-
with Mme. Gerster and Miss Cary. Hans Balatka will be the director.
city of the Gallic performers. Mile. Geistinger was engaged by the manage-
A concert was given at Chickering Hall on Thursday evening, the 13th ment of the Thalia Theatre, and as the full amount of her guarantee was
inst., under the auspices of the New York Lodge," No. 330, F. and A. M. A deposited in Europe before she embarked for America, she accepted and
number of distinguished artists were engaged for the occasion.
came. She would undoubtedly make a greater and more lasting impression
The Donaldi Concert Company has been reorganized and gave concerts at one of the up-town theatres with a well-selected company. As it is, we
in the New England States. Mile. Violante, the youthful pianiste, took the see a great artist surrounded by a set of incompetent people, at least
incompetent in the tasks they are just at present called upon to fulfil. We
place of Mr. Franz Rummel.
hear that Mile. Geistinger is engaged for 60 nights, and if she succeeds in
" The Golden Legend," music by Dudley Buck, will be produced by making money for the management of the theatre she will have done won-
the Cecilia Society of Boston on January 24. Mr. Theodore Toedt will sing ders, for it is no easy task for an opera bouffe singer to fill a large theatre
the tenor part.
every night through her own merits, without any support whatever.
Miss Lizzie B. Ross, soprano, lately from Italy, where she has been
Mile. Geistinger has a charming voice, perhaps a little thin in some tones,
studying under some of the best masters, was announced to make her debut but telling and clear. She sings with expression and feeling, and her phras-
in concert at the Academy of Music, Baltimore, on the 19th of January.
ing is that of a great vocalist. Her merits are undeniable, and we wish that
Mme. Theresa Carreno and Signor Tagliapietra were among the attrac- all our American singers who are performing in that style of music, would
go to hear the German lady and learn from her clear enunciation and artistic
tions of the last two Sunday Concerts at the Metropolitan Concert Hall.
phrasing.
It is reported that Maurice Grau is doing a splendid business with his
Mile. Geistinger made her first appearance as the Grand Duchess, and sang
French opera troupe in Mexico.
afterwards in " Madame Favart " and " Boccaccio." Since the first perform-
Mme. Trafford-Sabatini and Signor Sabatini, who appeared at some of ance of " Boccaccio " Mr. Rudolf Bial has taken the direction of the orchestra.
the Dengremont Concerts, proved failures, and were withdrawn from the
programme after the fourth night.
HAVERLY'S FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE.
The success of Mr. Neuendorff s operetta induced him to write a second
ABBOTT ENGLISH OPERA COMPANY.
one, which he will call " Don Quixote." The libretto is prepared by Mr.
The Emma Abbott English Opera Company opened on Monday night a
Italiener, who furnished the words to the "Ratcatcher of Hameln." It is two weeks's season at Haverly's Fifth Avenue Theatre. The Company, under
supposed, that "Don Quixote " will be brought out towards the end of this the joint management of Mme. Abbott's husband and the renowned Mor-
season at the Germania Theatre.
rissey, has been on the road since the beginning of September, and played
O