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July 20th, i§82.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
Most of them return in the Fall fully invig-
orated for an active musical campaign.
MTJSIO IN THE CITY
consequently suffers from this depletion of ranks.
This can easily be verified at the Academy of
Music performances that have been progressing.
."Patience," "The Pirates," and "Pinafore" have
been on the boards for some time, and the perform-
ances would have given more satisfaction if the
orchestra had been constructed of better ma-
terial.
I must not forget to mention, that the ad-
mission is only twenty-five cents, the lowest fig-
ure yet reached for an operatic entertainment.
Great artistic results are not expected, and a
meritorions performance would be a surprise in a
twenty-five-cent performance.
Mr. Fort has endeavored to make the Academy
a paying institution to its stockholders. From all
appearances, there is no doubt of his success.
General delight was manifested by our German
citizens at the success of the
GERMANIA MAENNEBCHOR
at the Philadelphia Saengerfest, although this de-
light was not unalloyed, as there appears to have
been a kind of compromise arranged at Philadel-
phia, which resulted in giving the Maennerchor of
Baltimore a diploma and laurel wreath, while the
Arion of Newark received a most valuable silver
tankard.
When the Maennerchor returned, such members
as were unable to visit Philadelphia with the
Society gathered at the hall of the Maennerchor
and marched in procession to the depot to receive
the victorious singers.
On the arrival at the hall from the depot, the
singers were welcomed by the President of the
Maennerchor, Mr. Theodore Horn; and Hon.
Joseph Letzer, of the Thirteenth Ward, delivered
an address, in which he referred to former vic-
tories and their results.
As the temperance element prevails in this So-
ciety, nothing stronger than beer is consumed at
the hall, and on this occasion the contents of sev-
eral small breweries rapidly disappeared.
It was found necessary to stimulate the mem-
bers after their exhaustive effort at Philadelphia,
and no one was more anxious to assist in this
undertaking than the victorious singers and their
worthy associates who remained at home to besiege
the telegraph offices during the contest in order to
hear the results as soon as possible
It is the wish and hope of all ardent admirers
of the German song that the Baltimore Societies
should always enter into contests of this kind, for
they are nearly always sure to return home with a
prize package.
One of the oldest members of the Baltimore
Liederkranz Society,
MB. W. H. HOLTZMANN,
died recently, and at his funeral the Society was
well represented.
A solemn song was rendered at the grave, which
closed over the remains of one of the most fervent
admirers of good music among us.
THE PEABODY CONSERVATOBY OF MUSIC
ia now fully closed up for the Summer season.
Not a solitary note escapes the portals of the pre-
tentious palace, and one can only hear the anxious
calls of the tomcat at 2 A. M. as he meanders in
anguish over the tin roof of Symphony Hall.
Having been a listener on many occasions to the
elegant performances that have taken place under
the roof, Tom naturally repeats the strains, es-
pecially those of Hamerick's "Love Duet," in the
41nt Norse Suite, and he always does so about a
semi-tone below pitch.
I recognized the familiar tones, and especially
the oboe part, which represents the tribulations of
the lover when not finding his dulcina at the ap-
pointed rendezvous. I also discovered that Tom
must have listened often to the musio, as it is in-
evitably performed about a semi-tone below the
pitch it starts out from.
Having a thorough musical ear, he strictly fol-
lows the example set him by the director and
his orchestra, and consequently makes a wonder-
ful success of it.
Bootjacks, chair-legs, ink-bottles, and chromos
are fired at him, but he minds them as little as
Hamerick minds the criticisms that are fired at
him.
Further than these intensely musical items, I
have none to communicate this time.
You TERPE.
P. S.—The name of Mrs. Stowman, mentioned
in my letter of May 20, in reference to piano com-
missions, should haye been Mrs. Sfcollman.
Y. T.
CINCINNATI, 0.
CINCINNATI, O., July 5, 1882.
r~pHE Glorious Fourth has come and gone, and
_L Cincinnati can once more settle down to her
everyday humdrum life.
Since my last was written not much has taken
place of musical interest. We have been visited
by two or three comic opera companies, among
them the Haverly and Audran. We have had a va-
riety of this class of troupes here during the past
season, good, bad, and indifferent, but it would
seem that the cream was withheld until the last.
"The Mascotte," "Patience," and "Olivette"
have never been so acceptably produced as by j&e
two companies named. Catherine Lewis is par-
ticularly pleasing, and I doubt if her equal as an
exponent of opera bouffe exists in the country.
She is vivacious, piquant, and emotional, and
rouses the enthusiasm of the audience to the high-
est pitch while on the stage.
The frequent infliction of poor companies upon
a long-suffering public has often surprised me.
Flaming and high-sounding advertisements greet
the eye, and expectation is thereby raised to the
highest pitch only to be disappointed on wit-
nessing the performance of the much-lauded
troupe. Frequently it is composed of singers
that would scarcely be noticed in a social gather-
ing—voices untrained, harsh, and discordant—a
disgrace to the profession and an outrage upon
the amusement-loving public.
It strikes me a manager must either be devoid
of common prudence or wisdom, or be inspired
with a profound contempt for the musical dis-
cernment of the American people, who will de-
liberately, with malice aforethought, organize and
send through the country such inferior companies
as have this season visited us.
Such organizations, on presenting themselves
before an European audience, would be promptly
hissed off the stage. I hope and pray such visita-
tions will not be inflicted on us next season.
The past month or so has been characterized by
frequent public examinations of the pupils of the
College of Music.
These recitals have been held in Dexter Hall,
with the exception of those of last week, which
were held in Music Hall, with orchestra and col-
lege choir.
There has been a very noticeable and marked
improvement in those who sang and performed a
year ago—there is more depth, volume, greater
dramatic expression, and more artistic excellence
than ever.
A wise step taken is the production of frag-
ments of opera with the pupils as the dramatis
persona*. It gives them a practical knowledge of
dramatic acting and singing they could not other-
wise obtain, and while judging leniently, owing
to their lack of experience, it must be said some
of the pupils displayed ability of no mean
order.
The recent acquisition of the College, in the
person of
387
of the city and must remain in town and pay for
their suppers in order to be present.
I venture the assertion, and do not believe it can
be disproven, that every member of the chorus,
and there are six hundred of them, during the
two years of rehearsing spends not less than
twenty dollars, making a total outlay of $12,000,
to say nothing of the self-denial and inconven-
ience resulting from regular and constant attend-
ance. Many ladies must go alone, others must
have their fathers, or brothers, or escorts accom-
pany them, and after two years of privation and
expense if any happen to be absent once by
reason of sickness or other unavoidable cause,
their names are dropped, they are not permit-
ted to sing at the performances, and all their
trouble is what they get for their pains. In
view of these facts, many of the members think it
simple justice and courtesy that they be granted
a pass for their escorts, and yet, ignoring every-
thing, the directors positively refuse to grant their
reasonable request, and this in the face of the
fact that every festival has made money, and there
is now $21,500 in the treasury.
Unless this close-fisted, picayune policy is
abandoned, the May Festival will soon die and
opera festival reign in its place.
JNO. DOUBLE U.
DAVENPORT, IOWA.
DAVENPORT, IOWA, July 7.
HE only musical event here for the last two
months has been a concert given at Burtis's
Opera House on July 7, by the Harmonie Society,
assisted by Strasser's Orchestra and De Beriot
Club.
There was a very large audience in attendance,
and by the way they applauded you could see
that they appreciated the excellent music fur-
nished. The programme consisted of the follow-
ing numbers:
1. Overture—"Orpheus"
Offenbach
Strasser's Orchestra.
2. Gipsy Chorus—from "Bohemian Girl"
Balfe
Harmonie Mixed Chorus (with orchestra).
3. Selections from "Oberon"
Weber
De Beriot Club.
4. "The Goblins"
Ollenberg
Strasser's Orchestra.
5. Serenade
, Eosevald
Harmonie Quartette.
6. "When Eve's Twilight Gathers Bound".. Hatton
Miss Nellie Jones, Mrs. Clark Richards, C. F.
Knappa, and H. Eicknoff.
7. Duet for oboe and clarionet, with or-
chestra
Carl
8. "Among Wheat Fields and Corn"
Hauptman
Harmonie Mixed Chorus.
The proceeds of the concert were given for
the benefit of the Iowa cyclone sufferers.
The Burtis house is now closed for the season,
and will not be opened before September 1—Fay
Templeton's Comic Opera Company having en-
gaged it for the 1st and 2d of that month. In the
PROP. GORNO,
meantime it will be newly decorated and have a
A. K.
vocal instructor, is said to give increased strength new drop curtain and new scenery.
and efficiency to the corps of instructors. Of this,
however, it is too soon to form any judgment.
Voiees are not made or cultivated in a day, and
it is only by critically studying a given method or
teacher, after having been put in operation for
PITTSBUE&.
many months, that any just judgment can be
PITTSBURG, PA., July 10.
formed.
I can, however, now say one thing of Gorno, that
E
have
had
a
Musical
Festival, which was
seldom can be said of vocal teachers: He is an
unexpected, and for that reason all the
instrumental performer of the first rank; indeed, more successful.
his recital, given a few weeks since, was a great
"Frohsinn" Society has come back from
surprise to all who had the pleasure of listening the Our
Philadelphia
Saengerfest, and brought home
to him.
a first prize, of which we may well be proud,
His conception is broad and just, his touch when the enemy's strength is considered.
crisp, and his execution brilliant in the extreme.
The Society left home for the field of battle
In a word, he is a maestro beyond cavil.
with the best wishes of its friends, but those who
In my last, mention was made of a spirit of dis- entertained hopes of anything above a second
satisfaction existing in
place among the victors were few indeed.
Hence the joy with which the tidings were re-
THE FESTIVAL CHORUS,
ceived that a first prize was to be brought home
to "America's Blacksmith Shop" by the "Froh-
which, if not allayed, would work serious injury sinn."
to the May Festival Association.
Petty jealousies and estrangements were forgot-
The fact is, the members are treated like so ten in the desire to show the victors that their
many slaves, who tremble at the nod of their achievement was appreciated, and the "Frohsinn,"
masters, and who are granted no liberties what- upon returning home last Thursday, met with a
ever.
reception such as has never been equalled here.
The slightest dereliction of duty causes their
Some months ago the writer, with a German
expulsion from the chorus. Few people, I think, friend, attended the Goethe Memorial meeting at
have ever stopped to calculate the privation, self- Frohsinn Hall, and there heard several songa
denial, and expense which the members of the rendered by the Society.
chorus suffer. Cold or warm, wet or dry, far or
(Continued am page 388.)
near, they must attend rehearsals; many live out
T
W