Annals of Music in America Part 23

1889. Aug. E. C. Phelps's "Elegy" for orchestra, produced at Brighton Beach, New York, N. Y., by Anton Seidl.

1889. Sept. 29. Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra organized by Carl Venth. Was in existence several years and produced a number of minor compositions by American composers.

1889. Nov. 16. Eckert's Concerto for Violoncello (A minor), Max Bruch's "Kol Nidrei" for 'cello and orchestra given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

1889. Nov. 23. Arthur Foote's Suite for Strings produced by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

1889. Dec. 4. Karl Goldmark's overture "In the Spring" given at a concert of the Symphony Society in New York City.

1889. Dec. 7. Brahms's Violin Concerto in D played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Franz Kneisel as soloist.

1889. Auditorium dedicated, in Chicago, Ill.

CHAPTER VII

1890-1900

The decade covered in this chapter was remarkable for progress in many directions.

Large orchestras were established all over the country--Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Los Angeles, widely scattered cities, were among those which made serious efforts in the orchestral line, and performed large orchestral works.

America became in a still greater degree the hunting ground of the musical star who came from Europe, and swept the country of its loose dollars, appearing both as soloist with these orchestras, and giving recitals in the various cities.

Among pianists we had Busoni, who was, for a time, resident in Boston, Vladimir de Pachmann, the great interpreter of Chopin, who was immensely popular for some twenty-five years, and Paderewski, whose progress through the country was marked by previously unheard of demonstrations.

It is said that thousands of people traveled many miles to see the train pa.s.s in which he was traveling. Alfred Reisenauer came in 1895, Slivinski, Alberto Jonas, Raoul Pugno, Siloti and Dohnanyi, were among those who made their first appearances in America during this decade.

There was also a large list of violin virtuosi beginning with Adolf Brodsky, who was followed by Henri Marteau, Cesar Thomson, Ondriczek, Burmester, Halir, Gregorovitch, Marsick, Maud MacCarthy, Petschnikof and Madame Normann Neruda, who had been prominent in England for many years, and was long past her prime when she visited America. But the greatest artist of all was Eugen Ysaye, who first appeared in 1894, and who, since the great war, has been conductor of the Cincinnati Orchestra.

Opera continued to flourish on misfortune. Henry Abbey, who had ruined himself in driving out Mapleson, formed a partnership with John B.

Schoeffel and Maurice Grau, and for some years provided opera for the country. Signor Luigi Arditi, who first appeared as conductor of the Havana Company in about 1848, and had seen more operatic service in America than any other conductor, made a brief but interesting estimate of the impresarios under whom he had traveled during those years. "I have come to the conclusion," he writes, "that Don Francesco Marty (of the Havana Company) was the most generous of men, and Max Maretzek the cleverest. Colonel Mapleson was decidedly the astutest of all directors, ... while to Henry Abbey must be attributed every straightforward and honorable quality. Maurice Grau was the cleverest of _entrepreneurs_."

Among the singers brought here by this combination was Tamagno, who appeared in 1890. The following season came Jean and Edouard de Reszke, who reigned supreme for a number of years. Also two American singers who had made reputations abroad,--Emma Eames and Marie van Zandt. In 1893 Nellie Melba and Emma Calve came; and in 1894 Pol Plancon. In 1896 the Abbey and Grau combination collapsed. Abbey died soon after, and Grau continued alone until 1903.

In 1895 Walter Damrosch made an effort, which extended over several years, to reestablish German opera, at the Metropolitan Opera House.

This house, by the way, had been burned down in 1892, but was rebuilt and opened again in the following year. Several new singers were brought over from Germany, among them being Johanna Gadski.

In 1897 and 1898 Walter Damrosch joined forces with Charles A. Ellis, the manager of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who had already been managing a company of which Melba was the star.

In 1896 Ernestine Schumann-Heink made her first American appearance in Chicago, and the following year joined the Metropolitan Company. Also Milka Ternina, an excellent artist, made her first appearance in Boston.

In 1898 Maurice Grau was the leading operatic impresario once more and introduced several new singers, including Marie Brema, Suzanne Adams, an American, and Marie Engle, also in 1900 another American, Louise Homer, while of the men Albert Alvarez, a French tenor, and Antonio Scotti, an Italian baritone, were the most brilliant stars.

Italian opera was now being pushed hard by German opera, while French opera was very little heard. The table of performances published in New York at the end of the season 1900-1901 shows that Wagner had thirty-four performances out of a total of eighty-six. Gounod was next with twelve performances, Verdi with eight, Puccini with eight, Meyerbeer with five, Mascagni with four, Reyer and Ma.s.senet three each, Boito, Mozart and Donizetti two each, and Beethoven, Leoncavallo and Bizet one each.

American composers were seeking new themes indigenous to the soil. Many had already written something under the t.i.tle of "Rip van Winkle," and Walter Damrosch had brought out an opera based on Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter." Anton Dvorak composed his "New World Symphony"

making use of negro melodies for his themes. The resources of the Indians, the prairies and the mountains have been tapped more or less successfully. The oil fields still offer a thrilling subject for the composer.

1890. Jan. 4. Peter Cornelius's opera "Der Barbier von Bagdad"

presented at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, under Walter Damrosch, also J. Bayer's ballet "Die Puppensee," with Frank Damrosch conducting.

1890. Jan. 4. Saint-Saens's Third Violin Concerto (B minor) given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with T. Adamowski as soloist; also Borodin's First Symphony (E flat).

1890. Jan. 11. Production of MacDowell's symphonic tone poem "Lancelot and Elaine," given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

1890. Jan. 23. Edouard Lalo's opera "Le Roy d'Ys," presented at New Orleans, La., with Furst, Balleroy, Geoffroy, Rossi, Butat, Miss Leavinson and Mrs. Beretta in the caste.

1890. Jan. 31. Brahms's "Liebeslieder Waltzes" given by the Symphony Society, in New York City.

1890. Feb. 1. Chaikovsky's Fourth Symphony (F minor) given at a concert of the Symphony Society in New York City. W. Damrosch conducting.

1890. Mar. 24. Debut of Tamagno, great Italian tenor, as _Otello_ at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City.

1890. Mar. 25. Dvorak's Pianoforte Concerto in G minor, given at a concert in Chickering Hall, Boston, under B. J. Lang, with Benjamin L. Whelpley as soloist.

1890. April 8. J. C. D. Parker's oratorio "St. John" produced by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston.

1890. Nov. 1. Goldmark's overture "Prometheus," and Sgambati's Pianoforte Concerto in G minor, given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

1890. Nov. 15. Moszkowski's Second Suite given in New York City, by Theodore Thomas.

1890. Nov. 20. Raff's overture to "Romeo and Juliet" given at a concert of the Cecilia Society in Boston.

1890. Nov. 22. Haydn's Concerto for Violoncello given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with Anton Hekking as soloist, also Smetana's symphonic poem "Vltava."

1890. Nov. 26. Franchetti's opera "Asraele," presented at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City.

1890. Dec. 6. Goldmark's Violin Concerto in A minor given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. F. Kneisel, soloist.

1890. Dec. 10. Production of H. W. Parker's overture "Count de Paris" by the Ma.n.u.script Society in New York City. Also E. C.

Phelps's "Meditation" for orchestra.

1890. Dec. 12. Smareglia's opera "Der Va.s.sall von Szigeth"

presented at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City.

1890. Dec. 12. Richard Burmeister's Pianoforte Concerto given by the Symphony Society in New York City, with the composer as soloist.

1890. Dec. Leopold G.o.dowski, who had previously toured America as accompanist for Ovide Musin, made his first recital-tour.

1890. Grand opera given by Abbey and Schoeffel with a company including Adelina Patti, Emma Albani, Lillian Nordica, Fabbri, Carbone, Ravelli, Tamagno and others.

1891. Jan. 9. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha's opera "Diana von Solange," presented at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City.

1891. Jan. 10. Joachim's Violin Concerto in G given by Theodore Thomas in New York City, and on the 17th, Rubinstein's overture to "Antony and Cleopatra" in Brooklyn, N. Y.