, 1877-10-14

AMI opera troupcs are heading this way from the
East, and half~a-dozen or more Of our local
clubs are preparing to capture the suburbs,
wear rural 1aurels, and luxuriate in bucolic
fame. The week which has closed presents
some features Of interest. It opened with the
first of the
HERSHEY POPULAR CONCERTS,
given on Monday evening, at Hershey HALL
These Popular Concerts, as has been already
announced, take the place Of "Ihe A1uslcl
Evcnings'' which were given last season, the
difference between them being very radical
There was something forbidding in the name
"Musicd Evening"" 1t appealed to narrow
constituency, and it indicated, what was fa':f,,
rather severe and chilling programmes to t4'e
mass. As rule, last season, there was lit t le
baud Of devoted followers who turned out on
each "MusicA Evening" to hear the string
trios and quartcts, and enjoyed them heart ~,
but it put no money in the e1eheQa Ter
OF the management, presented no attraction lor
the people, anl more than,this, Was in com = eti
ton with the reunions Of The Beethoven S'oclc-
ty, which present the same class OF music. All
this has been changed. Instead of " "MuE ica1
Evenings" We have Popular Concerts. lpsaead
Of seycrely-classical programmes, we have ,gen-
uincly good programmes OF popular sort. In
stead Of two or three rows Of auditors, lie Hshcy
Hall last Monday evening was scarcely al Vie to
contain the crowd that WIS in attendance. The
performance OF the programme gave great satis-
faction. Il contained several novelties, aald in
this rcspcct differed from most Of tue. pro-
grammes usually offered at OUR concerts
Among these novelties were delightful little
song, aspiring Flowers by Reinecke, :"lmir-
ably set for voice, piano, and violin (the oh lgato
tt Z ~ e.,I 1uf !, =
n,irablc finish and expression by Miss Grace
Iicr part Of the programme F;cyig
naul's familiar LA Fioraja y; Fic)ds' Third
Nocturnc in A, arranged for piano aud violin,
by Singer, the celebrated Stuttgart VII It uoso,
which was played SO c1ccllcntly by Mr.. Lewis
aud Mr.. Eddy that it gained an cnthu s lastic
new songs Of no particular merit, sung BY Mr..
Barnes; brilliant fnpromptu for pia1 te, and
vpn by Scharwenka, played BY Lewis and
Eddy, whie&, will prove OF more intcre st We
and a ductt, "Take this Token" frot Mr..
(;lcasons manuscript opera Of "Otho T.scon-
IT," Mr.. Gleason is ole OF the new teacf H:rs IN
the school, and it was therefore al inter, sting
episode in the concert that some Of his. own
music should be performed. Hitherto tnle or
two OF his little songs have been sung her. with
SUCCESS, but they are not SO important ~. this
tluctt. 1t is set Tor tenor and soprano. a d al
though torn from its context, its admirable scor-
lug, clearncss, freshness, and decided ORA 1atic
color gave one the desire to hear the " hole
work. As we have before stated, Afr, Til u mas
will play ythcovcrtureand entr 'actcs To this pera
this winter in New York, which of itself is Gt1 III
cieut proof Of Mr. Glcason's ability as a COIN
poser, Mr.. Thomas not being i'll the h: ii it Of
troubling himself with medocrity. The d nett
made All i1staut and decided success, d. VT
hupc will be heard again. The remaining T.um-
bers we're two organ pieces by Mr. Eddy. The
fifth number, Mcndclssoln's Variations scri-
c,lscs,'' which WAS to have been played by. Miss
Bertha Bucrge, was omitted. owing to the nadis-
position OF the lady.
Tic next most important event Of the week
was the concert ON Wednesday evening A. NJ
Cormick's Hall BY the
UNITED GERMAN SINGING SOCIETIES..
under the direction Of Mr. Oscar Schmoll, the
leader OF the Gcrsnaua MacnuerclIor. Til con-
cert was in the nature Of an experiment tx, test
thu p1aeticability Of uniting the various arman
societies into mass chorus for the prod II cton
OF large works or as the nucleus Of flture
sacnscrfests. Eleven societies We're repre- 5ented
IN the chorus, as follows: Ger1nania Nh nncr-
chor, Orpheus, Swiss Maenncrchor,T Turner 'Nlaen-
ncrchor, Fidclia, Sonnerfcler Lielcr lsrauz,
FyoIlsinn, Schiller Liedcrtatel, Freie S:u:ngcr-
bund, Vorwarts, and the Gutenberg Macni erchor
-Agyregatjur about $50 Dassos and tenor ;. We
understand that these societies. while re t: timing
Il Joint organization and elected Mr.. TIC hu,oll
leader for six months. So TAR Is the u usis'll
success OF the enterprise, however, is con :.;rned,
it would be rash to make prediction no'E. The
chorus was evidently prerptated upon til pub
lie without sufficient rehearsal. Con-
sequently there was little barmcn!y in
its working. The confused INA 81; dill
in the ,nacco!npanied numbers Gsturm's
s'Thuiska'' and I.achner's '.Ailn,arht ~, The !
result, in 1art, was just what might hA'ne been
expected from 35J voices hastily sumtnC led to- |
gclhcr. and attacking important works Sithout
sufficient preparation. We are far from: saying |
that the experiment is u failure. There are |
poor voices ami good voices, SOME rem narkably /
iuc tenors, i'll the mass There are got VI socie-
ties, and there are poor societies., anu
if the right man is at the head Of af-
fairs ht may weld them together anti make
something yet ont OF them. though it ra.ly take
to the end ot his term of office. It is sI ,cerely
to hc hoped he may succeed, for such q lorus is
needed, but as It's support must ol ecessty |
come from Germans, it is not an tIlcourag-
ing outlook that so few Germans !
sist at the Inauguration of the cx ariment.
The Society was assisted by rather t.nin and !
uulsy orchestra. Mr.. Schno1l played tv:o move
ments from HiIlcr's concerto in 4, anei the most
enjoyable feature Of tue evening was lir. Elch-
brinl's admirable playing Of the Ser1':is Varia-
tions, with Mr. schmoll at the piano.
MIR. ToML1Ss' NEW scuEME-
Mr.. Tomlins' new scheme with rcd ereuce to
the organization OF a mixed chorus, upon the
basis OF the famous Leslie Choir i'll ontlon, be- |
gins to take definite shape. At M A,ting last !
Friday evening, at which were prescnt oyer scy-
.nty Of tho best singers in the city, hi laid the
letuiis Of his plans before them, aud. they were
accepted with such enthusiasm that another
meeting will shortly be held, at viii ci a formal
organization will he effected. Officers will
be ctaosvn rules will be adopted, and x,c Society
riH u vi 4.,F I