Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-24
THE MUSIC WORLD.
Rare Treats in Store For the Mozart
CLUBS Associate Members.
GOOD THINGS In APRIL AND MAY.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra Secured to
Assist at Concerts.
GOSSIP CLEANED DURING THE WEEK

Iue MOzarb CluD mas long ue1u dcAno"i-
edged pre-eminence among the musical or
ganizations of this vicinity. Its manage
ment seems bent on retaining that proud
position in the best possible way, by giving
its patrons all it promises, and more-much
more. Two of the three regular concerts
promised the subscribers, or associate MEM
bers, have been already given this season,
and in thoroughly satisfying manner.
There has also been given an extra concert,
for the general public, at which Emma
Juch, Hope Glenn, Leopold Lichtenberg
and Teresa Carreno assisted. In April will
be given Ballad Concert, as was done last
season-but this time the clubs orchestra
will participate. Two tickets for this con-
cert are allotted each associate member,
clear bonus over and above the clubs
pledges.
One would think that, with this and the
giving of the third regular concert on the
usual plane of homemade excellence, the
clubs duty to its subscribing patrons would
be fully done. And so it would, in all con-
science.
. But the Mozart Club goes further yet and,
in the announcement which THE DISPATCH
associate members greater treat than any
that has marked its previous history. The
club last night closed an engagement with
Assistant Manager Frederic r. Gomez, Sc
curing the Boston Symphony Orchestra to
assist in the third regular concert. May Is.
and for an extra concert on the following
evening. The final signing of the contract
awaits only telegraphic confirmation from
Boston, as TO which there is very little doubt.
The Wednesday evening concert will be
devoted to Mendelssohn's great oratorio.
"Elijah," than which no work of its class
contains stronger and more varied interest
for the average, audience. Solo parts
will be taken by an eminent So
prano who is to accompany the orchestra
on its tour; a prominent bass, whom the
club will engage specially, and the best To-
cal tenor and contralto available; these,
with the trusty Mozart Club chorus and
the country's foremost orchestra,
will give performance well
worth hearing. For this concert the usual
number, some 800. tickets will be placed at
the disposal of the associate members just
as in the other regular concerts.
The second evening will be taken up with
brilliant miscellaneous programme by the
orchestra and its own soloists; for this the
whole house (Old City Hall, OF course) will
be placed on sale to the general public.
When one reflects that the Mozart Club
labors solely and unselfshly for the ad-
vancement of art in this community (even
the indefatigable conductor, Mr.. McCollum,
does not receive a cent of salary, and when
one considers, further, the great amount OF
work, worry and responsibility that is being
gratuitously assumed by the few active
workers in carrying out the plan. now an
nounced, our people cannot fail to take gen.
uine pride in having such an organization,
so oficered, in our midst.
**x
APRoPos of the above important an
nouncement, brief resume of the career of
the Boston Symphony Orchestra is in place.
Like the Mozart Club, it is founded upon
a genuine and disinterested love of art. 1t
was organized in 1881 by Mr.. Henry l..
Higginson, the wealthy Boston banker, who
called few leading musicians together and
said he wanted to found a permanent
orchestra of the highest class that
should do for the musical advance
an institution can do. Money was not his OBJ
ject, he said; he has proved his word by cheer
fully paying for eight years deficit variously
estimated at from $4,000 to $4,000 year, be-
sides making ample provision in his will for
carrying the good work along after his death.
George Henschel was conductor for the first
three seasons. Under his progressive leader
ship an excellent orchestra was developed and
more prominent factor in Boston life. The first
season 20 concerts were given on Saturday
evenings, each preceded on Friday af er-
ing from the concert only in the
lack of dresscoats on the per-
second and present conductor is Wilhelm
Gericke. who was drawn from Vienna. His
regime has been of greatest benefit to the Or
chestra. He made radical change in its MEM
bership on his accession, and has lost no op-
portunity of improvement since. Kneisel,
Adamowski and Loeffier, yiolins; Geese, cello;
Mole. flute: Sautet, oboe; Reiter. horn;
first water-have been acquired by Gericke to
fill the places of players whom most conductors
would willingly have kept His rehearsal has
lofty in character, if bit too conservative at
first. Gericke's five-year contract expires with
this season. and there is much cause to regret
that he has declined the proposal to renew it. in
order to seek health and rest in his native city
His successor has Just been secured IN the per-
son of Arthur Niklsch, the still young but ia
nous and popular conductor who succeeded
Anton Seidl in charge of the Leipzig opera and
who has at times relieved Reinecke in the cele- |
brated Gewandhaus concerts.
The players of the Boston Symphony Orches- |
ira are engaged for the season; each week they |
play three rehearsals, two concerts IN Boston |
and one elsewhere. During the last two or |
three seasons a half a dozen coastwiSe and in |
terror trips have been made, and, besides many |
of the men have been kept together |
for the summer promenade concerts. |
No substitute is ever accepted. Con-
sequently these men have had the |
most favorable opportunity for working into a |
perfect ensemble. 1t is almost beyond ques-
tion that Mr. Higginsons liberal policy has re- |
suited in the finest orchestra the country has |
ever had The success of the home concerts is |
without parallel; at the beginning of the sea-
son the entire house was sold for all the 4S con-
certs, except some 400 balcony seats, for which |
"rush tickets are sold at 25 cents only day |
or two beforehand, in order to give chance |
to the students and people who cannot |
afford season tickets. The best seats (most |
of the house) were auctioned OH, bringing pre-
miums all the way up to 500 piece. In other
cities, too, the Boston Orchestra has from its |
first tour met with warmest approval from
musicians and with a constantly increasing |
patronage from the public. Not long ago |
eyery seat of the 300 or so in the Academy of |
Music, at Philadelphia, was sold for three con-
certs in succession. The profound impression
made by this orchestra's concert with the Mo
zart Club two seasons ago is yet fresh in Pitts
burg memories.
1t is a real pleasure to record the achieve
ments of truly artistic and philanthrophlc in
stitution of this caliber; it will be pleasanter |
yet actually to welcome them back to Pittsburg |
as the ally of our favorite organizations.
=H=
The new Mendelsshohn Club, of the East
End, gave its first concert at Gymnasium Hall |
last Friday evening, presenting the following |
Overture, la Diadem''. Hermann