The times., 1897-05-30
MUSIC IN NEW YORK SOCIETY.
A Number OF Fashionable Women
Who Really Love the Art.


New York, May 29.-The new type OF the
modern society woman is not merely an
athletic masterpiece; her mental culture il
| liberal as well. She has been admitted To-
| practice law in the Supreme Court OF these
United states. and In musical matters has
helped herself To degrees that proclaim
her master OF arts and doctor of philos-
! ophy"
Musical culture has in the present gem
! GRAFTON taken a stronger hold on society
| than ever before in this country and So
| .ciety women who are fine musicians, who
have made a life study of the art and who
find In it their chief intellectual delight
are no longer exceptional in the cultivated
| circlesof either Boston or New York.
| It is not only In The technical side of the
| art of melody that women have in the past
few years made such marvellous progress.
| As composers of high class or vocal and
instrumental music they have established
their right to the claim of creative as well
| as initiative genius.
| The department OF music estabIis he'd
| in Columbia College in May 1896. where
! both men and women can obtain the
most complete education and highest
| degrees in music,-is unquestionahly the
4 EiCdbCot Stt-P III tlS pIOSItSS Ni iiliiSfC ttS
| an art yet made in this country
| This new department was a gift to
| the college by the mother of the late
Robert Center, and by the terms Of the
! gift the fund is to be used ito elevate
| the Standard of musical instruction in the
| United States-''
| Women who wish 20 take the course
1 and try for the degrees must, after OH
4 raf N
| Mac Dowell, who has been called to fill
/ the new chair of music, register through
| Barnard College.
| To obtain the coveted authority and
| be admitted as regular student, it is
necessary TO pass most rigid musical
examination, conducted by Prof Mac
Dowen The endowment fund enables
Columbia to select for admission only those
pupils possessing positive ability.
Prof Mac DoweIl. speaking recently On
the relative value of a musical education
at home or abroad, said:
with the exception OF the violin and
organ, tire study of any musical instra-
rnent can he carried TO a high degree Il
perfection in this country
1T is the object OF Columbia College
TO give thorough training in musical
as in the technique OF the art
The difference in the expens.. of study
ing in Europe and America is at the ratio
of $3.50, the nominal fee charged at co.
Iumhia, to SIS on the continent 1t is
possible to live as cheaply in this country
abroadif the Students willing TO 1--we as
uncomfortably
Considering the fine musical alyan-
tages to be obtained in New York T. is
not at all remarkable that there is so
large coterie of clever musicians among
the society matrons and maids.
One OF the most versatile musicians in
New York society is Mrs James Clinch
Smith AS Airs. Clinch Smith has lived
most of her life abroad IL is but natural
that she should have obtained her musical
education on the continent under the best
masters in Dresden and Paris
She plays the guitar. the harp, the man
dolin and banjo. as wen as the piano.
She sings delightfully."- French chansonettes,
English ballads, and German folklore
music, and possesses the rare gift Of ac-
comparing her own songs.
at the famous reception given this win
ter in the studio of Mr.. James Lawrence
Breese. ot which a fashionai .e amateur
vaudeville society furnished the entertain
ment- Mrs Smith made the hit of the even
ing with her quaint rendering Of several
chansonet'es and her clever banjo playing.
One of the most beautiful women OF the
younger smart set in New York IS Mrs
Charles Stuart Dodge She is the daugh-
ter of the Hon. John Bigelow, and inter
its her beauty as we'll as her love Of music
from her mother, who was Miss Poultney,
of Ralt;tunra
Mrs. Dodge has not confined her study
of music to any one Instrument. but is
equally skiIlfdl with the guitar, piano, or,
most picturesque OF ali. the harp.
Mrs. Dodge's wedding at st. Georges
Church. Suuyvesant Square, will long be-
remembered by society folk as the ooca-
sion when the Duke of Sutherland made
his star appearance in Il suit Of Scotch
tweeds and flaming red tie.
Few OF our young amateur musicians can
boast of more thorough musical train
ing. both in this country and in Europe,
than Mrs. Arthur Terry. nee Lawrence.
When yet a school girl Mrs. Terry bes
gan her vocal studies with Prof. Achille
Errani, of New York. After six gears
with Errtni she continued her musical
studies for several years under the great
Swedish master, Bjorkstein-
She is equally skillful with the harp,
piano and guitar
Mrs Terry is related by marriage 10
the artist Terry at Rome and to Marion
Crawford, the novelist.
Mrs Fiske, formerly Miss Cooper. OF
New York, is an accomplished musician
and owes her training entirely to the
opportunities afforded in this country
Mrs. Theodore Sutro is aEother ,nusi-
clan of scholarly attainment who has
studied music solely on this side of the
Atlantic, and who, moreover, is an en-
thusiastic advocate OF the cultivation
of cur American musical talent on its
native heath.
She admits that there is Z more gentl-
Inc musical atmosphere in continent tai
cities, but contends that the distractions
are greater and the instruction not 1u-
perior to the best to be found in America
Mrs. Incz Sprague is perhaps quite as
famous for her devotion 10 music d. for
her genius as musician
Mrs. Sprague has made careful study
of instrumental well as vocal music,
though her preference has always been for
the latter, even To the extent OF preparing
herself to sing professionally in concert
Miss Edith Lawrence SpeyerS, although
scarcely out of her teens. has already OBJ
tanned considerable distinction am
ateur musician. She belongs 10 mISical
family, the La wrences, and is one Of the
most winning and attractive of the younger
set of society girls.
Another beautiful New York girl, who
wo.,Id smile al the adj iePtiVe butterfly 90