Evening journal., 1898-11-01

cal wiseacre OF Wilmington when he
was leader OF the Opera House orches-
ira, the great goal OF all aspiring anna
teurs. But-the Haydn went the way
OF all flesh and is now thing Of the
past, having hardly TASTED a year.
On February II, 1883, Italo Cam
panini and his Grand Operate Concert
Company came to the Opera House. II
consisted of the great tenor and Sofia
scalchi, contra1go; Signor Gaiassi, bari
tone; Miss Grisiwold soprano, and
Nine. Metaura Torricelh, violinist Sig
nor Alfre do Gore was conductor and
accompanist, and d. De Vivo was d1-
rector OF the tour. The violinist play
ed De Beriot's Seventh Concerto, and
Signor Campanini sang "Salve Dr.
mora" and the finale Of the concert
was a duet between Scalchi and Cam
lpanini. The concert had about seventy
listeners. was one of them. Then on
April %, the same year, Theodore
Thomas came with his orchestra. The
so,oists were Emma Juch and Victor
Herbert. Juch sang Gounod's Ave
Maria" and Max Bendix played the
violin obllgato. Victor Herbert played
Servais fantaisie on Schubert's lie
Dssir," and the principal orchestra
numbers were ''Tannhauser" Overture,
Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and
Saint-Saens' ballet music, Henry
VIII" They had another audience Of
about seventy. ! was one of the sew
enty. It was too rich for the blood OF
the pccp.e, although the small audi
ence enjoyed it immensely. In 1887
julie Reyboid, violinist, actor, etc, an
nounced that he. in conjunction with
Charles Young would found a musical
and dramatic school in Wilmington. It
burst, however like bubbles in air,
and was never founded. The same
year it was announced that a musical
and dramatic association was formed
with w. j. Fisher, a local ginger and
real estate agent, as president, and H.
Dushane Coward as secretary. II
never amounted to anything. believe
Cloward is in Washington or some
where. The latter place would be bet.
ter suited to his talents.
The Grace Orchestra was organized
about this time, and is still actively
rehearsing. I will dFscuss this further
on.
On Oaober 13, 1890, the Edte Or
chestra was formed, composed Of lo
Of amateurs and dance musicians. L
lasted about three years, and is nov
among the unspeakable things. Tn
= leader is street car conductor nov
p and the SOLO clarinet is a letter-carrier
which goes to show they were not
success unsteady. On October II
1891, Frank Steubgen, then leader o
the Opera House orchestra, collected
r lot Of musicians, about thirty, an
gave a concert in Eighth Street Parl
then the only public square in the cit!
A collection was taken up among tn
= citizens and music lovers and nette
each performer the sum Of 80 cents
A fair sample Of the iberahty Of ou
public in musical matters.
In February, 1892, male chorus wa
organized. named the Ferd. Fulme
: Chorus, in honor of the deal musicia
I have mentioned. They gave cor
cert in the Opera House that yea
i which was we'll attended. 1t is sun
into oblivion. In this year a musiec
Il paper wss started, called the Loo;
y Graphic 1t has joined the things
the past. A concert WAS also given f'
~ the beneda OF the Russian sufferers
the Opera House orchestra, and II
y Gfuce Orchestra were to assist ther
d. but through some jealousy they baca
~ ed out. The concert was a fair su
D, cess. The Remeny Concert Compar
IL came here also in 1892. He had a.
other audience Of sixty-fve. He can
- on the stage and cast a contenrpuuol
glance at the luclless audience, al
then brought his bow down on d
- strings with a swipe that froze Il
marrow in ones bones.
40 In May. 1898. an old skating ril
IN Was transformed into an auditorium
u and was opened by grand concei
10 assisted by the Castiiian Troubado'
r. OF Philadelphia. and the Grace Orche
IN ira. The same year Oyide Musin al
I'd his concert company played there 10
nd smali audience. Thsi pace is now on
ne used for political meetings or chur
n fairs, etc.
on On May 8. 1895, steubgen's stri
vo Quartet played concert in the Upe
re House. Strange as it may seem,
na string quartet appeared on the pl
be gram. it being a mixture Of everyuhl
is. but string quartets.
he On June 3, 1895, the Wtlmingt
B. Chorus. having been formed sn'
M time before. gave concert in