The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-10
MRS. SKATERS MUSICALE.
Odd Volumes Listen to
Nineteenth Century
Music Comments by
Mrs. Becker. If

Mrs. Gustav Becker gave an illustrated
lecture on s.The Music of the Nineteenth
Century,"
The house was very prettily decorated
for the occasion with palms and flowers,
displaying here and there the violet
of the Odd Volumes, in whose honor the
musicale was held. Everything was at
it's best. save the weather. and never, as
was remarked by several of the ladies', did
Mrs. Talbot Chambers' voice sound
sweeter than when she assisted in yester-
days illustrations. why" exclaimed one
lady, II was just selfish enough not to
want anybody to move"
OF course, Mrs. Gustav Becker in her
lecture was the feature of the afternoon.
Mrs. Becker is. well known as a lecturer
l Reth aers bef ane s In odaer on cities ones or nay tme
occasions, while Mr.. Gustav Becker is the
well known musical instructor at Has
brouck institute. Mrs. Becker was also
nected with THE News Her lecture
was extremely interesting and showed a
thorough understanding of the art OF
music.
The lecturer explained that the scope of
the subject was too vast to permit more
than the indication of such traits as
showed what the century inherited frcm
the ages that preceded it, and what 1t
would transmit to the ges to come. In
general. the greatest Inheritance of the
infant age was a high development or
form for FORMS sake, SO that certain
types of music were almost perfect within
their limits. But the new age brought a
growing conviction that humanity is the
grandest thing in the world, and that the
true purpose of art is to express the IN
ner life of man. 1t is this impulse for
human expression that turned the music
of the nineteenth century in an entirely
new, entirely different direction.
Mrs. Becker described the Italian opera
outset of the century, describing
it as a medium of vocal dis
play, the libretto being merely a
thread upon which to hang a series OF
gestures: words no more than syliables
upon which to eject tone, and forms SO
stereotyped that practically the same
cadenza could be used for a lovers plea
or a murderer's curse.
THE century inherited the violin in the
state of perfection that the Cremona
fury. for the first fifty years Paganini
developed its utmost technical resources,
writing music especially to display his
dazzling ~virtuosity; since then the Hun
had settled into classic calm, and the
violin has taken lessons of the gypsy
fiddle. In vocal art, thong we have lost
old "bel ~canto,' W. lost with it a class
of composition that We could well spare,
those for the sole purpose of vocal dis
play. The century's characteristic form
of song is the lied rather than the aria,
its characteristic composers. Schubert and
Schumann, who between them have run
the full gamet of human emotion"
THE reason why piano-music remained
longer than other branches was mainly
because most piano-music was written by
great pianists, who too often fell prey
to the temptation of writing what will
show their strong points. In the mids
of a period of soulless virtuosity came
Robert Schumann and Frederic Chopin,
the greatest, because the most truly ex-
p~ressive writers for the piano in their
century.
1T is due mainly to the playing of
the music of these w was practically
forced upon public taste. Iiszt was the
first to realize the possibilities of the
orchestra, and it is in this light that COM
posers and pianists regard the instrument
today"
Mrs. Becker concluded:-tfWhat is the
message Of this century to the composers
that shall make the music of the next?
Be rue, and. again, be true: Music writ
Ten to give truthful expression to any mo-
ton of the human mind holds within it
the germ of immortality. And what IS
the century's message to. you and to me,
the listeners for whom the music of the
coming age will be written? Every true
composition of modern music is the ex-
preston of an emotional state, and can
convey that motion to the mind OF the
hearer. AS you listen, then, turn your
thought inward. to note what emotion 1t
axouses, however family, in your own
m1TQ. WItllleI lIdtIltQ VI Ii l1lt III
the art of music, you will grasp its inner
purpose. and with this simple key, enter
the confines of a Kingdom of joy"
M rnee Chambers pieces We're NY Heart
at Tby Sweet Voice. Should He Up
braid Bishop. Humility" schumann,
and ,~se arfn The g hubert a R1c99pabam
Trio consisting of Mrs, Florence Buck
ingham Joyce, piano; Miss Janet Allen,
violin; Miss Agnes Mattiide Dressler,
lections Spring song. Mendelssohn; An
dante from Bargiels Trio in F mai, and
Anitra's Dance, Grieg. CPeer Gynt suite).
was also at it's best, while Mr.. Becker's
two pupils, Miss Sara Leyburn, of
Georgia. and Mrs. Frederick Bennett, in
ems Scene, from the "Rheingold." GER
tainly did him justice, while Miss Janet
Allen. with the violin, n Miss DRESSER,
megts speak in their respective solos, An
dante from Mendelssohn; La Captive"
Mrs. Beach; Berceuse from Godard's
Among those present were:-Miss Adri-
ance. Mrs. r. o. Rabbit, Mrs. Marcus
Beach, Miss Bowen, Miss Buffet, Mrs.
Cornelius Brett, Mrs. George Es3r Case, MRS Mrs
Mrs. Henry ". Condict, Miss Grower,
Mrs. Alexander Denniston, Miss Doremus,
Mrs. Ward Dunn, Mrs. George Eaton,
Miss Gaines, Miss Harrison, Mrs. Robert
Lyle. Mrs. Grace Marshall, Miss Jean
Mcbride, Mrs. H. B. Merrill, Mrs. Robert
Meyers, Miss Helen G.. Noble, Miss
Pitcher, Mrs. VIM. Pierson, Mrs. James
Robottom. Miss Sherwood, Miss Howard
Slater. Miss Spier, Mrs. Frank Stevens,
Mrs. Charles c.. Stimets, Mrs. j. r..
Walker, Mrs. E. F.. c. Young, Mrs. T.. (.
Pangborn. Mrs. G.. G. Newman. Mrs S.
B. Clifford, Miss E Burdick, Mrs. Harry
Day, Mrs. McMaster, Mrs. E. B. Kierstea,
Miss Adele Wilson, Mrs. r.. L. Young,
Mrs. George Smith, Mrs. w. G. Bumsted,
MRS. James Fielder, Mrs. William Speer,
Mrs. Harry Doremus, Mrs. Minnie Linn,
Mrs. Clarence Linn. Mrs. Heatherington,
Mrs. Livingston Clifford, Mrs. o. H. Perry.
Miss Louise Perry, Miss Jessie Perry,
Thomas Kinds, Mrs. 7. G.. Kinds, Miss
Kinds. Mrs. James Flemming, Mrs. Horace
q. Wait. Mrs. George Toffey, Mrs. Albert
Koonz. Mrs. E. l.. Bull, Miss Clara Post,
Miss Lucy Nelson, Mrs. George B.. Will
SON Mrs. j. b. Pond, Mrs. Eveleth, Mrs.
Charles Appleby, Mrs. Harold Roorbeck,
Miss Roorbeck. Mrs. Record, Mrs. Henry
phag Miss ~Traphagen. Mrs. Nathan
Condit, Miss Condit, Mrs. Harry Louder
Mrs. F. D. Gray. Miss Gray, Miss Esther
Blrdick Miss Cornelia Bradford, Miss
Barker, Miss Mary Barker. Mrs. Bradley
Tanner. Mrs. David Bishop, Miss Elan
nagan. Mrs. Henry Niese, Mrs. John
Heck, Mrs. J. e. Hulshizer. Mrs. J. E.
Hulshizer, Jr., Mrs. S. j. Negus, Mrs. P.
J.. Koonz, Miss Koonz. Mrs. J. r.
Mrs. Willard Fisk, Mrs. J. W. .Dusenbury,
Miss Baldwin, Miss Nellie Holbrook, Miss
Jennie Finner, Mrs. Albert Vreeland, Mrs.
Iouis Dressler, Mrs. T. J. Pope, Miss
Pope. Mrs. Roy Inglis, Mrs. Thomas
Williams. Mrs. w. d. Edwards. Mrs. L.