New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-05
MUSICALS FOR SOCIETY
The Bagby Mornings" and the
New York Mozart Society.


The phenomenal growth during The last
few years Of semi-public musicals in
which the element Of society enters 20 Il
predomiustns degree has caused much
speculation and not a little anxiety as TO
IT'S effect upon music I'm New York. II is
notorious that beyond one symphony
orchestra. two string qJartets and very
few singers pianistS and yiolinis-s. con-
certs in This city are invariably run AT "a
loss. and for this phenomenon many. and
not always satisfactory, explanations have
been given. Yet in the face OF the iuan-
ciaI failure Of these public concerts the
private musicals increase, multiply and
lind patrons i'm plenty to pay for what
thev receive Society has ever been a
prominent factor at the opera; fl begins
10 look as IL the concert field would also
soon be made its own.
First and foremost. both in length Of
time and i'm social prominence, come. of
course the "Bacby Mornings" held on
eight Monday mornings of the season I'm
Tie Grand ballroom Of the WalSorf-As-
toria Mr. BaLby. indeed, YVES the pioneer
i'm this particular field, coiuins the words
musical mornings" and setting the stand
ard since adopted by other impPcsarios
and organizations. a week $50 NT.
pledv received from his subscribers d
loying cup iu memory or his twenty years
Of cudeayor in his chosen field, and the
list Of those present at the occasion
showed amply the place which Mr.. Bag
hy-s, Musical Mornings hold iu the life
of New York society. Let Mr. Bagbv
give his impressions as Tribune repre-
sentative heard them last week when he
called upon him in the WaldOrf-Astoiia.
.I entered into the concert field in d.
REGULAR way" said Mr. Basby Of had
returned go 1856 from Europe, where ] had
been studying the piano with Lszt' amons
ms fellow pupils being Alfred Eeisenauer
and Arthur Friedheim. and came to New
York hoping 10 make 81 career as q con-
cert pianist I mad secured a number OF
eucapemcntS ana also q number of pupils
and had also published several articles on
German student life ia The Century
when. upon a visit 90 Newport. Miss Mauo
Howe. now Mrs. Elliot, the daughter oI
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, persuaded me TO
turn one of my articles into lecture.
which + delivered before the Town ana
country club of Newport
when { returned to New York decid-
cd to continue I'm this work and under
the patronage Of a number Of ladies' j
f,can n series OF lectures entitled
Mornings aith the Great Composers.
These lectures were held in my studio IN
--tb street. and were illustrated on the
piano hy Arthur Friedhcnn. The first year
4 had about eighty subscribers, and when
tbo waldorf opened in 1896 ] transferred
my lectures there.
n soon realized, however That people
would not forever go on listening solely
to me. and when Nine. Nellie Media ar
rived iu this country I decided TO engage
her 10 ,ug J had then about two nun
drcd subscIibcrs-uOt enough 10 pay Tor
Nrnc. Ielba's services. but through the
enthusiastic help OF those subscribers J.
soon had more than four hundred. ana
from this point ON my Musical Morn
iucs-a phrase which ! had adopted from
the French 'matinccs musicales. took
fbair present form. one season. II Is
true. + gave four performances Of opera,
the nre I'm the Metropolitan preventing
any opera season. These operas were the
Arthur Bird and Miss Marguerite Mer-
ington. The Violin Maker OF Cremona'
by Jean Hubay and Francois 'oppee'
aud q condensed version Of tn" Barber
of Seville. in which Mime. Marcella Sem
brich. signor del Pucute and William
LAWN participated Since then practically
ali prominent artists, both vocal and in
strum,ntaI VINO have come to this coun-
try have taken part in my concerts.
My clientele has always been an *
elusive one one composed mainly Of box
holders and subscribers at the Mctropol-
itan Opera House, and FOR it ! have al
ways had to be unusually careful i'm my
selection OF programmes. ] have always
aimed at choosing the most pleasing Sc
lections from the choicest works, and l
haze tried 10 make n crescendo Of in
tercst j find that the public i'm these
DAYS Of telephones and automobiles has
crown more nervous, aud IS more diff
cult to keep interested II will no longer
slan6 whole programme devoted to
long. heavy numbers.
1T has been my constant work never to
let ny audiences interest flag, and / am
abie 20 feel the slightest tendency toward
this the instant it occurs. 1 find it neces-
sary for my concerts that the artists be
personally ingratiating. They must charm
upon their appearance; before they have
sung or played a note. ! have had to re-
fuse some really fine artists for the sole
reason that their personality was not as
pleasing as it might be. Then. again.
always insist that the artist give as his
on her first selection something that the
audience knows. This puts it into a re-
ters;iye mood, ana afterward even com.
plete novelty may be warmly appreci-
ased
Il do not think that my mornings