davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
The Philharmonic Society's
Seventy-fifth Anniversary
The Relative ANTIQUITY of the Organization
Music Before Its Coming-Notes on Some
of the Founders-Ihe Conductors
BY Fl. E. KREHBIEL

James L. Ensign. A fourth, Allan bod
worth, was living in California, and
the fifth, George F. Bristow, was. for
reasons which l cannot now recall, not
within reach. There was also living
Mr.. Anthony Reff, a son Of one OF the
men most active in the creation of the
society and long time member and
trustee, who was also able 70 con-
tribute much valuable information.
Mr.. Reiff died not many months ago,
and some of the wise men who write
about music in America to-day as If
they had seen its beginning and had
been instrumental in its promotion
gravely described him as one OF the
founders. entirely overlooking the fact
that had he been he would OF necessity
have been almost centensrian when he
died. All Of the five arc now dead. Mr..
Scharfenberg, the founder Of the music
house out Of which proceeded the pres
ent corporation Of G. Schirmer, was
then living life OF ease and con-
tentment, in this CITY; Mr.. Ensign was
enjoying a peaceful old age in New
Haven; Mr. Johnson was still to be
seen occasionally in a more or less
nominal capacity at the door of the
hall where the society gave its con-
certs. Mr.. Scharfenberg died on Au-
gust s. 1895, and a record of apprecia-
ton Of his lsbors in behalf of the
society from 1912 to 1866, when he
retired from the presidency which he
had held for three years, was pub
lished in the first annotated programme
OF the society for the season 1862.
Mr.. Johnson died soon after the semi
centennial celebrated in 1892, at his
home in the country. Mr.. II. C.. Timm
was eighty-one years old when the So
ciety celebrated its fiftieth anniversary,
and was living quietly in Hoboken; he
died in September of the semi-centen-
NAL year. The influence Of these men
and their colleagues in the early years
Of the Philharmonic Society's existence
would serve as an interesting topic for
comment upon the difference between
the Philharmonicians OF to-day and
those of seventy-fve years ago; but the
subject would carry me too far aheld
and the discussion would not be con-
duciye to the good feeling which ought
10 prevail in a period Of festivity and
rejoicing. However, there are some
things which seem to be worth saying
in the interest of history, and TO them
] shall recur presently, after have at
tempted to clear up the misunderstand-
ing concerning the historical relation
ship in which the Philharmonic So
ciety stands toward similar organiza-
tons in Europe.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14

body of subscribers and concerts gwen
by musicians under their own auspices
and for the public. With this distlnc-
ton in view the author Of the Me-
mortal History wrote as follows, TWEEN
ty-fve years ago:
The frat Philharmonic concert IN
Vienna took place on November ~
ls4S. only eleven days before the hrsI
concert of the Philharmonic Society OF
New York, and eight months after the
foundation of the latter society. in
sense. Vienna and New York entered
upon one phase of artistic culture sim
ultaneously The Philharmonic
concerts in Vienna were established by
Otto Nicolai. In 1000 v
Iachner had given q few suoscrip-
ton concerts with the same forces ou'
it remained for Nicolai to give tne
philharmonic concerts stability and
name. The latter, it is surmiseu' ne
borrowed from the London institution,
which had been founded in 1919 ana
which will ever live in grateiul mem
orv for having extended helping manu-
20 Beethoven upon his deathped' III
Tho programmes of it concerts the cher
stress was laid upon the symphonic
numbers. II IS the boast OF the lnsu-
tuition that Beethoven's Choral Sym
phouy received its first adequate per
Torrance at one Of its concerts III lo'''
Societies composed of amateurs nau
,seaved the colossal work before tnen,
but they had approached it timidly, ana
not until Nicolai came with ms Ihil-
harmonic concerts was full JUSTICE
done - it. He gave the symphony
twice in iS43 and once again III Ioto.
During the administration OF NlcoIal
4bs concerts marked the elimination
NJ Vienna's musical achievements.
When no laid down the baton IN Io4
twelve concerts had been given. MS
denarture resulted in the enterprise
ealing into sad somnolency. one
concert only was given In lS4S' one III
1910 and no more until Carl Eckert re-
vived the entertainments under Vhe
name given them by Nicolai IN Deem
her 1884 Two years before Eckert
had made a tour through America win
Nine sontag and had been elected
bonorary member of the Philharmonic
Society Of New York. 1t was not
violent presumption that this fact may
have had something to do with his re-
orimation Of the Vienna Philharmonics'
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
The philharmonic Founder

1t was one of the strange discoveries
of the Philharmonic Society's historian
that up to the time when he wrote his
book. in 1892, the name of the founder
of the organization had never been cor
rectly reported in a historical work.
F. l.. Ritter, who wrote what Parports
to be q history Of music in America,
set down The name of this founder as
Uriah c. Hill and said that he was born
in Greenwich Street, New York City.
When / went TO Mr.. Scharfenberg for
information he corrected this by say
ing that Hill's Christian name was
Urel Corelli, and that he was a Con-
necticut Yankee. l could only speculate
about the origin and significance Of
such a singular name, and | did so in
my monograph TO this effect: in all
probability his father was fond of the
violin. and for that reason endowed his
son with the name Of the great violin
list who, in the seventeenth century,
laid the foundation of violin playing.
'Ureli,' however, battles my ingenuity"
Fifteen years later DR.. Jacob Teschner,
who had bought some autograph let
tiers from the widow of Hill, placed in
my hands a copy of THE New York
Atlas" newspaper OF April &, lS46, in
which found not only a woodcut por-
trait Of Hill (the one reproduced on
this page, but also an account Of his
life, from which it appeared that he
was a Vermonter, an American, de-
scendant CT the Pilgrim Fathers, with
drop of Danish blood in his veins;
that his father was musical, and so
great an admirer Of Corelli that he de-
termined his son should bear the name
Of the great Italian as we'll as his own.
His name was Uri, but he was also
DESTROYS 10 give his child the name Of
a friend named Eli Todd. So he hit
upon the expedient OF combining Uri
and Eli, and thus the future founder of
the Philharmonic Society became Ureli
Corelli Hill. Hills fate was melan-
choly one. He studied in Europe with
Spohr and Hauptmsnn and became ac-
quainted with the best Of Europe's mu-
sicians at the time. Returned home he
played in theatrical orehestras, gave
lessons, conducted and was at the head
Of many musical enterprises. He could
make money, but he could not keep
il. Five or six years after he had
founded the Philharmonic Society and
been its president he went West TO bet
ter mis- fortunes. But he failed in this
enterprise as he had in others. Once
the Philharmonic Society depleted its
treasury to help him with a loan. lie
played with the society till 1873, when
he was retired for old age. For a
while he eked out an existence as Eek
ira" at wallsck's Theatre, but could
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
The ancientry of the Society

Twenty-Five years ago the author OF
the Memorial History Of the Philhar-
monte Society put forth the claim that
the New York organization might just
" be considered the second organiza-
ton Of its kind in the world, the merit
of seniority being given to the Phil
harmonic Society Of London, after
which it was patterned, and which
began its existence in 1918. By this
was meant that 1t was the second or
canization Of professional orchestral
PLAYERS who had banded themselves
together for the purpose Of giving
symphonic concerts for the public at
its own risk and under its own au-
spices. II was not intended to convey
the idea that it was the second oldest
concert organization in the world.
That would have been absurd. in view
Of the fact that institutions like the
Singakademic, OF Berlin, the Gesell-
schaft der Musikfreunde, in Vienna,
and the Gemandhaus concerts, in Leip-
sic. antedate il by decades. The point
Of interest lies in the distinction be
tween orchestral concerts given under
amateur auspices or aristocratic pat
ronage for the delectation of select
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14

on the last four days Of this week the
Philharmonic Society OF New York Will
give a series OF concerts for the spe-
eifc purpose Of celebrating the seventy
ffth anniversary Of its foundation. The
festival will anticipate the real date
bv nearly three months, but that IS
trifing matter. The first meeting on
Wednesday. will accentuate the change
in the constitution OF the society which
left il only in name the continuation
Of the society which was organized IN
April. 1912, and made 10 in fact sue
ressor. BY that change, which grew
out of the terms Of a magnificent en-
dowmcnt under the will OF joseph
Pulitzer. il ceased to be the cooperative
body OF musicians that it had been
hitherto and became a corporation with
minimum membership Of 1000 per-
sons. who are expected TO pay annual
dues and 10 be governed by a body OF
officials elected by the members. on
Wednesday evening these members and
their invited guests will meet in Car
negic Hall TO listen to some music and
an address by the president OF the
society. Mr.. Oswald Garrison Willard.
On Thursday evening the concert VIII
partake OF a memorial character IN
honor OF the society's benefactor and
will illustrate the manner IN when
the expressed wish Of Mr.. Pulitzer
regarding its programmes has been
carried out, the programmes being com
posed Of music by his three favorte
composers Beethoven, Wagner ana
List. In this concert the Mendelssohn
Glee Club will take part On Friday
afternoon the list will contain compo-
sitions BY American and French com
posers; on Saturday evening, through
the courtesy and kindness Of Mr..
Charles VI. Schwab, the Bach CHOIR
under the drectioG of J. Fred Wolfe
will come from Bethlehem, Penn, and
sing some Of Bach's church hymns
(chcrales) and, with the orchestra per
form the Gloria from the Mass IN
minor. There viii also be perform
ance by tho orchestra Of Beethoyen's
symphony which was played by the
Philharmonic Society at ITS first con
cert on December z, 1912. These con-
certs. as well as that which IS to
follow them on next Sunday after
noon, are all in the regular subscrlp-
ton series for the season and will, Of
course, be open to the public. Next
Sundays programme is nominally de-
voted to American. French and Russian
music, though the composers are
Dvorak. a Bohemian; Tschaikofsky, a
Russian; Debussy, 3 Frenchman, and
Victor Herbert, native Irishman
reared in Germany. but long a resident
of the United States.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
Early Concerts In New York

There had been concerts OF orchesIrai
rsic for many decades before the
philharmonic Society came into exisN
onca mn sonneck has made a record
= .hosa which occurred before the
rosr 300 IN his book on early Concert
1jfe n American, but they we're more
~ loss makeshift affairs, with imper-
feet organization, though many excel
lent musicians had come to New 1orN'
philadelphia, Boston, Charleston ana
o,ber cities from England, France ana
Germany. Full credit has not yet been
1.-Two, N them for what they did 10
Loen up a love for music among the
colonists. There were not lacking DUR
ing the first generation or so OF the
nineteenth century desultory attempts
n Give a hearing in New York and one
mr. two of the ether larger cities to or
cbestral works Of the higher order.
They were not frequent, and were gen.
erallv confined to some Of the lighter
ovcrtures or TO single movements OF
svmphonies by Haydn, Mozart and
pleveI With the instrumental forces
which were then to be commanded the
nerformance of complete symphonic
works could not be comprised. Not only
,yere the abilities OF the individual
players insufficient to cope with the
technical difficulties presented, but 1t
WAS wellnigh impossible TO command
the complete orchestral apparatus. The
orchestras which supported the singing
Of choral works were generally COM
posed Of amateurs brought together for
the single occasion or recruited from
the amateur orchestras which, during
the first forty years Of the nineteenth
century, practically did all that was
done in the way OF instrumental per-
formance outside Of the theatres. The
theatrical bands, too, we're i'll equipped
for full seventy-Ave years after Eng
lish opera became the popular form Of
entertainment in New York. Instru-
ments ike the oboe and bassoon were
for u long time unknown, and one Of
the greatest difficulties which the foun-
ders Of the Philharmonic Society met
with in the beginning was to find capa-
bic players of these instruments and
establish the balance essential to per-
formances Of the symphonies Of Haydn,
Mozart and Beethoven. Prior to 1889,
when the best musicians Of the city, TO
the number of sixty, associated them
selves together for the purpose of Civ
ing a concert for the benefit Of the
widow Of Daniel Schlesinger, a leading
pianist and conductor of the city. and
a musician loved and respected by all,
there had really been no orchestral
performance in New York worthy Of
the name, though an amateur orchestra
had been in existence for full gem
Grafton al least. That concert. however.
awakened the ambition OF L. C. Hill,
Anthony Reiff, William Scharfenberg,
II. c. Timm and other men prominent
in the art, and an agitation was begun
which ended with the foundation OF the
Philharmonic Society, in April 1912. on
practically the lines which still obtained
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
Violin recital By Elias Breeshr
ian Hall, s:15 p. M:
AT THE METROPOLITAN

"Dic Meistersinger" will be sung f'
the first time this season on rr
wednesday evening by Mines H'uis
and Howard and Messrs. senbssA
We'll, Goritz, Braun, Reiss, schlsul
Leonhardt, Ruysdael, Bloch, BsYsf
Tegani and Audisio. Mr.. Bodarzky I'll
conduct.
The other operas Of the week will Be
as follows:
Francesca da Rlmini7 to-morcS
evening, with Mines. Aida, Mason, Gar
rison, Delaunois, Sparkes, Bra'la'
Perrin and Smith and Messrs. MART
nelli, Amato, Bada. Tegani, Mslat'''A'
Audisio, Reschiglian and Bloch. NJ
Polacco will conduct.
"Cavalleria Rusticaha" and "Pssi-
acct" as a double bill on Thursds,
evening, the former sung by Nns.
Matzenaucr, Perrin and hatfield sa1
Messrs. Botta and De Luca, ana
"Pagliacci7 sung by Miss Mu1io anf
Messrs. Caruso, Scott, Tegsnl ana
Bada. Mr.. Papi will conduct 0s''
operas.
"Fidelio" on Friday evening, win
Mines. Kurt and Mason and Ae"'
Sembach, We'll, GOritz, Brsun' H''''
Leonhardt and Bloch. NJ. S0dAHAA'
will conduct
Carmen" will be the ssturds! MAJ
nee opera, with Misses Fsrrsr' AA'OH'
Garrison and Braslau and aes'rs' 70
russo, Amato, Rothier, Bsds' LeOaHA ~
and LAURENT. Miss ROsins Gain VI"
lead the corps de ballet Mr. fOls'''
will conduct.
"Siegfried" will be sung on sat0rc'y
evening for the benefit OF the o'' -I
Press Club by Mines. Kurt, oosr o.
snarkes and Messrs. Urlus, G0rl'i'
Braun, Reiss and Ruy'daeL MI o'
danzky will conduct A., NJ,
At to-nights "Opera Concert M,
Alma Gluck and Messrs. Bot'a 'n'
Middleton will sing. Richard h's'
man will lead the orchestra.
Carmen" will be sung on us'O
evening at the Brooklyn Acaden'y u
Music
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
The Philharmonic Conductor.

For the first ten years each season
Of the Philharmonic Society saw a
multiplicity Of conductors, who were
elected for the season under the title
Of assistants" and took turns in di-
recting the concerts. For the first FIVE
years these leaders were U. c. Hill,
D. G. Etienne. II. C. Timm, W. Alpers,
Alfred Boucher, George Loder and
Louis Wiegers; for the second, George
Loder, H. c. Timm, Theodore Eisfe,j
and Max Maretzek, the last for one
concert IN tho tenth season. In the
eleventh and twelfth seasons Theodore
Eisfeld conducted the concerts, eight
in all; also in the fifteenth and six
teenth seasons. In the thirteenth he
was associated with II. C.. Timm and
Carl Bergman, whom it may not be
amiss to cali the first conductor of
the modern school Chat is, the
strongly assertiye individual and In
terpretative schoon in America. He
conducted the fourteenth and seven
teenth seasons alone, and alternated
with Eisfeld from the eighteenth to
the twenty-third, inclusive.
With the twenty-fourth season the
system Of one-man leadership was es-
tablished, Eisfeld having returned to
his native Germany. Bergman con-
Quoted all the concerts during the ten
years from the twenty-fourth TO the
thirty-fourth season (1s65-'76), except
the last two, when, he having become
a physical wreck, George Matzka, the
leader of the violins, took his place.
At the sixth concert of the thirty first
season Rubinstein conducted a per
formance OF his ocean" symphony.
The breakdown OF Bergman ushered
in n period of difficulties for the So
ciety. Theodore Thomas had begun a
serious rivalry with his symphony con-
certsp and some OF the leading
men OF the Philharmonic joined his
forces, and were compelled by the
terms of the constitution to withdraw
from the society. For the thirty-hfth
season DR.. Leopold Damrosch was
elected conductor. In the next year a
compromise was effected between the
rival organizations, the recalcitrant
members were reinstated and Mr..
Thomas was elected conductor. After
one season, in the fall OF 1873, Mr..
Thomas removed to Cincinnati to be-
come director Of the College OF Music,
and Adolf Neuendorf was elected con-
ductor, Both experiments proved dis
appointing. For one season Mr.. Thomas,
living in Cincinnati, journeyed every
month 10 New York to prepare and
conduct the Philharmonic concerts;
then came a rupture between him and
the Cincinnati institution, and his re-
turn TO New York. He remained con-
ductor from the season 1890 till
ls90-9l, when he went to Chicago 20
establish the Chicago Symphony Or
chestra. His successor was Anton
Seidl, who was conductor seven years,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14

up to the reorganization referred TO in
the opening paragraph OF this article.
The documents Of the society have for
decades given April as the date of the
foundation, but without discoverable
reason. The first formal meeting at
which it was resolved TO found the so
ciety took place on April 2; the con-
stitution was reported and discussed on
April 10. and adopted on April %. 1t
would seem as if either the first or
last Of these dates should be set down
as the real natal day of the society.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
The Period of Guest Conductors

During the period in which the Phil
harmonic Society represented the arts
tocracy Of musical culture in New York
and down to the end of the Seidl regime
the democratic, or socialistic, spirit Of
remuneration prevailed. No doubt it's
abolition had much to do with the en-
barrassments which soon beset the So
ciety. The men divided the receipts
pro rata, the conductor being rewarded
by a certain number Of shares Of the
earnings. Mr.. Thomas, in the hey-day
OF the society's success, was content
with nine shares, and so, we believe,
was Mr.. Seidl, who succeeded him.
The shares were as low as $3.50 in
the seventh season, and If a member
was prevented from playing the fee
for his substitute WAS deducted from
his share. 1t therefore sometimes hap
pened that member would find that
fines for non-attendance and the cost
of substitutes had eaten up all his
dividend and left him debtor TO the So
ciety. In the History Of the Society
financial table compiled by Mr.. Richard
Aldrich for the forty-nine years OF its
history forms extremely interesting
reading, though II consists Of mere
statistics. The present writer, through
the courtesy of the officers, was enabled
TO continue the financial reports from
the ffty-fourth to the sixty-fourth
season. The dividend table shows high
water mark TO have been reached in
the hfty-fourth season, when each
member received 1854 for his services
in playing at six evening concerts and
six afternoon public rehearsals, as they
were called. The figure rose to sS26.l6
in the sixty-third season, in which,
however, the regular number Of con-
certs was eight, with the same num-
Der Of preceding afternoons. Mean
while, however, change in policy had
taken place. Friends Of the society
came forward with guarantees Of help
and the period Of guest conductors"
was inaugurated. 1t lasted for three
seasons. The scheme was a famil-
lar one in Europe, where, of course,
1t was carried out with less cost than
here, since the conductor Did 70 be
brorght across the ocean. In the sea-
psa 81 -sc5-cI me visiting conductors
were Edouard Colonne, Gustav f. Ko-
gel, Henry ]. Wood, Victor Herbert,
Felix Weingartner, VASTLY Safonotf
and Richard Strauss. In 1904-'O5 Gus
tav F. Kogel, Edouard Colonne, VASTLY
Safonoff, Felix Weingartner and Carl
Panrner. In 19o5-'o6 william Men
gelberg, Victor Herbert, Max Fielder,
VASTLY satonofY, Ernst Kunwald and
Fritz Steinbach. Now, under a con-
tinuation OF the system Of guarantees
return was made to the system of
single conductors. who were paid a sal
airy instead of a share Of the earnings.
These conductors, whose administra-
tions / do not purpose to discuss, since
all Of IL is comparatively recent his
tory, were Wassily Safonof from 1906
'O7 TO 100000, 19O9-11, Gustav NAH
Ter Theodore Spisring conducting
when Mailer fell i'll at the end of his
second term, and Josef Strsnsky, the
present incumbent, who came with the
season 1911-12.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14

conducting all the concerts, except the
last Of the hfty-sixth season. Death
cut short his activity with shocking
abruptness, and Frank Van der Stucken
was brought from Cincinnati TO COM
plete the seasons labors. Emil Paur,
who had been conductor of the Bos-
ton Orchestra, was the conductor for
four years, from 1898-'99 TO 190l-O2,
and was succeeded by Walter Dam
rosch, whose tenure of office, during
which he attempted to effect a reor-
ganization Of the society on lines which
would tend to give permsnency to 1t,
lasted only one season.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14

not maintain himself there. He went to
live in Paterson, N. j., and specialized
in real estate, but lost. On September
2, 1875, he committed suicide by swal-
lowing morphine
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14

WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY

Concert by the Philharmonic Orches-
ira, Carnegie Hall, $3.50 p. M:
Centennial March ............ Wagner
chorus Natures Praise 81 God ....,... Beethoven
Msndelssohn Glos Club. Louis hoemmenich. Con
ductOr.
Overture "IeOnOre 40. ............. Beethoven
Faust" Symphony ..-...-.-. List
Assisted by tie Mendessohn Glee Club. 1heo
karle. tenor.
Song recital by Miss Helen Stanley,
Aeolan Hall, p. M:
Fuoh di Ports Observation-Disclosures. sgambau
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
MONDAY

Piano recital by Oliver Denton,
Aeolian Hall, p. m;
Toc,ata Fuss, D minor. ,.........- Bsch- busni
Intermezzo Op IFS. No l. lntsrnezzo. OBJ 10
No 2 and Rhapscdie. Op lls. No. 4 Brahms
Etudes symphoniques Op l3............ scnumAnn
Sonata B nat minor. Ncctume sharp major
and Poloualse, ia. major. ........... ,Cnopin
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14
SATURDAY
Concert By the Philharmonic On

Concert By the Philharmonic orrsa-
ira, Carnegie Hall, $3.50 p. N,
Two chorales. For the Christmas Fe.trt:
For the Feast q the AnnunciAiicn. .....,., .Ar
From tho Mass. Gloria IN etoeiss Deo; n
incamaus; CrIclfrusi X rssllrrerit. ,.Btf
Two chorales: World. Farewell; Clog ko<
10 Thee Be Given. ........-..-.- ,...,.,.., .bs
Bach choir 81 Bsthlehsrn. Pran
eymphnny No 5. On Q minor. %. a.. Bs.ers
Violin recital by Elias Breeshn, Aso.