Church Music Association Concert

: Strong, George Templeton. New-York Historical Society. The Diaries of George Templeton Strong, 1863-1869: Musical Excerpts from the MSs, transcribed by Mary Simonson. ed. by Christopher Bruhn., 24 May 1871.

“Edmund Schermerhorn & Pech have just been here in council over C. M. A.—we are of one mind as to Haydn’s no. 2 for opening concert of third season—if we march on (subscription now $3775.00). “

“Conference with Rev. Cooke & Dr. Pech about about C. M. A.—Rev. Cooke thinks Beethoven’s Mass in D too much for mortal soprani.”

“What shall we do about the C. M. A.? Our subscription is now $6050. Last year we proceeded to business with a smaller amount secured, relying—& as the event proved, reasonably, on additional subscriptions, which brought us up to $7500. It carried us through the season. Can we venture to take the same course this year, when things are so uncertain, and a general smash may come next week? Strange there should be a connection of cause & effect between a kerosene lamp kicked in a Chicago cow stable, & the performance or non-performance of Haydn’s & Beethoven’s church music in New York!—that a careless boy should thus paralyze our orchestra & chorus.”

“Pech & Rev. Cooke here tonight. Edmund is at Newport. Dick Tucker backs out altogether—can’t guess why. We decide to go forward with the C. M. A.—having it in our power to stay proceedings at any time within the next month, without serious expense. The 1^st concert, Haydn’s Mass no. 2, & perhaps selections from Wallace’s Lurline, on which Pech has set his affections. Subscriptions come in—though but slowly.”

“This evening Edmund Schermerhorn, Pech, & Cooke here. Decided upon Wallace’s Lurline for 2^nd part of C. M. A. concert. Remmertz & Leggat, basso & tenor. Other principals yet to be selected.”

“Rev. Cooke & Edmund here this evening but no Pech. We agreed on Mrs. Gulager as prima donna for Haydn’s 2^nd Mass.”

“Rev. Cooke & Edmund Schermerhorn in council here tonight. Pech was missing. We agreed to ask Jem [Gerard, Jr.] to join our little committee.”

“C. M. A. subscription a little over $7500.00, Better than last year. But I do not understand Dr. Pech’s defaults at two meetings of our ‘committee.’”

Announcement: New York Post, 05 December 1871, 2.

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Announcement: New-York Times, 06 December 1871, 5.

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“First C. M. A. concert at Steinway, 8 p.m.—with me, Ellie (on the platform), Lucia Carissima [Lucy Derby, his niece], & the two boys, who officiated as programme distributors. House crowded & less cold & undemonstrative than usual. Mrs. Kempton & Remmertz received much applause. Mrs. Kempton’s lovely ‘Einsam bin ich nicht allein’ was encored. ‘Die unvergleichlichen vier Chöre’ (as Jahns calls them—most justly) of Preciosa seemed fully appreciated & so was all the joyous genuine music of that transcendent work. N. B. Some foolish newspaper critic speaks of it as ‘Weber’s weakest opera!’ If the dunderhead had clarified his ideas he would have perceived that he meant to say ‘shortest’ or ‘least elaborate.’ One would hardly call Milton’s L’Allegro one of his weakest works. Preciosa is on a smaller scale than Freyschütz & Oberon, but every note of it glows with inspiration. Not a single measure could be spared, & that is more than can be said of Weber’s grander operas—magnificent as they are. Haydn no. 2 was impressively rendered. The Raff overture was long & dull. A most satisfactory concert. I hear that Nilsson had but half a house at the Academy.”

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Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 20 December 1871, 5.

“The Church Music Association opened its third season by a concert last night at Steinway Hall. As a matter of course, the audience was large in number and brilliant in appearance, and the entertainment was given with all those pleasant accessories of decoration and etiquette which have made the previous soirees of the Association so attractive. Dr. Pech, or whoever else may deserve the credit of this enterprise, has certainly succeeded in arousing the interest of a large and influential class of people in a style of music which has not heretofore been fashionable, and for this good service he deserves the thanks of the true friends of art. The performance is open to some criticism; but the Society is young and improving. Last night’s concert began with an overture by Joachim Raff in Luther’s choral, ‘Eine feste Burg.’ Raff’s compositions are almost always interesting, and his treatment of this old hymn displays freedom, ingenuity, and a certain unexpected grace in strong but not unpleasant contrast with the severity of the theme. The vocal portions—repetition of the simple choral—are scattered at wide intervals through the overture, and a somewhat fragmentary effect is thereby produced upon listeners who are not careful in following the development of the score. These portions were not well sung, and considering the size of the chorus, the volume of the tone was strangely weak, and the impression disappointing. In Haydn’s Second Mass, which followed, the singers did themselves much more credit, rendering all the movements at least fairly well, and some portions with excellent spirit and correctness. The solo parts were taken by Mrs. Gulager, Mrs. Kempton, Mr. Leggat, and Mr. Remmertz. The second part of the programme was a repetition of the music of Weber’s ‘Preciosa,’ which the Association performed last year.”

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Review: New York Post, 20 December 1871, 2.

“The success of this organization has this season been without precedent. Not only have all the required subscriptions been paid up, but the directors for want of space in the hall, have found it necessary to decline further subscriptions to the amount of three thousand dollars.

The concert of last night at Steinway Hall was a superb affair, and by drawing away many of the leading stockholders seriously decreased the attendance at the Academy of Music, where Nilsson was singing in ‘Faust.’ The auditorium of Steinway’s presented a most brilliant appearance, the audience attending in full evening dress. The ranks of the chorus were as attractive as ever.

Of the performance, which was as usual ably directed by Dr. Pech, the very crowded state of our columns will only permit us to say a few words. Raff’s overture on Luther’s chorale, ‘Ein feste Burg,’ opened the programme, and was listened to with interest as a masterly work, though its performance was not felicitous. To this followed Haydn’s Second Mass, a work full of delightful melody, and of a light, sunshiny character. It is well-known to many amateurs. It received excellent treatment last night from the chorus-singers, as well as from the vocalists, Mrs. Gulager, Mrs. Kempton and Mr. Leggat and Mr. Remmertz.

The concert concluded with Weber’s ‘Preciosa,’ music which had been received with special favor last season. Mrs. Kempton sang the only solo in the piece, receiving the honor of an encore. The orchestral writing in ‘Preciosa’ is one of its chiefest charms, and was listened to last night with close attention.”

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Review: New York Herald, 20 December 1871, 7.

“The third season of this highly fashionable society took place last evening at Steinway Hall before one of the largest and most refined audiences that ever graced that temple of music. The eye of a modiste would have been delighted with the display of fashions and the magnificent toilets set forth in the auditorium, and also on the soprano and contralto tiers on the stage, and on every side the eye found something pretty and pleasant to rest upon. An apparently endless line of carriages filled up Fourteenth street and Union square, and the crème de la crème of metropolitan society honored the occasion with their presence. The programme consisted of Raff’s overture, ‘Eine feste Burg,’ Haydn’s second mass and Weber’s ‘Preciosa,’ and the chorus and orchestra were guided through the mazes of these well known works by the skillful baton of Dr. James Pech. The soloists were [see above]. The performance was highly creditable both to the performers and to the conductor of this society, and gave evidence of long and painstaking rehearsals. The magnificent work of Haydn was given with precision and due expression; and ‘Preciosa,’ which created such an impression last season at the concerts of this society, brought out the hearty enthusiasm of the audience. Dr. Pech deserves the highest praise for his efforts in the cause of music in this city, especially as those efforts have been always directed toward the best and most elevated standard of art.”

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Review: New-York Times, 21 December 1871, 8.

“The Church Music Association gave its first concert on Tuesday evening, when an audience was assembled distinguished for quality as well as remarkable in number. The performance consisted of a new overture by Raff, of that species not accepted by orthodox musicians, wherein a chorus is used as an additional class of instruments; of Haydn’s Second Mass, and of some selections from Weber’s ‘Preciosa.’

Brilliant as is the Second Mass, it is written mainly for the orchestra, the succession of elegant motives of which it consists being all worked out there, while the voices are used with Haydn’s accustomed grace to intensify and chasten strains otherwise too florid for the words and the subject. The quartet of soloists, Mme. Gulager, Mrs. Jenny Kempton, Mr. Leggatt and Mr. Remmertz, sang all that was allotted to them smoothly and well, and the chorus may be described as respectable. We are unable to discover any sound principle on which the programmes of these concerts are arranged, and fear that a great opportunity will be lost if the governing powers continue to indulge their own fancies instead of considering the interests of art. The object of the Association is to enable the most cultivated audience in New-York to hear music of the highest order, which is not otherwise attainable. The laying out of a good programme is an art in itself, and one of its first rules is to place the numbers in that order whereby they may be heard to the best advantage. The older music should, therefore, be placed first, so that the greater force, variety, and resonance of modern productions should not be cast an air of poorness and thinness on that which is to follow. This rule the Church Music Association always reverses. Raff’s overture, with its choral passages interspersed, is written on the same old Lutheran chorale which we hear from time to time all through Meyerbeer’s ‘Huguenots.’ It is a fine work, of the modern school, but its production belongs not to the Church Music Association, but to the Philharmonic Society, which has the means of performing it properly, and its rendering on Tuesday only had the effect of greatly injuring the after performance of Haydn’s Mass. Then, the second part of the concert consisted of fragments of Weber’s weakest opera, ‘Preciosa.’ Last year, in the same order, his ‘Oberon’ was performed at the very time that another performance of it took place at the Academy. Of the selections from ‘Preciosa,’ we can only say that they were very pretty, and would just suit Mr. Theodore Thomas’ garden orchestra. Meanwhile, time is passing, the Church Music Association has reached its third year, and what has been done? Three great Masses; nothing else worthy of their opportunities. Are we never to have anything Mozart’s, the much-desired Requiem, for example? Is it impossible to get up a Psalm of Mendelssohn’s, or a cantata of Handel’s, or a vocal work of the neglected Spohr, or, in fine, any of those numberless works classed as motetts, which were promised, but have not been performed? It is true that, rich as we are in competent part-singers, New-York is woefully deficient in the rank and file of a great chorus. Many things, among others the difficulties of street travel in the evening, go to account for this; but it was understood that the Church Music Association was instituted with the intention of supplying this need, of encouraging the growth of a chorus, and we submit that one way to encourage a chorus and attract recruits thereto is to employ it in the study of really interesting, legitimate choral music.”

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Review: Dwight's Journal of Music, 13 January 1872, 162-63.

“The first concert of the Church Music Association took place last Tuesday at Steinway Hall before the usual large audience of the representatives of fashion, wealth, and refinement, exceeding in number some 2,000 persons. This is the more surprising when it is known that on the evening the elements were not propitious, and that a snow storm had steadily set in and continued during a greater part of the day and night. ‘Faust’ had also been set up for that evening at the Academy of Music; but on this occasion the counter attractions at Steinway Hall had materially emptied the house, fully convincing the most skeptical that at least one of our local institutions is not without a vitality that can make itself felt when occasion requires.

The success of the Church Music Association is apparent to everyone, and we heartily congratulate its members on the good they are conferring upon the community by steadily persisting in a good course.

At the same time we could wish that, as the society progresses in the estimation of musicians and the public, it would address its attention to works of yet a higher order than those attempted. It is true the works given are very good of their kind; nothing could be more admirably selected than the last programme, but still there must arise opportunities in the future by which the works of Bach and Handel and some more modern, but equally learned musicians’ works could be presented.

The elements composing the organization are extremely good. The chorus is now well balanced and composed of the freshest voices to be obtained in the city, and drawn too from a circle of society well sustained by wealth and comfort. The orchestra is large in numbers, never less than seventy performers, and the best that can be obtained; while the musical director and conductor, Dr. James Pech, although we cannot always agree with what he says in his analytical programmes, nor even, sometimes, with his reading and interpretation of the works performed—is a man of erudition, experience and culture in the profession he follows, and is sure, whatever he does, to do it with much intellect and ability.

The programme comprised [see above]. In this the orchestra and chorus were complete, and in their laudable efforts were joined by the soloists.

It will be seen, here, that in the selection of the programme there is great variety of thought and character in the compositions selected. The Raff overture is well constructed and developed in a highly scholastic way, and, although ponderous, was a happy precursor to the light and almost effeminate composition, Haydn’s 2nd Mass, which followed. In the first we had the richness and generosity of the modern treatment with all the scholarship of Haydn; in the latter an inferior melodic form sustained by a choral writing more instrumental than vocal in its character.

The Preciosa Music was, perhaps, delivered better than any other portion of the programme. There was more life and vigor displayed in the attack of the chorus and as a curiosity, the Orchestra played the accompaniments with more grace and lightness than our Orchestras are accustomed to do in this city. And here we must say, that from the numbers of the Chorus—there could not have been less than 300—the attack and body of tone ought to have been stronger and larger. This, probably, will be achieved in the course of time. The singing of the chorus on Tuesday night, however, was certainly better than on any previous occasion during the existence of the organization, which now bids fair to become the best singing society in the city.

The principal parts were taken by [see above]. If these names are not very wide-spread in the world, they are known and esteemed here as vocal singers of great respectability. They very evidently united their efforts in the best way they could with those of the Chorus, Orchestra and Conductor in an endeavor to give the most finished interpretation to the works of the composers set down for performance.

Altogether the concert was an enjoyable one, and if in the performance there was much to object to, as there must always be in connection with almost any effort in art, still there was much deserving our highest commendation and encouragement. Dr. James Pech, upon whom so much devolves, most decidedly deserves the best encouragement and thanks of the community for the earnest devotion he is giving to the highest interests of musical art in this city.” [Reprinted from N. Y. Weekly Review, Dec. 23]