Nilsson Welcome Banquet

Event Information

Venue(s):
Arcadian Club

Conductor(s):
David L. Downing

Event Type:
Band

Performance Forces:
Vocal

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
22 February 2025

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

18 Sep 1873, Evening

Program Details

Before the performance of “Ah! mon fils,” John McCullough recited a piece entitled “The stowaway.”

See also related event entries of 09/14/73: Notre dame and of 09/26/73: Robinson’s Hall: Royal Marionette Theater; Nilsson attended these performances and big fusses were made.

See also related event entry of 09/12/73: Salvini Welcome Banquet.

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
LIST OF PERFORMER(S)/ORGANIZATION(S)
Participants:  Ninth Regiment Band;  Vescelius Sisters;  Mathilde Toedt;  John Nelson Pattison;  Anton Graf;  Antonia Henne [contralto];  William H. [baritone] Beckett;  Myron W. [bass] Whitney;  John [actor] McCullough;  Tom [tenor] Karl;  Nelson Varley;  Miss S. [singer] Mendes;  Anna [soprano] Borie
2)
Zauberflöte, Die, trio
Composer(s): Mozart
Participants:  Vescelius Sisters
3)
Vocal quartet, unidentified
Participants:  Anton Graf;  William H. [baritone] Beckett;  Myron W. [bass] Whitney;  Nelson Varley
4)
"Excelsior," [vocal work]
Composer(s): Unknown composer
Participants:  Myron W. [bass] Whitney;  Nelson Varley
5)
Africaine, L’, "Air du sommeil"
Composer(s): Meyerbeer
Participants:  Miss S. [singer] Mendes
6)
INTERMISSION
7)
Stormy petrel, The
Composer(s): Pattison
Participants:  John Nelson Pattison
8)
"sehnsucht"
Composer(s): Unknown composer
Participants:  Tom [tenor] Karl
9)
Prophète, Le, "Ah! mon fils"
aka Ah, mio figlio; Beggar's song; Prophete. Ah! mons fils
Composer(s): Meyerbeer
Participants:  Antonia Henne [contralto]
10)
Andante, violin, piano, D minor
Composer(s): Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Participants:  Mathilde Toedt
11)
Rigoletto, "Caro nome"
aka Dearest name
Composer(s): Verdi
12)
Song, unidentified
aka New song
Composer(s): Unknown composer
Participants:  Myron W. [bass] Whitney
13)
INTERMISSION
14)
Egmont, [incidental music]. Overture
aka Egmont overture; Goethe's Egmont
Composer(s): Beethoven
Participants:  Ninth Regiment Band

Citations

1)
Announcement: New York Herald, 07 September 1873, 7.

“Mme. Nilsson will arrive in this city on Tuesday evening by the Cuba. A reception will, within a day or two after, be tendered her by the Arcadian Club. The subscription books for the Strakosch opera season will be open to-morrow morning at the Academy of Music.”

2)
Review: New York Post, 19 September 1873, 2.
“The members of the Arcadian Club and their friends gave last night at the club-rooms a complimentary reception to Madame Nilsson-Rouzaud. A programme of vocal and instrumental music was interpreted by a number of skilful [sic] performers, among whom were the Vezelius [sic] sisters, Miss Mendes, Miss Borie, Mr. Nelson Varley, Mr. Whitney, Mr. Pattison and Mr. Thom Karl. Madame Rouzaud, who was richly dressed in white silk, and was presented to the company by Mr. Parke Godwin, was of course the centre [sic] of attraction, and during the evening was introduced to many more people than she can possibly remember.
 
The parlors of the Arcadian Club were handsomely decorated with flowers, and there was a creditable display of oil paintings on the walls. The musical and dramatic professions were very largely represented [lists attendees].
 
About midnight there was a serenade by a full band, the out-door music, excellent of its kind, affording enjoyment to the large crowd in the street, as well as to the company in the club house. The occasion was an agreeable one for all who participated in it, the only drawback being the crowded condition of the rooms.”
3)
Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 19 September 1873, 5.

“The parlors of the Arcadian Club were transformed into a bower of roses and pictures last evening to grace the reception of Mme. Nilsson. The arches were hidden under thick banks of evergreen and flowers, which gave a delightful fragrance to the air. Pictures by Beard, De Haas, Moran, Richards, Magrath, and others, sent in for the occasion by the artist members of the Club, covered the walls. Prominent among these was a portrait of the evening’s guest. The company that gathered to greet her showed that the number of her admirers was too large to be entertained by any one club; it was emphatically a crowd. At 10 p. m., the hour when she was to be presented, there was no such thing as motion; a position gained was perforce retained. Among those present were: [lists attendants]. There were more ladies than at Salvin [sic, should be Salvini’s] reception last week. [Lists first part of program.] At 10 p. m. a flutter in the west room drew the attention of all that way. A small space was obtained, and Mme. Nilsson was led in and presented, with a few pleasant words, by Parke Goodwin. A few introductions and a chat with such of her friends as were near followed, and she was then led to the East room, to enjoy the rest of the entertainment, but soon repaired to the cooler rooms up stairs [sic]. After the presentation, the programme was proceeded [lists second half of program]. The concert ended with singing by Miss Borie, and by M. W. Whitney. Most of the time Mme. Nilsson sat in the reception room above, dressed in white silk with a large bouquet of blush roses. The recent ended at about midnight with a grand serenade in front of the club-house.”

4)
Review: New York Herald, 19 September 1873, 6.
“Brilliant as was the reception given to the distinguished Italian tragedian, Signor Salvini, by the Arcadian Club last week, it was entirely eclipsed last night by the welcome accorded to Mme. Nilsson. The parlors and halls of the elegant club house were adorned with choice paintings from the best American artists and not a few specimens of European schools, and arches of evergreens, through which smiled clusters of flowers, lent a new beauty to the scene. An interesting programme was formed and carried out, consisting of the following:—[lists program].
 
The ‘Storm Petrel,’ a description of which was on a separate program, is the best of Pattison’s works, and was played superbly by him last evening. Mme. Nilsson made her appearance after ten o’clock, and was welcomed by the Vice President, Mr. Wheeler, in the name of the club.
 
The fair songstress was accompanied by her husband, M. Rouzaud, and was, of course, the centre [sic] of attention during the evening. The assemblage comprised many of the most prominent representatives of art and fashion, with a sprinkling of diplomats. Among those present were [lists notable attendants, including many musicians and Salvini].
 
At midnight the magnificent band of the Ninth regiment, under the direction of Mr. Downing, numbering fifty instruments, appeared before the club house and honored the Swedish nightingale with a serenade.
 
Calcium lights made Union square [sic] and vicinity as bright as day, and a dense crowd of people blocked every street near the club house. Lights gleamed in every window of the Everett House opposite, and the fair songstress looked out from the balcony on a surging sea of heads, while the hearty cheers which welcomed her rang out on the night air. Then the band broke forth in the stately measures of the overture to ‘Egmont,’ that immortal tribute of Beethoven to a great hero. Charming selections from all the well known operas with which Mme. Nilsson is identified followed. The Diva returned thanks in heartfelt terms and the most brilliant reception of the season came to a close. It was an appropriate welcome to one who has proved the guardian of Italian opera and the brightest representation of the lyric art at the present day.”