First Concert of Stella Bonheur

Event Information

Venue(s):
Irving Hall

Conductor(s):
James Gaspard Maeder [cond.-comp.]

Price: $.50; $1 reserved

Event Type:
Chamber (includes Solo)

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
3 February 2014

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

17 Oct 1863, Evening

Program Details

Debut of Madame Stella Bonheur.

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
LIST OF PERFORMER(S)/ORGANIZATION(S)
Participants:  Stella Bonheur;  J. Davenport [pf] Kerrison;  George Simpson;  John Rogers Thomas

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 11 October 1863, 7.

2)
Announcement: New York Post, 12 October 1863, 2.

3)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 12 October 1863, 7.

4)
Announcement: New York Post, 16 October 1863, 2.

5)
Announcement: New-York Daily Tribune, 16 October 1863, 2.

6)
Announcement: New York Sun, 17 October 1863, 4.

“A new débutante, said to possess not only beauty of voice, but beauty of person, appears this evening at Irving Hall.  Her name is Stella Bonheur, and she is said to be as much a ‘queen of song,’ as her beautiful namesake Rosa, is the ‘queen of painting.’  Those who go to hear her will enjoy a musical treat, which we venture to say, has not been heard for many years.”

7)
Announcement: New-York Times, 17 October 1863, 6.

"Irving Hall.—Mlle. Stella Bonheur gives a grand concert at this establishment to-night, assisted by first-rate talent."

8)
Review: New-York Times, 19 October 1863, 4.
“Miss Stella Bonheur gave a concert at Irving Hall on Saturday evening.  The young lady possesses a fine large voice which with due cultivation would place her in the first rank of resident artists.  It is at present very unfinished, and the expression which she throws into it, is the result of an intelligent temperament rather than of artistic culture.”
9)
Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 21 October 1863, 7.

Part of larger article; see “Article on Aspiring Debutantes,” 10/21/65, NYTr.

“[She is a] fine-looking young French lady, rejoicing under the lustrous name of Stella Bonheur, which done into English means Star of Joy; and which is no misnomer for one so full of youth and cheerfulness. This aspirant for concerts and the opera as well, has been we learn a pupil only for six months, of the well-known Mr. Maeder. In that time she has certainly done wonders, but not enough quite to place her before the public. We think with proper additional study, with such a full soprano voice as she is gifted with, she will take rank as an opera artist.”