St. Francis Hospital Benefit

Event Information

Venue(s):
Academy of Music

Conductor(s):
Carl Bergmann
Ferdinand Amend
Carl Träger [cond-vocal]

Price: $1; $2 reserved

Performance Forces:
Instrumental, Vocal

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
6 July 2016

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

22 Apr 1866, 8:00 PM

Program Details

Carl Traeger, choral conductor.

It is probable, based on the announcement in the New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold(04/04/66) and the review in the New-Yorker Musik-Zeitung(04/18/66), that this performance was originally scheduled for 04/15/66, but cancelled by the police. Arranged and hosted by the St. Caecilia Verein. Chorus of 70 (listed here as unidentified chorus); orchestra of 86 (listed here as unidentified orchestra). Abt’s “Waldröslein” was performed by a double quartet from the Beethoven Männerchor. The New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung claims this is the American premiere of Meyerbeer’s “Der Mönch.”

Performers and/or Works Performed

2)
Composer(s): Abt
Participants:  Beethoven Männerchor
4)
Composer(s): Donizetti
5)
Composer(s): Donizetti
7)
aka Deutsches Lied
Participants:  Wilhelm Formes
8)
aka Deutsches Lied
Participants:  Wilhelm Formes
12)
Composer(s): Wagner
13)
aka Monk, The; Mönch, Der
Composer(s): Meyerbeer
Participants:  Joseph Weinlich
14)
aka Monk, The; Mönch, Der
Composer(s): Meyerbeer
Participants:  Joseph Weinlich
15)
Composer(s): Unknown composer
16)
Composer(s): Bellini
17)
Composer(s): Halévy
18)
aka Tear; Thraene; Träne; Trane, Die; Thrane, Die
Composer(s): Stigelli
Text Author: Brandes
Participants:  Frederick Letsch
19)
Composer(s): Meyerbeer
20)
Conductor: Bergmann, Carl
Composer(s): Weber

Citations

1)
Announcement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 04 April 1866, 4.
2)
Article: New-Yorker Musik-Zeitung, 18 April 1866, 198.

     Last Sunday a concert was planned at the Stadttheater to benefit the enlargement of the German Catholic St. Franciscus Hospital. The concert was supposed to be conducted by Bergmann, sung by Formes and Weinlich and performed with an orchestra of 80 musicians. Unfortunately the Friday before the concert was scheduled, it was cancelled by police officer Kennedy who followed the law that Sunday concerts are prohibited except at some theaters such as Irving Hall or Academy of Music. Interestingly enough there were concerts scheduled for Sunday evening at Irving Hall (only for the owner) and at the St. Stephan’s Church as a benefit for the church. These concerts were not cancelled, although it was known that there was no sacred music being played. Officer Kennedy has rough manners and would wish ‘the Germans would have only one head so he could knock it off. These conditions are worse than the ones in Russia under Abramovitsch’s regime’.”

3)
Advertisement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 19 April 1866, 6.
4)
Advertisement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 22 April 1866, 8.

Includes program.

5)
Review: Musical Review and World, 25 April 1866, 213.

     A well-attended event. The performances were agreeable except for the comical duo out of Wilhelm Tell. An amateur, Mrs. Henne, possesses a beautiful and smooth contralto voice. She should look into being trained for the stage. There is such a lack of good alto voices.