Minnesota Musicians Archival Studies Concerts ofMinnesota Composers, 1889-1935, and other related events A Chronology Robert Tallant Laudon Prof. Emeritus ofMusicology University ofMinnesota 924 - 18th Ave. SE Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 331-2710 [email protected] 2001 This chronology springs from my research as author of Minnesota Music Teachers Association, the Profession and the Community, 1901-2000 (Eden Prairie, MN, by the association, 2000), which the quarterly Minnesota History has called more than an organizational history but a book that shows how talented and dedicated musicians, music teachers, and music lovers worked to build 'the musical Gibraltar of the Great Northwest'... and helps to explain Minnesota's prominent place on the nation's musical map." The composers are those that I am calling the First School of Minnesota Composition extending primarily from the 1890s to 1930, a group strongly influenced by German style and tradition, frequently writers of music for church and occasionally for light entertainment, most in the style of the Boston Group such as John Knowles Paine, Horatio Parker, and George W. Chadwick and others strongly influenced by the German Conservatories founded in the decades of the 1840s to the 1860s, hosts to numerous Americans in the 1880s and beyond. The music of this East Coast Group has not found an active place in the concert repertory of our symphonies who still prefer to repeat over and over the works of the greatest European masters, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. The Minnesota group has met the same fate. Yet the sincere efforts of a devoted group representing the taste of several generations of society deserve a place perhaps only in history but perhaps also to serve as contrasts to the Second School ofMinnesota Composition that began with the Modern Music movement ofthe 1920s and the Third School of Minnesota Composition that began with the establishment of the Minnesota Composer's Forum (now the American Composer's Forum) in 1973. Ignorance of these musical stages would result in a skewed view of any well-formed social history. The music favored by this school was called by them "culture music'" (Gale) or "musical culture" (Ferguson). This meant the works of the famous masters, primarily from the German-speaking countries. The untutored listeners that they addressed had their sights set no higher than the lighter styles or than indigenous music. Many considered classical music to be fancy or overly cultivated. The composers within this chronology sought a deeper meaning. Index ofthis still incomplete chronology 1889 p. 1 1890 pp. 1-2 1893 pp.2-3 Minnesota Manuscript Club formed 1894 pp.4-5 1895 p.5 1896 pp.5-6 1897 p. 7 1898 p. 7 1899 pp.7-8 1902 p.9 1903 pp.9-11 Minnesota Music Teachers Series begins 1904 pp. 11-13 1905 p.p 13-14 1906 pp. 14-15 1907 pp.15-17 1908 pp.17-19 1909 pp.20-21 1910 pp.21-22 1911 p.22 1912 pp.22-23 1913 p.23 1914 p.24 1915 pp.25-26 1916 pp.26-28 1917 pp.28-30 1918 pp.31-32 Minneapolis High School Composers series of concerts begun by Gertrude Dobyns 1919 pp.32-33 1920 pp.33-35 1921 pp.35-36 1922 p.36 1923 p.36 1924 p.37 1926 p.37 The Duluth Matinee Musicale organizes an official manuscript section 1927 pp.37-38 1928 p.38 1929 p.38 1930 p.38 1933 p.38 1934 pp.38-39 1935 p.40 Note: Two important series are not covered here: the long-rwming series ofMinneapolis High School Composers (unique in the nation and probably in the world) and the Duluth series which includes Ernest Lachmund, Stella and Clara Stocker et al. The series continues today. ----------- Minnesota Composer's Concerts 17. 18, 19 October 1889 (4 performances) Grand Opera House, Minneapolis, Comic Opera La Fianza by Willard Patton (Orchestrated by J. Bodewaldt Lamp, leader of the Grand Opera House Orchestra), libretto by Bert W. Ball 14 February 1890 Dyer Music Hall, Minneapolis Gustavus Johnson's Third Musical Evening (completely his own compositions) NB: Debut of Olive Fremstad, later renowned soprano of Munich & Metropolitan Operas, model for Cather's Song ofthe Lark Johnson's Third Musical Evening of the Season Dyer Music Hall, 14 February 1890 Polonaise for Piano (four hands) Johnson Messrs. Woodruff and Johnson Fantasie on Swedish Airs, Cello Solo Johnson Mr. Schlachter a. Five Characteristic Pieces Johnson b. Nocturne G. Johnson "Daffodils" Johnson Mr. Porter Reverie, Violin Solo Johnson Swedish Dance, Violin Solo Mr. Straka ''Thou'rt Near Me" Johnson Two Little Swedish Songs Miss Fremstad Easter Anthem, Double Quartet Johnson Soprano solo by Miss Ulmer Grand Trio in C Johnson Messrs. Johnson, Straka, and Schlachter 1 Minnesota Composer's Concerts 27 April 1890 Hannonia Hall, Minneapolis Danz Orchestra Concert, "Music by Home Composers" March "Salute to Danz" J.B.Lamp Overture "La Fianza" Willard Patton arr. by J. B. Lamp, violinist in the Danz Orchestra ''Mermen's Song" E. H. Gurney arr. by J. B. Lamp sung by Mr. A. W. Porter "Apres Midi" Alfred M. Shuey A reverie for string orchestra with the distant chiming of bells "Reverie" Gustavus Johnson Emil Straka, violin Male Quartet "I Know a Maiden" Alfred M. Shuey W. B. Heath, Junius Swift A. W. Porter, W. H. Eichman ''Valse Lento" E. O. Baldamos String Orchestra "Polonaise" Op. 14 Gustavus Johnson With the exception of the overture of"La Fianza" none of the selections has been played in public before Summer 1893 Intended premiere of Gustavus Johnson's Piano Concerto for Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893, but performance postponed till 1899. 29 October 1893 Minnesota Manuscript Club organized (NYC Society 1889, Philadelphia 1892, Chicago 1896) See Sumner Salter, "Early Encouragements to American Composers," The Musical Quarterly, 18 (1932), pp. 76-105, for a discussion of manuscript clubs. 2 Minnesota Composer's Concerts 9 November 1893 Studio Hall, Minneapolis First Concert ofMinnesota Manuscript Club, Quartet "Dream Song Clarance A. Marshall from "Prince and Paradise" by Alice I. Norcross Male Quartet R. D. Finel, O. J. DeSale, C. E. Fisher, W. H. Eichman Song for High Soprano "Awake" (Barry Cornwall) Willard Patton Miss Mattie Redlon Sonata forViolin and Piano Gustavus Johnson Claude Madden and Mr. Johnson Bass aria from ''Triumph of Love" Samuel A. Baldwin Charles E. Fisher Songs: "Sweet and Low" (Tennyson) Willam Mentor Crosse and other Tennyson songs "Unless" Miss Fannie McLeod Songs: "Love for Thee" Clarance A. Marshall "Beware" (Longfellow) Miss Esther Butler Quartet for Ladies Voices ''When Evening's Twilight" Willard Patton ''The Maiden's Rose" Sappho Ladies' Quartet Song for Soprano ''Two Red Roses" Gustavus Johnson (Originally composed for Miss Maud Ulmer) Miss McKay Part Song-Selected Samuel A. Baldwin Chorus of Mixed Voices Christmas 1893 Hennepin Avenue Church new compositions of Emil Oberhoffer (Te Deum ?) 3 Minnesota Composer's Concerts 31 May 1894 Conservatory Hall, Minneapolis American Composers, Ladies Thursday Musicale 1. ESSAY: "The Outlook for Music in America" Mrs.H. VV. Cileason 2. ARTHUR W. FOOTE. Trio for piano, violin and 'cello, Op. 5 (Two Movements) Miss Virginia H. Reno, Mr. Heinrich Hoevel, Mr. Fritz Schlachter 3. J .E. VVEBSTER. Song "Daffodil" Miss Maude Adams 4. GEO. W. MARSTON. Duet, "Come, May, with all they Flowers" Mrs. I. J. Covey, Mrs. Leonore Thomson 5. CiEO. VV. CHADWICK. Songs, (a) "AllaW' (b) "The Lily" Miss Lily Hammon 6. VVILLIAM MAsON. Piano Solo, "Serenata," Op. 39 Miss Cirace VVoodard 7. DUDLEY BUCK. Song "Expantancy" J. H. ROGERS. Song, "At Parting" Mrs. Frank Larrabee 8. FREDERICK VV. ROOT. Quartet "Home, Sweet Home" Sappho Quartet Mrs. I. J. Covey Mrs. VVeed Munro Miss Lily Hammon Mrs. M.A. Paulson 9. ETHELBERT NEVIN. Songs,- (a) From "A Child's Ciarden ofVerses (b) "Oh, That We Two VVere Maying" Miss Esther Butler 10. GEO. TEMPLETON STRONG. Duo for two pianos "An der Nixen QueUe" Mrs. Harry VV. Jones, Mrs. Robert T. Lyle 4 l Minnesota Composer's Concerts 7 September 1894 Minnesota Manuscript Club becomes an affiliate of the New York Manuscript Society 23 April 1895 Schubert Club H. E. Krehbiel Lecture: Folk Song in America 4 December 1895 Schubert Club Frances Densmore Lecture: Music of the American Indians 24 April 1896 Unitarian Church, Minneapolis Ladies' Thursday Musicale, Concert and Reception in Honor ofthe Musicians ofMinneapolis, (The Program rendered consists exclusivelv of compositions bv local musicians) I 1. Organ Solo "Vesper Hymn Variations" J. Warren Andrews Mr. Andrews 2. Two Male Quartets (a)"A Student's Serenade" Willard Patton (b) ''When O'er the Meads" The Temple Quartette: Mr. R. D. Finel, 1st Tenor Mr. G. H. Lugsdin, 1st Bass Mr. H. A. Stuart, 2d Tenor Mr. W. H. Eichman, 2d Bass 3. Mandolin Solo "Petite Fantaisie" Gino L. Perera Mr. Perera, accompanist Mrs. R. A. Mabey 4. Songs for Baritone, with 'cello obligato: Clarance Marshall (a) "The Siesta" (b) "Old German Love-Rhyme 5. Songs for Soprano(a) "Love's Calendar" Herbert W. Gleason (b) "Love's Mishap Miss Alice Wentworth, accompanist, Mrs. H. W. Gleason 6. Two Movements from Symphony for Orchestra Levi W.Ballard (a) Andante con variazioni (b) Minuet (arranged for String Quartet and Piano) Mr. L. W. Ballard, 1st Violin Mr. Peter Staton, Viola Mr. Ray Shryock, 2d Violin Mr. Fritz Schlachter, 'Cello Miss Eloise Shryock, Piano 5 -------- ---------------------------------------~ Minnesota Composer's Concerts Intennission and Entr'Acte Printed congratulations to the Thursday Musicale from Theodore Thomas, Walter Damrosch, Dudley Buck, George W. Chadwick, Frederic Grant Gleason, Frank Van Der Stucken, Mrs. H. H. A. Beach, H. E. Krehbiel, and Maud Powell II 1.