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History Of Music 1750 - 1800
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Music History Between 1875 - 1890
Benedetti And Arnoldi Tenori Giubeli Rossi And Salvatore
Music History Between 1800 - 1825
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Music History Between 1800 - 1825
In 1800 we find the first mention of the use of the bassoon. This was in
Bethlehem, Pa., and it seems to complete the list of instruments for the
average orchestra. Notwithstanding the record of the importation of
oboes, many years earlier, and the fact that Graupner, one of the
leading musicians in Boston about this time, was, or had been an
oboeist, some historian has stated that even well into the nineteenth
century there was only one oboe player in the United States, and he
lived in Baltimore. Surely this must be an error.
In December 1800 we find the first annual concert of the Philharmonic
Society in New York City. This society died in a few years, and in 1820
another Philharmonic Society was formed. This society also dwindled,
though it did not die, for in 1840 it was reorganized, and has ever
since taken a leading part in the musical life of New York.
Many musical societies made a beginning. Few lived long. But of those
which lived perhaps the most noted is the Handel and Haydn Society of
Boston, formed in 1815. This society gave what was claimed to be the
first complete performance of Handel's "Messiah," but it is also
claimed that this was done in 1801 in the hall of the University of
Pennsylvania.
The Handel and Haydn Society also gave what was called the first
complete performance of Haydn's "Creation," an honor which is also
ascribed to King's Chapel in 1816, while portions had been performed in
1811 at Bethlehem, Pa. Thus it is difficult to fix definitely the first
performances of many of the large works. In later days, especially in
the case of Wagner's operas, portions were given at concerts long before
complete stage performances were essayed.
Another musical society which is in existence at the present day, and
which undoubtedly has had much influence on the musical life of America,
was the Pierian Sodality of Harvard University, established in 1808 by
the undergraduates.
In Philadelphia we find the establishment of the Musical Fund Society,
which, for a number of years, did much to promote good music in that
city. At its first concert, on April 24, 1821, Beethoven's First
Symphony was played for the first time in America. Mr. Goepp gives us a
full account of this and tells us that the whole symphony was too severe
a task for an audience of that period, so the performance was broken and
diversified by vocal and other solos between the movements.
New England possessed several musical societies in 1821, by which
performances of oratorio were given. The Sacred Music Society was
formed in New York City in 1823 and lasted till 1849. So it may easily
be seen that, as the population increased, musical societies were soon
established.
Theatres, while not strictly part of the musical life of the country,
can hardly be separated from it because they were the home of ballad
operas, and all musical stage representations. They were already in
existence in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia before the beginning of
the nineteenth century, but we find in 1807, the opening of "Le Theatre
St. Philippe" in New Orleans with Mehul's one-act opera, "Une Folie."
This theatre being burned in 1817, a new one, "Le Theatre d'Orleans,"
was built and opened in the following year. This theatre was the finest
in the country at that time and was the home of opera for a number of
years. The record of opera in New Orleans is incomplete, but it is well
known that New Orleans was the home of French opera in America long
before it became popular in other parts of the country.
But America was gradually edging up to the time of grand opera. Singers
were arriving from abroad and brought with them their ambitions. We find
that an English version of Rossini's opera, "Il Barbiere," was given at
the Park Theatre, New York City, in 1819, with Miss Leesugg as Rosina,
and in 1823 an English version of Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" was
presented. Again in the early part of 1825, Weber's opera "Der
Freyschuetz" was presented, in English, at the Park Theatre, with Miss
Kelly and Mrs. de Luce in the leading parts. Similar performances
followed in other cities, and the country was thus gradually prepared
for the real thing,--grand opera,--in its native language.
While the record of items during the period 1800 to 1825 is not very
long it still shows considerable progress. The people grew up in a
country where there was little musical cultivation, where there were
small communities, and where the struggle for existence had been the
first consideration. They responded warmly to the efforts of the country
singing teacher, the choral society promoter, and later to the producer
of opera, and if history shows many failures, it may be pointed out that
these failures could not have taken place if no effort had been made.
Perhaps efforts in many cases were premature. Also there was much to
learn in the management of masses of people. The virtues of a true
democracy are nowhere more necessary than in a choral society.
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