Philharmonic Society

“ But whatever may be the result in the future, there can be but one feeling as regards the past of the Philharmonic Society. The consideration of the list above given can only excite a warm sense of gratitude towards an institution which for more than half a century stood at the head of English concerts, and enabled the lovers and students of music in this country to become acquainted with the works, and the persons of the greatest composers and executants of modern days. ”

“ The following summary of the principal new events of each season will be the best epitome of the earnest artistic work done by the Philharmonic Society. It will show how far the Society since its establishment may claim to have kept pace with the progress of music; how many masterpieces of the most different schools, since become classic, were first heard in England at a Philharmonic concert, and how many great players have there made their débût before an English audience. These claims to distinction are due to the discretion and energy of the Directors of the Society. ”

“ It was then, under such disheartening conditions, that the Philharmonic continued to live and carry on its work in the highest interests of art, and although its light may have been at times somewhat obscured by contemporary brilliancy, its story is one of which not only the Society, but the nation at large may be justifiably proud. ”

“ The conditions proposed by the Philharmonic Society as regards my non-appearance in any other public orchestra than its own, about not conducting the orchestra, and about suchlike matters for the advantage of the Society, I consent to unreservedly. My feeling of honour would have dictated them to me as a matter of course.
6. I dare to hope that the Philharmonic Society will oblige me with its assistance in the preparation and promotion of one benefit concert, or perhaps more.... ”

“ The Philharmonic Society, in order to exclude from their programmes all shallow and worthless virtuosi-concerti, had laid down the law, that with the exception of the pianoforte concerti of Mozart and Beethoven no similar musical pieces should be played, and that solo players had only to perform that which they should select. Nevertheless, after Ries had continued the discussion in English, and therefore unintelligibly to me, and represented to the gentlemen that my violin-concerts in Germany would therefore become excluded by their bann, they at length yielded in this also. ”

“ A well-meaning person, if a trivial composer, he helped to found the London Philharmonic Society, which was the first society in Europe, and in the world, consciously formed for the furtherance of musical art and for no other purpose. ”

“ The programmes of the Philharmonic Society are at first almost equally vague—'Symphony, Mozart,' 'Symphony, Beethoven,' 'Symphony, never performed, Beethoven,' is with rare exceptions the style in which the pièces de resistance at the Society's concerts are announced. ”

“ No concerto solo or duet shall ever be performed at any of the society’s concerts; and if the directors shall think it expedient at any time to introduce vocal music with full orchestral accompaniments, it must be under the above limitations.’ Thus it appears that the performance of vocal music only entered conditionally into the original plan of the founders of the Philharmonic ”

“ This is seldom the case in a regularly maintained concert orchestra, yet it does happen sometimes even there. The New York Philharmonic Society suffers a good deal from this cause. The orchestra is the society, and many of its members never play in any artistic concerts except those of the organization. They have poor instruments, which do not aid in the production of a noble tone, such as should come from an orchestra of this kind. Again, there are individual players whose peculiar faults are displayed to the general disadvantage of an orchestra. ”

“ The Philharmonic Society celebrated its coming of age this year—the present being its twenty-first season—in a manner not at all unusual with those who attain their majority, namely, by changing its domicile, and has gained many important advantages by removing. ”

“ At the same time the programmes were furnished with analyses and comments by Professor G. A. Macfarren, illustrated by quotations in music type, a practice that has been maintained to the present time.
Music has now become more democratic than it was, and the Philharmonic Society, instead of being the sole and acknowledged queen of the musical world of England, is only one out of several concert-giving institutions, each striving its hardest to attract the favour of the public. ”

“ It is unnecessary to further insist on the great services rendered to the country by the Philharmonic Society.
If we wish to find the cause or causes which brought about the change amongst the masses, from absolute indifference to orchestral music to the present enthusiasm for it, I think we may begin by noting the gradual growth of an appreciation of the music of Wagner, especially among those whose means had enabled them to attend presentations of his works in Germany. ”

“ On the 15th of March, 1819, however, the Society prepared the diploma for Beethoven, the usually stereotyped form being exceptionally varied in his honor, and running thus:--'The Philharmonic Society here, whose aim it is to promote refinement of feeling and cultivation of taste in the science of music, and who strive by their incessant efforts to impart to the Society both inwardly and outwardly, by the judicious selection of new members, greater value, solidity, and distinction, are universally animated with the desire to see their list adorned by the name of Beethoven. ”

“ Before the late war, the city had an association of colored men called the "Philharmonic Society." Several liberal-minded native and foreign gentlemen of the other race were always glad to come and play with the "Philharmonics" overtures and other music of a classical character. This was really a scholarly body of musicians, with whom the very best artists of any race might well be proud to associate. Constantin Deberque and Richard Lambert were among those, who at352 times directed the orchestra. ”

“ An English musician whose name deserves preservation as one of the founders of the Philharmonic Society. He was born in 1755, was in the orchestra of the Opera from 1775 to 93, and led the band at the Handel Commemoration of 1790 in the absence of Cramer. ”

“ To report it all is quite beyond our limits. Engagements to play [111] crowded upon her from all parts of the country, and every concert seemed to be more successful than the last. One given as a complementary testimonial to Madam Urso by the musicians of Boston, in January 1869, brought out all her friends and packed the Music Hall with an audience such as it never saw before. About the same time she was elected an honorary life member of the Philharmonic Society of Philadelphia. ”

“ I have been instructed by the members of the Permanent Orchestra Fund Committee to express to you their appreciation of the spirit of unselfishness and of loyalty to the highest artistic interests which has characterized your attitude during the negotiations which have been in progress between our Committee and the Philharmonic Society. ”

“ Orchestral playing has never reached a high plane in England, but the London Philharmonic Society has an important history because of the famous works written for it, among them symphonies and overtures by Cherubini, Spohr’s second symphony, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and Mendelssohn’s Italian symphony. ”

“ The Philharmonic Society was established in 1813, and Bishop was one of its original members, and took his turn as conductor. In the following year he produced portions of the opera of 'The Farmer's Wife,' the melodrama of 'The Forest of Bondy,' and other musical pieces. In this year he adapted the first of a series of foreign operas—Boieldieu's 'Jean de Paris'—which was followed in successive years by 'Don Giovanni,' 'Figaro,' 'Il Barbiere,' and 'Guillaume Tell.' A number of operatic pieces were produced in 1815, including additional music for Dr. ”

“ I every day expect the text for a new oratorio, which I am to write for our Musical Society here, and no doubt it will be of use to us in London also. Do what you can on my behalf, for I greatly need it. I should have been glad to receive any commission from the Philharmonic, but Neate's report of the all but failure of the three overtures vexed me much. Each in its own style not only pleased here, but those in E flat major and C major made a profound impression, so that the fate of those works at the Philharmonic is quite incomprehensible to me. ”

“ The programme of a miscellaneous concert is not less important than the execution of it. For fifty-nine seasons the programme of the Philharmonic Society included 2 symphonies and 2 overtures, besides a concerto, and often another piece of full sonata-form, with several vocal pieces and smaller instrumental compositions. In 1872, however, after the removal of the concerts to St. ”

“ Soon after the death of Carl Bergmann in 1876 he was chosen conductor of the society, which office he has since held, except during his absence in Cincinnati. Under his leadership the Philharmonic has had an unbroken record of prosperity and has steadily progressed in furnishing a higher class of music to its patrons. ”

“ When in Boston this lady exhibited commendable zeal in the study of music, and at an early age was quite noticeable for good piano-forte performance. Miss Howard is a graduate of the Girls' High and Normal School of the city last mentioned.
A most encouraging indication of musical progress in the metropolis is the existence there of the Philharmonic Society, which was organized somewhat over two years ago. Two or three of its members are fine solo304ists, while others possess fair abilities. The music practised is instrumental, and all of a high order. ”

“ He acted as Juror in the Musical Instrument Section in the International Exhibitions of 1851 and 1862, and in 1863 was elected Professor of Music at Gresham College, London. In 1852 the New Philharmonic Society was founded by Sir Charles Fox, and others, on the advice of Dr. ”

“ Recent enlargements have increased the premises to three houses in Bond St., and the site of a former stableyard as well as of large back gardens of three houses in George Street. The first partnership is noticeable for the establishment of the Philharmonic Society, all the business arrangements for which were made at No. ”

“ The foreigners who hold places in the orchestra are resident, and in some sort naturalised, but the bulk of the executants are English. To be a member of the Philharmonic orchestra is, indeed, to take a sort of degree in executive music, and at once stamps the individual as a performer of distinguished merit. ”

“ The Philharmonic concerts are very fashionable. It is good taste, socially and artistically, to be present; and, consequently, the room is always crowded by an assemblage who display most of the characteristics of an Opera audience. The musical notabilities of town always muster in full force at the Philharmonic. Composers, executants, critics, amateurs, and connoisseurs, are all there, watching with the greatest care the execution of those famous works, the great effect of which can only be produced by the most wary and appreciative tenderness of rendering. ”

“ To-day the New York Symphony is splendidly maintained as a permanent orchestra through the generosity of its president, Mr. Flagler. The Philharmonic is similarly supported by liberal contributions from various sources, and other orchestras in Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Los Angeles use from a hundred thousand dollars a year upward, donated by their respective citizens, over and above the receipts from the sale of tickets, in order to maintain themselves as permanent symphonic organizations. ”

“ The fact was that Major Higginson, of Boston, with his permanent orchestra composed of young men, many of them the best of their kind, with their daily rehearsals and at least seventy-five symphony concerts a season, had set a new standard of orchestral technic which the old Philharmonic, under its archaic conditions, could not hope to equal. ”

“ Such is the present state of musical appreciation in this country that it is an open secret that in many cities the way to sell out, or nearly sell out the house, is to engage soloists with box-office appeal. I do not here refer to such great symphonic bodies as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, but I do refer to those symphonic bodies in those many cities that are something less than metropolitan centers. ”

“ It was not long, however, before chamber music was discarded. From that day to this, the concerts have never changed in character. Under all circumstances, whether of success or depression, nothing but the cult of the great classics was regarded as the essential feature of the aims of the Society. Its history is, assuredly, a fascinating one, not only on account of the intimate association with the greatest composers of the nineteenth century and the wonderful galaxy of genius which has made offerings at its shrine, but of the record of courage and determination which illumines it. ”