A guide book of art, architecture, and historic interests in Pennsylvania
History
A guide book of art, architecture, and historic interests in Pennsylvania
Architecture -- Pennsylvania; Art -- Pennsylvania; Historic buildings -- Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania -- Guidebooks; Pennsylvania -- History
ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Broad and Locust Streets. Seats 3000; established,
1857, for representation of operas in English, and distinguished
entertainments; opened with a magnificent ball, such as was never before
witnessed in Philadelphia; now home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, which
has had three conductors since its organization in 1900, Fritz Scheel,
Carl Pohlig, and Leopold Stokowski; all of whom have brought the
splendid body of players to a high standard of musical excellence. Dr.
Stokowski has said of the Academy: “The architect must have had great
knowledge of the laws governing sound, as the volumes are marvelously
arranged.”
The Mahler Symphony was given here in 1916, first time in America,
Stokowski, director, with chorus of 1000 voices. A memorial to Siegfried
Behrens will be in wall of lobby, portrait figure in relief, with Muse
of Music holding laurel wreath, Cararra marble, seven feet high, on base
of dark marble; sculptor, Guiseppe Donato.
THE MAENNERCHOR SOCIETY, 1643 North Broad Street. A men’s chorus of
active and associate members, founded, 1835, by Philip Mathias
Wolsieffer, director for eighteen years. The Maennerchor was the first
men’s chorus in America; they have sung for twenty-eight years at
opening of the German-American Charity Ball, in the Academy of Music.
They sang with the Vocal Union, choral parts of Beethoven’s Ninth
Symphony in 1874, first time given in America, William W. Wolsieffer
conducting. Won three prizes at National Saengerfest in Brooklyn,
Baltimore, and Newark.
MUSICAL FUND HALL, Locust Street, west of Eighth Street, built, 1824.
Acoustic properties unsurpassed. Jenny Lind sang here. Now used by a
Labor Organization.
Philadelphia has over two hundred singing societies, and a long list of
very prominent musical organizations.
THE PRESSER FOUNDATION OF PHILADELPHIA, organized 1916, is the first
institution of its kind to be established in America. All of its
resources have been given by Mr. Theodore Presser. It includes a Home
for Retired Music Teachers, suggested by the Founder’s visit to the
Verdi “Casa di Riposo per Musicisti,” in Milan in 1899. Scholarships to
institutions of learning, the students to be selected by the President,
and Directors of the Musical Departments, and emergency aid relief to
musicians.
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND OTHER HISTORIC SCHOOLS
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