Early German music in PhiladelphiaDrummond, Robert Rutherford
History
Early German music in Philadelphia
Drummond, Robert Rutherford
Music -- Germany -- History and criticism; Music -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- History and criticism
Subscription concerts or in fact concerts of any kind seem to have gone
out of fashion in Philadelphia, but in 1764 there was an awakening and
a series of concerts was instituted, beginning January the nineteenth;
“to be continued every other Thursday, till the 24th of May following.
No more than 70 Subscribers will be admitted, and each, on paying Three
Pounds for the Season, to have one Lady’s Ticket to be disposed of
every Concert Night, as he thinks proper.”[165]
This then was a series of subscription concerts and must have been
confined to the aristocracy of the town. The next year another
series of such concerts was given,[166] so they were evidently quite
successful. Of these concerts there has been no program discovered,
but in the spring of 1765 there is a program of a concert, which
is probably representative of the programs given at that time. The
advertisement for this concert is of interest:
“On Wednesday evening the 10th Instant at the College Hall in this
City was performed a solemn Entertainment of Music under the
Direction of Mr. Bremner;[167] interspersed with Oratorios, by some
of the young Students.... Nearly One Hundred and Thirty Pounds was
raised for the Benefit of the Charity Schools belonging to the said
College.”[168]
The program included overtures of Stamitz, Kelly, and Arne, and
Martini, and a concerto of Geminiani; also, sacred songs, orations, and
a violin solo.
Besides these exhibitions there were probably concerts of chamber
music, as witness:
“Even in the last century [18th] it was usual for families to have
meetings at their houses for their improvement in music. Governor
Penn, who played the violin, had musical soirees every Sunday evening
at his house in South Third Street, during a portion of the year. Dr.
Adam Kuhn, himself an amateur, attended them.”[169]
The first definite mention of an orchestra was in 1767 when it was
announced that the singing in the Southwark Theatre was “accompanied
by a Band of Music.”[170] An estimate as to this orchestra is herewith
given: violins, flute, harpischord, oboe, ’cello, trumpet, and,
perhaps, French horn and drum.
There were sparks in the town, who also, indulged in serenading their
lady loves, an account of which is given by _an Englishman_ in a letter
to his sister:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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