The art of music, Vol. 04 (of 14) : $b Music in America
History
The art of music, Vol. 04 (of 14) : $b Music in America
Music -- History and criticism; Musicians
In 1767 Messrs. Bohrer, Morgan and Comp started weekly concerts at
their Charleston Vauxhall. They did not include tea and coffee in the
price of the tickets, but on one extraordinary occasion when 'four
or five pieces' were exhibited between the parts of the concert 'by
a person who is confident very few in town ever saw, or can equal,
his performance,'--on that extraordinary occasion tea and coffee were
included in the expense 'till the person above mentioned begins.'
Unfortunately we do not know the nature of the person's performance.
He was, it seems, a very exclusive person and refused to appear more
than once in Charleston, 'unless by the particular desire of a genteel
company.' Nevertheless the enterprise of Messrs. Bohrer, Morgan and
Comp does not seem to have succeeded. Peter Valton gave a benefit
concert in 1768 and a subscription concert in 1769. In the meantime
the St. Cæcilia Society, which was founded in 1762, had been giving
regular subscription seasons since 1766 or perhaps earlier. That
these St. Cæcilia Concerts were important affairs is evident from an
advertisement inserted by the society in the New York, Philadelphia,
and Boston papers in 1771, calling for a first and second violin, two
hautboys, and a bassoon, and offering to such, if 'properly qualified,'
a one-, two-, or three-year contract. The society continued to give
regular concerts all during the century, but we have no information as
to their nature.
Outside the St. Cæcilia concerts we find in 1772 only one, 'the vocal
part by a gentleman, who does it merely to oblige on this occasion,'
and, in 1773, two at which a Mr. Saunders exhibited 'his highest
_dexterity_ and _grand deception_.' In 1774 a Mr. Francheschini, who
seems to have been a violinist of the St. Cæcilia Society, announced a
concert for his benefit by express permission of that organization. Mr.
Van Hagen, of Rotterdam, who afterward appeared in New York and Boston,
gave a concert in the same year, at which Signora Castella performed
on the musical glasses. Then the war intervened, putting practically a
complete quietus on music for the time being.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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