USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > Los Angeles from the mountains to the sea : with selected biography of actors and witnesses to the period of growth and achievement, Volume I > Part 32
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The first piano recital of note in San Francisco was by Henri Hertz in 1850, and among the early artists heard in
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the northern metropolis, as well as in Los Angeles, were Camilla Urso, Carlotta Patti, Ole Bull, Scalshi, Trebelli the elder, Emma Nevada, Sarasate, Giannini, Wilhelm Cherubini, Marsick, Ondricek, Lechaume, Adelina Patti, Vincenzo Vil- lani, Etelka Gerster, Tomagno and Amalia Materno.
San Francisco had symphony music long before Los An- geles had it-as early as 1865-and among the well known directors were Louis Schmidt, Oscar Weil, Rudolph Herold, Gustav Hinrichs and Adolph Mauer; while Los Angeles had among its conductors A. J. Stamm, Wenzel Kopta, Adolph Wilhartitz, Henry Schoenefeld, Harley Hamilton, and, among the more modern California conductors, may be found Dr. J. Fred Wolle, Panl Steindorff, Fritz Scheel, Henry Holmes, Henry Hadley, Alfred Hertz, Adolph Tandler and Walter Henry Rothwell.
The early history of choral music in Los Angeles includes such splendid names as Mrs. Girah D. Cole and Mrs. M. A. Larrabee of the Treble Clef Club; Charles S. Walton, con- ductor of the Ellis Club; Mr. C. Modini-Wood, Mr. Robert E. Paulsen, of the Apollo Club, and later J. B. Poulin, Joseph Dupuy and John Smallman. The history of the Treble Clef Club, the Apollo Club, Orpheus, Ellis and Lyric clubs of Los Angeles, the Grove Play of the Bohemian Club of San Francisco, the annual oratorios given under the direction of Paul Steindorff at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, and the Loring Club of San Francisco, includes the majority of the choral endeavors of these sections.
The state and cities of California have probably witnessed more grand opera and light opera than any other states and cities of the Union excepting New York, Boston, Chicago, and possibly New Orleans.
In the early days visits were made here by the Emma Abbott and the Emma Juch Grand Opera Companies, the Nellie Melba and the Ellis Grand Opera Companies, the Hess English Grand Opera Company and the Bostonians.
Theodore Thomas came to California with the National Opera Company in 1887, presenting Rubinstein's "Nero" in his repertoire. Later came the Metropolitan Opera Company with the world's greatest stars; the Del Conte Grand Opera,
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the Lombardi Italian Opera Company, Charles M. Pyke's English Opera Company, Jules Grau, light opera; the W. T. Carlton, the Duss Opera Company, the Sembrich Grand Opera Company, the San Carlo Grand Opera, the Chicago Grand Opera with its many stars, Mary Garden singing "Natoma" for the first time on the Pacific Coast, the words by Joseph Redding of San Francisco and the scene laid in Sauta Bar- bara; the Boston Grand Opera Company and the La Scala Grand Opera Company, all vying with one another to obtain the golden coin of California in exchange for the golden notes of the voices of many nations.
San Francisco has the unique distinction of twenty years of continuous light and grand opera at the most popular theater of that city, the Tivoli, which dates back to 1875 when Joe Kreling conceived the idea of opening a place of cheap amusement for the people where the music presented should be of the best order, where prices should be low, enabling families to seek diversion at little cost. It was there that Gilbert & Sullivan's "Pinafore" was first produced in the West, and where it enjoyed a run of eighty-four nights. "Bohemian Girl" had to its credit 157 nights; "Ship Ahoy," 108; "Olivet," 133; "Fra Diavolo," 72. The Gilbert & Sul- livan operas, combined, ran 691 night, including 14 operas.
The Tivoli was the most democratic house of amusement in the world, and it discovered many of the singers who were heard in the West before making names for themselves in the East, including the famous Luisa Tetrazzini, Alice Niel- sen, Sybil Sanderson, Agostini, Galozzi, Salassi, Collamarini, Sestegui, Beatrice Franco, Maud Fay and others.
On October 14, 1897, operatic history was made in the Los Angeles Theatre in Los Angeles. Puccini's celebrated "La Boheme" was sung for the first time in America by the Del Conte Grand Opera Company of Milan, with Giuseppe Agostini as Rudolfo, Luigi Francesconi as Schaunard, An- tonio Fumagali as Benoit, Cesar Cioni as Marcello the painter, Victorio Girardi as Colline the philosopher, Linda Montanari as Mimi, and Cleopatra Vicini as Musette. It was afterwards repeated at the Saturday matinee on October 16th and made
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such an impression that it was sung again by the same com- pany on October 19th.
In 1901, at the old Hazzard Pavilion in Los Angeles, the Metropolitan Grand Opera Company sang "La Boheme" for the first time with Mme. Nellie Melba as Mimi and Fritzi Scheff as Musette.
On July 1, 2 and 3, 1915, and the following week, "Fairy- land," the Horatio Parker prize opera, was presented for the first time on any stage, under the direction of the composer, with Marcella Craft as Rosamond. Alfred Hertz presided as conductor of orchestra, chorus and opera.
Los Angeles has made great strides musically in the last quarter of a century. It has enjoyed the Los Angeles Sym- phony for twenty-three years, and recently the Philharmonic Orchestra of Los Angeles has been created through the gen- erosity of W. A. Clark, Jr., who has not only endowed the organization for a number of years, but has builded it with the idea of its becoming the representative symphonic organ- ization of America. Walter Henry Rothwell, the eminent con- ductor, was called to the position of conductor, which he is filling with great ability and success.
Alfred Hertz has been the conductor for the past five years of the San Francisco Symphony organization, and has brought that orchestra to a most prominent position in the musical world of the West.
The Lyric Club of Los Angeles, a woman's organization, and the Ellis Club, a men's organization, are two very ex- ceptional singing bodies under the conductorship of J. P. Poulin. The Orpheus Club, a male organization of young men, under the direction of Joseph Dupuy, won the $3,000 prize at the Music Festival in San Francisco in 1915.
No honest record of musical Los Angeles can possibly be made without taking into account one great human figure who has been the heart and soul of things musical here for many a year, and whose genius at the present day dominates the whole field of that art. This man is L. E. Behymer, through whose conrage, faith and persistence and long personal sacri- fice Los Angeles has had brought to its gates, and within its gates, the very best that music has had to give.
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Whenever the word "music" is mentioned in Los Angeles one must think of L. E. Behymer. And, happily, the high esteem in which he is held in his own community, and the deep love and affection which that community has for him, is the best reward of his long and tireless efforts in behalf of the art of music which has been throughout his whole life as the breath of his nostrils. Los Angeles well knows what Mr. Behymer has done for her, and it is not an ungrateful city. Happily, also, Mr. Behymer is as well a prophet outside of his own country. He is known afar, wherever the world of music and art exists. He is the honorary president of the National Concert Managers' Association of America; the Government of France has conferred upon him the well- deserved decoration of The Palms, and has elected him an officer of the French Academy of Public Instruction. At home he has long been the president of the Gamut Club and the great guiding spirit of the Philharmonic Orchestra. If you were to make a list of his friends in his home city, it would include its entire population. And if you were to make a list of his friends abroad it would include all the great names of the musical world and of many a wandering minstrel not so well known to fame, for even these have found in Mr. Behymer a sympathetic and helpful friend.
As the sister art of music whose home is also the mimic stage, the drama in Los Angeles has fared to high distinction. Here we have one of the two great plays that has stood the test of time and has achieved a world-wide and lasting repu- tation as a permanent institution-the Mission Play. The other great play referred to is the Passion Play of Ober- ammergau. Indeed, the Mission Play is often spoken of as the "Oberammergau of America," although the Mission Play tells another story. The only similarity between the two pro- ductions is the high note of religions faith common to both.
The play was produced for the first time April 29, 1912, in a specially constructed theater at the old Mission of San Gabriel under the direction of Henry Kabierske, originally of Breslau, Germany, a pageant-master and artist of world-wide celebrity. The initial productions of the play were held under the patronage of the Princess Lazarovich-Hrebrelanovich of
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Servia (Eleanor Calhoun of California), who embodied the role of "Donna Josefa." The "King's Highway" (El Camino Real) depicting in miniature the twenty-one old Fran- ciscan missions, is the embodiment of the creative ideas of Ida L. MeGroarty, wife of the author of the Mission Play. The execution of these ideas was performed under Mr. Ka- bierske's designs and direction.
The scenes of the first act of the Mission Play are laid on the shores of San Diego Bay in the year 1769, "when Cali- fornia began." The stage settings show the lovely Harbor of the Sun, with Point Loma shouldering out to sea. An old Spanish galleon rocks gently at anchor. The rude huts of the Spaniards stand under Presidio Hill. A guard of Cata- lonian soldiers sits lazily abont and the dialogue brings out the story of the hardships and hopelessness of the situation. The return of Portola from his fruitless search of Monterey has been awaited for weary months. The settlement is pa- thetically worn with sickness and is on the verge of utter starvation. Father Junipero Serra, the immortal founder of the Missions, appears early in this act and at once takes his place as the commanding figure of the play, as he was the commanding figure in history for the first sixteen years of the establishment of his immortal dream of a Christian Cali- fornia. On this day Portola returns, his expedition in a pitiful condition. As the full knowledge of the awful situa- tion dawns upon him, Portola gives orders for the people to board the ship in the harbor and sail back to Mexico with the tide at night. California is to be abandoned. Father Serra begs and pleads with Portola to retract his orders, but the gubernador is obdurate. Then Father Serra ascends the old brown hill and prays for a ship to come to the relief of starving San Diego. Everybody regards him with the most profound pity, while the preparations for departure are being feverishly prosecuted. The day passes. But just as the sun is setting in a flame of splendor across the waters, the white speck of a sail is seen rounding Point Loma. The sail grows larger and larger. In the gathering darkness great shouts of joy are heard. San Diego is saved as though by a miracle.
The second act is laid at Carmel Mission, across the green,
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pine-clad hill of Monterey. The matchless old church, with the great patio that once surrounded it, stands forth in the glory of the break of day. The act is projected to typify a day in the life of the missions at a time when at the zenith of their success. A wonderful pageant of Indians have been brought out of savagery into the full stature of civilized men. They work at their trades, their arts and crafts. At noon a holiday is declared and the second part of the act is given over to Indian dances and games and to Spanish dancing of a most fascinating order. Spanish music, which is used throughout the whole performance, is here made doubly fas- cinating. At the end of the act the same scene that unfolded itself from the grey dawn slips away in the gorgeons sunset ; and the last we see of beautiful Carmelo is the white loveli- ness of it all under the witchery of the moonlight.
The third act is laid at San Juan Capistrano, showing the old mission in ruins as it stands today. In this act the author brings out the sad story of spoliation and secularization. The padres are gone. The Indians are ontcasts from the missions. The appearance of Americans in the life of California is por- trayed. The act depicts the tragedy of a great drama which has been cruelly broken, but the tragedy is softened and sweetened by human faith and love in God.
The leading role of the Mission Play, "Fray Junipero Serra," was essayed the first and second seasons of the play by Mr. Benjamin Horning; in 1914-15 by Mr. George Os- bourne; in 1916 by Mr. Wilfred Roger; in 1917 by Mr. Tyrone Power; in 1918 by Mr. Norval MacGregor; and in 1919-20 by Mr. Frederick Warde. In the play are many native Cali- fornia Indians, lineal descendants of the neophytes who were civilized and Christianized by the pioneer missionary fathers a century and a half ago. The Spanish singers and dancers of the play, as well as a full two-thirds of the whole great cast of 100 players, are natives and descendants of the old Spanish families of California.
The Mission Play, at the time this book is written, has been given regularly at the old Mission of San Gabriel for a season every year during ten consecutive years, and was
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approaching its 1600th performance, perhaps the greatest record ever achieved in the history of the dramatic art.
Famous actors, and companies of actors, including a well- beloved barnstormer and mummer dear to memory, have vis- ited Los Angeles from time immemorial, their performances ranging from Punch and Judy shows to Shakespeare, some- times with no roof over their heads except our faithful blue sky, or on finding such shelter as a friendly barn, a dance hall and even a bar room might give them.
But there came a day, and it now seems a long time ago, too, when the drama was given housing such as it deserved in Los Angeles. The old Grand Opera House on Main Street ranked in its day with the fine theaters of America. Then others were builded, and now it would seem that we have more theaters than any other city, anywhere.
Moreover, Los Angeles has come at last to rank with New York as a producing center of the drama. And this is due solely to the very striking enterprise, perseverance, courage and exceptional ability of one man. This man is Oliver Morosco.
At the time this book is written, Oliver Morosco stands as a dominating figure in the theatrical world of America. It is said that his father was a circus man, and from this we can see that the "show business" came naturally to Mr. Morosco. When he was a mere boy he managed his own theater in Los Angeles, and for many years he maintained the old Burbank as a high-class theatrical institution in this city. It is safe to say that no man in America, not excepting Augustin Daly. either of the Frohmans or the latter day Schuberts, have in recent years produced anywhere near the number of new dramas that Mr. Morosco has produced. He combines in him- self that rare affiliation of business ability and fine artistic temperament. He is a man whom failure could not daunt. He overcame failure and has fought his way with a dogged determination, supported always by a high vision, to the very topmost pinnacle of success in that artistic world to which he became heir in his youth.
Los Angeles also owes a great deal in a dramatic way to Vol. 1-25
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the Wyatts, both father and son. The community is indebted immeasurably to W. T. Wyatt, at this writing still manager of the Mason Opera House, for tangible realizations of the best that the art of the drama has been able to afford.
And, last but not least, of things theatrical, that species of it which its votaries call the "Cinema Art," which commer- cially is catalogued as the "Motion Picture Industry," and
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which in the vernacular of the day is popularly and lovingly known as the "Movies," has come to make Los Angeles its world center.
The man who sits in the theater in Patagonia, or in Tahiti, or Hong Kong, or Oshkosh, or anywhere upon the swinging earth, to view a motion picture, finds himself looking into Southern California canyons, the shores of Santa Monica and the suburbs of Hollywood.
Los Angeles is the home-the permanent home-of the
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world celebrities of the movies. Here is the habitat of the best known man in existence, namely, Mr. Charlie Chaplin. Here also reside Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Bill Hart, Norma Talmadge, a thousand and one other "movie" celebrities of both sexes, and countless thousands of others not yet shooting through the movie heavens as stars, but plodding along and always hoping for the best.
Speaking of the "movies" in dollars, we are frank to say that it is a subject we have not the courage to approach. While it is certain that the industry, speaking of it as such, involves annually the expenditure of many, many millions of dollars in Los Angeles, we are still faced by the claims of the "movies" themselves concerning their financial gyrations, and this would total-if such claims be admitted-more money than the world has ever known and a sum total greater than the national debts of all the nations of the world combined.
Now, all these things having been said concerning music and art in Los Angeles, there remains for us only to say that art, as applied to painters and sculptors, has but a brief his- tory here. It is not more than fifteen years ago that anything approaching an organization of artists was accomplished here. But we now have many artists, several of whom have acquired national fame and many others who give great hope for the future.
Summing the whole subject up, there would seem to be justification for the prediction that Los Angeles is some day destined to be one of the world's great centers of music and art.
CHAPTER XIX
A GREAT ORGANIZATION
The making of any city is a tale that cannot fail to prove to be of the most fascinating interest. Next to the growing of a man the growing of a city is the great story.
We have endeavored to set forth in these pages the some- what pathetic beginnings of the pueblo of Our Lady of the Queen of the Angels, which is now the wonder City of Los Angeles. We have told with what discouragement the com- munity began its uncertain career more than a century ago. and we have tried to show that for many and many a year Los Angeles was a community with little pride of ancestry and far less hope for its posterity.
But now Los Angeles stands among the great cities of the world, and nowhere is it questioned that it is destined to be- come the towering metropolis of Western America.
And how did all this come to be? By what magic was this wonderful achievement wrought? We have seen that there were no fortuitous natural advantages to favor Los Angeles in the splendid struggle it has made for a place in the sun. We have seen that no soothsayer or seer ever predicted great- ness for it. It is a city that had to fight its way, step by step and inch by inch, up the rough and rocky roads of progress.
There is a saying that man made the cities but that God made the country. Well, it was men that made Los Angeles- patient men, toiling men, men of dreams and men of visions.
More than thirty years ago there was formed in the city of Los Angeles a brave, determined and broad-visioned body of men into an organization known today as the "Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce." In the achievements of this organ- ization is archived and recorded the making of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce is an organiza- tion that has a distinctiveness enjoyed by few commercial
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LOOKING NORTH ON BROADWAY FROM EIGHTH STREET
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bodies, if any, of the larger cities of the world. While the name indicates that its activities might be confined to purely trade enterprises, this is not the case. Its variety of work has been extraordinary. This may be attributed to the wide range of its membership which includes retailers, whole- salers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, ministers, teachers, writers, manufacturers, horticulturalists, printers, railway men, bankers, public officials and public-spirited women.
Practically all questions relating to the general welfare of Southern California and the nation are brought to the consideration of the chamber. Horticulture, mining, manu- facturing, live stock, commerce, entertainment and various lines of community endeavor are included in the activities of the organization. General business interests, legislative mat- ters, publications, advertising the country, exhibits and various entertainments, manufacturing, development of com- merce-both domestic and overseas-supplying information about the country, local public improvements, such as good roads, water works, etc., and various other human activities have been functioned by the Los Angeles Chamber of Com- merce.
To meet the growing demands as the city increased in population and extent of its enterprises, the work of the chamber was segregated into departments. These now may be classed as executive-over which the president has juris- diction and of which the secretary is the administrative officer; the secretary also exercises supervisory direction of the various departments, which include: Industrial, Foreign Trade, Agricultural, Meteorological and Aeronautical, Pub- licity, Membership, Tourist Housing, Poultry, and Informa- tion. The functions of these departments are largely indi- cated by their names. Each is in charge of a manager.
The policy of the chamber, its action on public questions and its attitude in matters of national importance, are de- termined by the board of directors. Years ago it was learned that large bodies are unwieldy in decisions upon questions of public moment. Instead of opinion being crystallized, long debates were developed with the result that the members decided to empower the board of directors to speak with
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authority for the entire organization; reserving, however, for the membership the privilege of a referendum vote on all decisions of the board of directors that might be protested.
Probably the outstanding features of community develop- ment, the consummation of which is generally credited to the activity of the chamber, are the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the development of a man-made harbor at San Pedro and the construction of the finest system of good roads in the United States.
For many years the membership of the organization stood first in the country in proportion to the population. The chamber was credited with taking the lead in constructive enterprises in more avenues of community development than any other similar organization in the country. Its enterprise has been an inspiration to similar organizations in other cities. Scores of them have been organized and are conducted along the lines identical with the Los Angeles Chamber.
Los Angeles has been called "The City Advertising Built." Mr. Morris M. Rathbun, writing in Collier's a few years ago, used that phrase for the heading and told of a city that was built by a chamber of commerce-which chamber of com- merce revolved abont a single dominating personality. This personality is Frank Wiggins, secretary of the organization for the past twenty-five years and identified with its activities for thirty years.
The big work of the early days of the organization was community exploitation. It was realized that the climate was here, the soil was here, and other fundamentals for sustaining a prosperous population, and that the chief need was home- seekers of the right sort. The exploitation was directed to the homeseeker, farmer, tourist and capitalist.
Mr. Wiggins insisted in the early days on an exhibit of Southern California products where the casual visitor or in- formation seeker might have practical evidence of what was produced in the contiguous territory. He, personally, in a "one hoss shay" of ancient vintage, collected the first speci- mens of soil products for the exhibit. These were placed in the windows of the chamber.
That permanent exhibit was amplified until it became the
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largest of its kind in the country. It now covers the second floor of the Chamber of Commerce Building at 128-130 South Broadway. The offices of the chamber require the entire third floor.
Mr. Wiggins, in addition to being made secretary in 1897, continued to act as superintendent of exhibit. He has been in charge of a comprehensive Southern California display at every World Exposition for the past quarter of a century. He was father of the idea of a traveling exhibit and the "California on Wheels" train that toured the country was the first display of its kind and the forerunner of many similar ones, the government taking up the idea later and continuing it since.
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