USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > History of Milwaukee, city and county, Volume I > Part 65
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While the Bach and Clander bands were in their day the most prominent, the city has always been well supplied with organizations of this character. Most of the fraternal orders as well as many shops and factories have bands composed of highly trained musicians, recruited among their members and employes. Even the police department boasts of a splendid band which has been in existence since 1919.
Parks Stimulate Love for Music .- The development of music kept pace with the growth of the eity and the establishment of Milwaukee's publie parks resulted in another splendid expression of musie in outdoor concerts. This feature of the city's life was started by the Milwaukee Musical Society, which gave the first summer night concert in Washington Park, August 30, 1898. It was held under the auspiees of the board of park commissioners. The program of select vocal and instrumental music was given in the music band stand. The extent to which the program was enjoyed is shown by the attendance of about ten thousand people.
In 1899 publie spirited citizens contributed $1000, which was used by the
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park board in providing for Sunday afternoon concerts in Lake and River- side parks. The demand for these concerts by the public became so great that the following year Saturday afternoon concerts were added to the program. They continued to grow in popularity, which led the park board to appropriate a fixed amount annually, so that evening open air concerts could be given in all the principal parks-in at least one each night. This system of open air coneerts during July and August was inaugurated in 1913 when Joseph Clander and Christopher Bach, veteran band leaders, were placed in charge of this form of the city's musical entertainments. From an appropriation of about two thousand dollars a year, the amount has grown to more than fifteen thousand dollars annually. Until 1918 the open air concerts were given by bands, which were engaged for that purpose. In that year the Park Board Band was organized with Hugo Bach as director. This enabled the board to keep a closer check on programs selected, guaranteeing a high standard of coneerts. With the organization of the Park Board Band the Russell-Meurer Quartet was engaged to sing operatie selections. The quartet included Clem- entine Malek, Elsa Bloedel, Harry Meurer and George F. Russell.
Between 1880 and 1920 more than one hundred musical clubs were formed in the city. The most conspienous among them are the A Capella Chorus, Lyric Glee Club, Milwaukee Maenner Chor, Catholic Choral Club, MeDowell Club, Tuesday Musical Club, Knights of Columbus Glee Club and Civic Music Association.
Standing as sponsors for some of these off-shoots of musical enlture were Hugo Kaun, Daniel Protheroe, Theodore Kelbe and William Boeppler.
The A Capella Chorus was organized in February, 1895, by a number of the most prominent Lutherans here, led by Gustav Wollaeger, Ferdinand Kieckhefer, John H. Frank, Dr. Louis Frank, William Upmeyer, Oscar Griebling, W. Il. Graebner and William Boeppler.
John II. Frank and William Upmeyer were identified with one of the most important features in the city's musical development, the conservatories of music, founded in 1899. The most important of these are the Wisconsin Con- servatory of Music, Wisconsin College of Music, founded by IIans Bruening, and the Marquette School of Musie.
The Milwaukee Maenner Chor of sixty voices, with Hugo Kann at the head, was organized in 1898. Following the best European models the elu)) grew to a flourishing condition and for three years the appearance of the Thomas Orchestra was a feature of their concerts, the first undertaking of the kind in the city.
The first appearance of the Chicago Opera Association in Milwaukee was in the winter of 1912-1913. Its appearance here was made possible by guar- antees of Milwaukee's business men. The operas were given in the Alhambra Theater.
Invited Musical Celebrities .- Milwaukee's greatest stride forward in musical activities occurred in 1914 when an ambitious effort was made to place Milwaukee on the musical map. The A Capella Chorus, with George H. Moeller as president and G. E. G. Kuechle as treasurer, undertook to bring to Milwau- kee the leading lights of the musical world. The Boston Symphony was the
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first great undertaking of its kind. Later the Chicago Opera Association came under its anspices and also such artists as Schuman-Ileink, Nellie Melba. Geraldine Farrar, John MeCormack and others. About three years later Mr. Moeller and Mr. Kuechle left the A Capella Chorus and the Moeller-Andrews Concert Burean was formed. This organization continued to bring the world's greatest artists to Milwaukee. From this developed, after Mr. Moeller's death. the Marion Andrews Concert Bureau with Marion Andrews as president and G. E. G. Kneehle as treasurer, which still sponsors the Chicago Opera Asso- eiation's annual visits, the Scotti Opera Company from New York and has presented during the last few years such artists as Enrico Caruso, whose death occurred as this history was being written, John MeCormack. Galli Curci, Heifetz, Schumann-Heink, Fritz Kreisler, Louise Homer, Frieda Hempel and Rachmaninoff. As an indication of Milwaukee's musical growth it is in- teresting to note that it requires the seating capacity of the Auditorium to accommodate the attendance of efforts of the Marion Andrews Concert Bureau.
Another stimulating influence in the music life of Milwaukee was started by Miss Margaret Riee in 1917 by the inauguration of the Twilight Musicals, a series of Sunday afternoon eoneerts. The Twilight Musicals were first given in the Athenaeum, but have proven so popular that it was found necessary to seek larger quarters, and they are now given in the Pabst Theater.
A phase which is due to the versatile musical development of Milwaukee is the annual concert season of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which has been given here every winter for the last five years. This orchestra of which Miss Rice is the local manager is sponsored by Milwaukee business men. It is under the direction of Frederick Stock. Its support has been so enthusiastic during the last two years, that the guarantors were not asked to contribute to its financial success, showing that the Milwaukee music loving public has grown to such proportions that programs of the highest grade are generously upheld.
While the World war was responsible for numerous innovations in all walks of life, it is interesting to note that a new element of music was born in Milwaukee in 1918, when community singing was first tried by Frederick Carberry at the Alhambra Theater. The new musical spirit rapidly took hold and spread to all sections of the country.
Sinee the organization of the first musieal society in Milwaukee a large number of men and women were active in furthering and developing the cause of music. Those who stand out most prominently were Hans Balatka, Fred- erick Abel. Julius Tenzler, Reinhardt Schmelz, William Mickler. Engene Imening, Ernst Catenhusen, Herman Zeitz, A. G. Faville, W. L. Tomlins. Arthur Weld, Frederick Archer, William II. Pommer, Daniel Protheroe, Hugo Kaun, Albert S. Kramer, William Boeppler, Christopher Bach, Joseph Clauder, Otto von Gumbert, Charles W. Dodge, William Jaffe, Alexander McFadyen. Pearl Brice and Winogene Ilewitt-Kirchner.
Milwaukee with its musical training of the younger element in the public schools, its summer open air concerts in the parks and its popular priced winter concerts at the Auditorium together with the high class concerts, artists and symphony orchestras brought here through various agencies, is conceded to be a leader as a musje loving community.
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Musical History .- The German element of Milwaukee's population has greatly promoted the musical development of the community. In the pamphlet issued on the sixtieth anniversary of the Milwaukee Herold, in June, 1921, the early musieal history of the city is referred to by the writer with pardon- able pride in the share taken in the early days by that paper in promoting its development. The following passage is quoted from the pamphlet :
"If Milwaukee has a high standing in the musical world of the United States, it is due in no small degree to the interest awakened by the diserimi- nating criticism, the full reports, and also the frequent and instructive articles on matters musical which appeared and continue to appear in the Herold. Among the contributors to this department of newspaper work, there stands out particularly the name of August Spanuth, who combined with high gifts as a musical critic, ability as a writer. For a number of years during that period, when Edgar W. Coleman managed the paper and the enltural life of the Milwaukeeans of German blood and affiliation was at its height, he had charge of the musical department of the Herold. After he left the eity, he continued to correspond on musical and miscellaneous matters, at first from New York, and after he had returned to his native country, from Berlin, until his death. Many of the musicians of eminence who have from time to time made Milwaukee their home for a period, also furnished occasional articles in relation to their art, notable among them Hugo Kaun, who has, since his Milwaukee days, acquired international fame. It goes without saying, that the long list of men and women among musicians, who may be counted among the permanent citizens of Milwaukee, with their Nestor, Christopher Bach, at their head, could always count on the cooperation of the Herold in all their enterprises.
"The musical life of the city eonld not have flourished the way it has, without the numerous associations of amateurs, who band themselves together to cultivate some branch of the art, and whose membership supplies most of the andience at concerts of visiting masters. These have always had the full support of the Herold, going far beyond the mere reporting of their public performances. The business affairs of these societies need for their healthy progress a certain amount of publicity, which keeps the interest alive among the general public from whom they must draw their new members and their financial support. It may be said that the management of the paper has known, during all these years, to discriminate on the whole very wisely be- tween the publicity that helps, and the mere gossip about the internal affairs of the organization, which may hinder and disrupt rather than be of benefit. The oldest of these societies, and the organization with the most ambitions program, the 'Musikverein' (Musical Society), existed more than a decade before the first number of the Herold saw the light. But ever since that time, the paper has lent intelligent aid to its work. During a life as long as that of the 'Musikverein' (over seventy years), occasional tempests requiring wise and careful steering of the bark could hardly be avoided. Sometimes the temptation may have been great for the management to look at the matter merely from the standpoint of 'publishing the news' without regard to the
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effeet it would have on the fortunes of the organization, and therefore on the musical life of the city."
Tribute to a Musician .- After having retired from a long career as Mil- waukee's most prominent orchestral leader, Christian Bach appeared at the Auditorium on Sunday afternoon, March 24, 1912, to direct a concert when William George Bruce in an address extended the following tribute :
"This audience has been honored today by the retired Nestor of the local musical world. Once more he has come out of his retirement to raise his baton, as he has thousands of times during the past half century, to again wrest the rich volumes of tone from these instruments and carry their charm into your souls. Onee more he is with us. Onee more his presence is an inspiration.
" If we were to express here today our gratitude to those who have brought the message of the world's great composers to us, our first thought would be of the honored leader, Christopher Bach. No name would stand out in stronger relief.
"No man has labored longer in the local field of music and produced more. No man has interpreted the great music-poets more eloquently and beautifully. None has poured more sunshine and happiness into the hearts of a multitude, than he. To none do we owe a greater debt of gratitude. Truly, he has given more than he has received !
"To honor him during this brief hour is but a feeble tribute to the man and his services. Ilis real compensation must lie in the consciousness that he has rendered a valuable service to his fellowmen, that he has elevated a generation into a better understanding for the things that are refining and ennobling.
"If all his audiences of a half century were arrayed before us today they would form a concourse of a million people. And if we admit the power as well as the charm of musie then we must also admit that he wielded an in- fluence whose extent cannot be measured.
"lle has awakened the imagination, aroused the soul, soothed the restless, comforted the weary, cheered the sad and added to the sum total of human happiness. As an apostle of music he has spoken in the language of the masters, dispensed the food of love, prompted the nobler impulses, and in- spired the higher ideals of life.
"To me has been entrusted the pleasant duty of presenting to you, Mr. Bach, this small token of an appreciative public. May these flowers-their beauty and their fragrance-convey to you our sense of gratitude, and express to you the love and esteem we hold for you. These roses also carry with them the well wishes of a thousand hearts, with the hope and prayer that you may be spared to us for many years to come and that the evening of your life may be blessed with all the comforts and with that happiness which you so richly deserve."
The Genius of Music .- A masterful tribute to the art of music was written by Mr. William J. Desmond, a Milwaukeean, in 1910, which may appropriately be reproduced here :
"There are many kinds of talent and all are working toward expression.
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One finds utterance in words and gives to the world the poet and the orator. Another expresses itself in great works. It gives us the artist and the sculptor, spans the continents with wonderful works of architecture, devises intricate moving machinery and controls great enterprises of industry and government. And still another-passing by words and works-draws from a concord of sweet sounds a power to sway the spirit in every mood. This is the genius of musie. All the elusive ideals that art can never paint in color or shape from wood or stone-all the evanescent thought and tender emotion that no pen can put in words-the genius of music has enshrined in immortal strains. In the realm of emotion where words end, music begins and by its ineffable power expresses what had else remained umuttered and unutterable.
"There is nothing more wonderful than musie. It is everywhere in nature from the ripple of the brook to the music of the spheres,-
'Forever singing as they shine The hand that made us is divine.'
"Born of silence it but touches the ear to tremble away into ethereal space, or finding chords responsive, to abide with him 'who carries music in his heart through rambling lane and dusty mart.' Living only as sound it ministers to every mood. Where pleasure reigns and mirth is queen-there musie guides the mazy dance. Where martial tread and clash of arms resound-the war . song of the soldier, the bugle blast and beat of drums lead on to victory, and where the worshiper devontly kneels, the soulful organ and the solemn chant inspire to reverential awe. Drawn from the vibrating chord, the pulsing pipe, living in our very breath, it tells of things we never knew and speaks of that we never saw. In the song the mating robin sings, 'in the sighing summer breeze through the leaves of locust trees,' in the stirring tones of the Mar- seillaise, the soft melody of Sehubert's Serenade, the sad and simple sweet- ness of Robin Adair, we hear it ever striving to reveal a meaning vague. Through all it thrills and throbs in varying moods,
'Touching us with mystie gleams, Like glimpses of forgotten dreams- Of something felt like something here, Of something seen we know not where, Such as no language may declare.'
"It distils into sound the perfume of the rose, the sunshine of perfeet days and all the tenderness of love. It mingles the carol of the lark, the smiles and joy of youth and beauty and all the glimmering dreams of twilight hours and starlit dawn. It follows the subtlest windings of the soul to the edge of the infinite and wakes strange instincts of a higher life. Sister of love, handmaid of religion, it tunes the soul to longings ever vain for beauty infinite and innocence divine. Hear it and the sunshine and shadows of life pass over the soul. Hear it and it wakes to life all happiness that might have been and is not."
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1
LAYTON ART GALLERY
CHAPTER XL
THE PROGRESS OF ART IN MILWAUKEE
In its early days, those succeeding the pioneer period and times of the first settlers, Milwaukee had almost enough painters to form a genius belt. The father of the eolony, as the younger artists called him, was Henry Vianden, who lived in the eity for half a century, coming here eighty-two years ago. when Milwaukee was but a village, painting and instructing-gathering about him a host of young painters who wished to learn the elements of the craft, or seeking knowledge of that mysterious, spellbinding thing ealled art.
ITeinrich Vianden, forty-niner, old Düsseldorfer, gruff and hearty, lover of a garden and lover of a tree, taught many a Milwaukee boy and girl, some of whom have become famous. The memories of many a young student will go back tenderly to the old artist with his leonine head, which had something of the quality of the poet Longfellow; many a nature lover, many a picture lover, got his first enthusiasm in the little workshop-studio where a tall build- ing now stands, or felt the lure of art out on those sketching trips with the painter. To belong to a sketeh class in that age of innocence was a most thrilling affair.
Carl Marr, one of Milwaukee's most distinguished sons, got his first lessons from Vianden, as did Robert Koehler and Robert Sehade, the three boys going later to study in Munich. Carl Marr's art has been honored in his native city, and one of the finest examples of his work was purchased and hung first in the Public Library and finally in the Auditorium. This is the famous "Flagel- lants," a very beautiful picture, painted on a large scale and with consummate skill. It was a medal picture which had been awarded the grand prize in a Munich exhibition.
Not so famous, but a teacher and painter of good renown, Robert Koehler. the other boy in Vianden's studio, became an instructor and before his death direetor in the Minneapolis School of Art ; his paintings have found their way into many collections, where he fairly represents the Munich influence in art, its good drawing and worthy craftsmanship.
The third student, Robert Schade, beeame a still-life and portrait painter and had important commissions in portraiture. A loan exhibition seldom fails to bring out examples of his art and very good portraits they prove to be. Schade became in his time greatly sought as a teacher, earrying on the con- tinnity of art-life from the early days of the father, Heinrich Vianden.
Schade's first study came in a lithographers' and engravers' school, which was founded in the early '70s. Here Julius Gugler, the founder of a since widely known lithographie establishment, tanght the essentials of lithography with others who were brought to Milwaukee for this purpose; in connection with this school, which was on Broadway north of Mason Street, art exhibitions were held, the first of their kind in Milwaukee, and in 1880 there was a group
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of art lovers and picture buyers banded into a little society, which was vitally interested in art and procuring exhibitions.
Among these Gen. Frederick C. Winkler and Julius Gugler were great enthusiasts. The minutes of that first art band were, in its very early days, written in German, and the press chairman was called "chairman of public agitation." One doubts not in those days when the general public interest did not lie along art lines, that "publie agitation" was not less necessary than the widely exploited newspaper columns have become in our own day.
Before Robert Schade was earning commissions in his chosen line, there were a number of early portrait painters. Clifford was among these, and later Conrad Heyd, who came to Milwaukee in 1868. One sees frequently unsigned portraits, known to be by local men, in Milwaukee homes, pictures which have something of distinction and historie interest. Perhaps in this connec- tion where the artists are unknown, a list of names including Clifford, Mar- quis, Brooks, Lydston, VerBryek and Roese may serve to throw light on the authorship of family portraits. Marquis did exceptional work, strong in characterization, firm in modeling and drawing, and rich in color.
In other phases than portraiture the early 'SOs had a number of strong men. Frank Enders, eteher and landscape painter, Arthur Dadd, an aquarel- list, Culverhaus, a painter of nocturnes, and Charles Keller, were doing excellent work. John Conway, painter and sculptor, lived in Milwaukee at this time, receiving the commission for the soldiers' monument and decorating the Chamber of Commerce. Schade and Enders had, about 1886, finished their studies in Munich and returned to Milwaukee: it was at this time with the great interest in panorama painting, that a group of painters from Ger- many came to Milwaukee to work.
An Era of Panorama Painters .- There were fifteen artists and in the four years in which they worked a number of panoramas were completed, com- prising in duplicate the battles of Chattanooga and Atlanta, the crucifixion, and entry of Christ into Jerusalem. F. W. Heine was the head of the group and lived here until his death in the summer of 1921. In 1903 Mr. Ileine went to the Holy Land to obtain material for painting church interiors, which were exhibited at the St. Louis World Fair.
His paintings of Jerusalem and his rendition of oriental buildings and scenes have always attracted great attention for the accuracy of their detail and the charm of their color. But in 1886 Heine was at work on the pano- ramas, having associated with him Lohr, Schneider, Rohrbeck and Michaelow- ski; pressure of work and enthusiasm for the undertaking brought ten other artists-Frosch, Schroeter, Wilhelm, Wendling, Dinger, Biberstein, Von Ernst. Breitwieser, Peter and last, but not least, Lorenz.
Seven out of the original group have remained in Milwaukee; this group attracted others to the city-the elder and younger Tredupps of Berlin, Thomas, Gehris and Woltze came from Weimar, where Ileine himself had studied under famous masters. These artists had their own studios, many of them gave lessons, as well as engaging in panorama work: one of them. von Ernst, received somewhat later a commission to decorate the Pabst resi- dence. Michaelowski painted many of his well known portraits, and George
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Peter was at work on his cattle pieces; Biberstein also gained in recognition. Heine held art classes in his school, teaching for over thirty years.
Those were flourishing days for Milwaukee as an art center, and it became the dream of these artists and their friends to make it one in actuality and permaneney. The art society of that day received fresh impetus in interest and members and a great art festival was held in Schlitz Park, with proceeds to be devoted to the building of an art school. The festival, however, did not net the expected returns, though the enthusiasm and stimulus given to the art movement were most rewarding.
Mrs. Alexander Mitchell and Mrs. S. S. Frackleton were in the vanguard of a movement to launch the Wisconsin Art Institute, which had rooms variously in the Colby & Abbott Building, in the Durbin Art Gallery, and in the New Insurance Building, where Robert Schade was instructor. An exhibition of the work of all the local artists was held in the Roebel & Reinhardt galleries on Grand Avenue, the first of its kind in Milwaukee, and no less a person than Mr. Frederick Layton presented the first prize, the sum of $100. This was won by Michaelowski, one of the panorama painters. Michaelowski, it will be recollected by those who have these art days of 1885 to 1890 in memory, painted the portrait of Vianden which hangs in the trustees' room of the Public Museum.
The Middle Period .- Since 1907 many of the painters of the early days have died; Schneider's death came in 1907; Paul Kupper, the sculptor's in 1908 : Conrad Heyd, who next to Vianden was the oldest living representative of the group of 1868, died in 1912: Robert Schade's death occurred that same year and in 1915 Richard Lorenz, the most distinguished of the panorama group, was lost to Milwaukee: in 1921 Frank Enders and Heine were called, so that the older representatives no longer are here to tell the tale of the early struggles, hopes and fears for art.
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