The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas
March 7, SUNDAY. Spent half an hour last night at the Philharmonic concert, crowded and garrulous, like a square mile of tropical forest with its flocks of squalling paroquets and troops of chattering monkeys. Young America loves the Philharmonic. Acres of pretty little half-fledged girls frequent those solemnities for the sake of Mr. Timm or Mr. Eisfeld, who’s teaching them music, and they are followed by cohorts of ill-bred juvenile males, whose gabble drowns the music. I heard part of a pretty symphony by Hiller, “Voi che sapete,” and “Vedrai, Carino” (substituted when the former was encored), a dismal clarinet and orchestra concerto, and Beethoven’s overture to Coriolanus, which I could not comprehend. Thereafter to the Century Club: Wolcott Gibbs, Van Wagenen, Rutherfurd, Cozzens, Verplanck, and others.
The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas
The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas
Ferdinand (von) Hiller is probably the most forgotten top composer of the 19th century. He ran in the same circles as Mendelssohn, Wagner, and Hummel, was at the death of Beethoven, and basically ran music in Cologne for the latter part of his life. Not surprising that the Philharmonic would perform one of his symphonies in 1858, when his reputation was very high; it is a shame that his works aren't performed more today.