Mendelssohn Quintette Club
Encyclopedia
The Mendelssohn Quintette Club (1849-1895) based in Boston
, Massachusetts
, was one of "the most active and most widely known chamber ensemble[s] in America" in the latter half of the 19th-century. It toured throughout New England and beyond, including Georgia, California and Australia.
in America "gained momentum sharply after 1848, when more German musicians, some of whom had been Mendelssohn's pupils, emigrated to America. ... Influential ... was the Mendelssohn Quintette Club, which presented early American performances of several of Mendelssohn's works, including the Quintet in A major, Op. 18, with which the ensemble opened its first concert in 1849."
The Quintette consisted of Thomas Ryan
, August Fries, Francis Riha, Eduard Lehmann, Wulf Fries, and others through the years. The group performed in Boston at Cochituate Hall, Boston Music Hall
, Chickering & Sons' Hall, and the Melodeon
; and outside of Boston at the Gloucester Lyceum
, for example. Amongst the numerous 19th c. audience members appeared Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, who attended a concert in 1862 in Concord, Massachusetts
, and mentioned it in her diary. "15 January, Wednesday. Storm of snow. General Pierce
arrived at noon. ... Julian and I drove to Town Hall to hear the Quintette Club - Andante of fifth symphony of Beethoven. Drove home. Mrs Alcott
came with us."
In 1872 members of the Quintette established the "National College of Music," headquartered at Boston's Tremont Temple
. The college employed professional music instructors, and attracted a substantial student body. After the fire of November 1872
, the college lost many of its students (no longer able to afford tuition), and closed in 1873.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, was one of "the most active and most widely known chamber ensemble[s] in America" in the latter half of the 19th-century. It toured throughout New England and beyond, including Georgia, California and Australia.
History
According to one scholar, the popularity of composer Felix MendelssohnFelix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
in America "gained momentum sharply after 1848, when more German musicians, some of whom had been Mendelssohn's pupils, emigrated to America. ... Influential ... was the Mendelssohn Quintette Club, which presented early American performances of several of Mendelssohn's works, including the Quintet in A major, Op. 18, with which the ensemble opened its first concert in 1849."
The Quintette consisted of Thomas Ryan
Thomas Ryan (musician)
Thomas Ryan was an Irish-American musician.Born in Ireland, Ryan moved to the United States as a teenager in 1844, and pursued his studies in Boston. In 1849, he formed the Mendelssohn Quintette Club along with August Fries , Francis Riha , Eduard Lehmann , and Wulf Fries ; Ryan played viola and...
, August Fries, Francis Riha, Eduard Lehmann, Wulf Fries, and others through the years. The group performed in Boston at Cochituate Hall, Boston Music Hall
Boston Music Hall
The Boston Music Hall was a concert hall located on Winter Street in Boston, Massachusetts, with an additional entrance on Hamilton Place.One of oldest continuously operating theaters in the United States, it was built in 1852 and was the original home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The hall...
, Chickering & Sons' Hall, and the Melodeon
Melodeon (Boston, Massachusetts)
The Melodeon was a concert hall and performance space in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts, located on Washington Street, near West Street...
; and outside of Boston at the Gloucester Lyceum
Gloucester Lyceum
The Gloucester Lyceum of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was an association for "the improvement of its members in useful knowledge, and the advancement of popular education." It incorporated in 1831....
, for example. Amongst the numerous 19th c. audience members appeared Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, who attended a concert in 1862 in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
, and mentioned it in her diary. "15 January, Wednesday. Storm of snow. General Pierce
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
arrived at noon. ... Julian and I drove to Town Hall to hear the Quintette Club - Andante of fifth symphony of Beethoven. Drove home. Mrs Alcott
Abby May
Abigail "Abby" Alcott was the wife of Transcendentalist Amos Bronson Alcott and mother of four daughters, including Civil War novelist Louisa May Alcott...
came with us."
In 1872 members of the Quintette established the "National College of Music," headquartered at Boston's Tremont Temple
Tremont Temple
The Tremont Temple on 88 Tremont Street is a Baptist church in Boston, affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA. The existing structure opened in May 1896 and was designed by architect Clarence Blackall.-History:...
. The college employed professional music instructors, and attracted a substantial student body. After the fire of November 1872
Great Boston Fire of 1872
The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was Boston's largest urban fire, and still ranks as one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history. The conflagration began at 7:20 p.m. on November 9, 1872, in the basement of a commercial warehouse at 83—87 Summer Street in Boston,...
, the college lost many of its students (no longer able to afford tuition), and closed in 1873.
Further reading
- Thomas Ryan. Recollections of an old musician. NY: E.P. Dutton & company, 1899. Google books
- Roger P. Phelps. The Mendelssohn Quintet Club: A Milestone in American Music Education. Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Spring, 1960), pp. 39-44.
- Dowell, Richard Mace, "The Mendelssohn Quintette Club of Boston" (Kent State University, 1999).