Manuscript Society of New York

The Manuscript Society of New York, sometimes referred to as The Manuscript Society, was an organization in New York City devoted to performing new music by American composers.[1] It was founded in 1889.[2] It presented concerts of mostly unpublished music by American composers until it disbanded in 1918.[3]

History

The Manuscript Society of New York (MSNY) held its first meeting on October 17, 1889.[4] It was founded by four composers;[2] three of whom served as the MSNY's first officers: Gerrit Smith (president), Louis Raphael Dressler (secretary), and C. B. Hawley (treasurer).[4] The purpose of the group was to perform new unpublished music in concerts in order to receive critical input from peers. This aided its composer members in the revision process prior to publication, and provided composers with an opportunity to workshop material.[5] Despite its workshop intentions, the 1890-1891 public concerts of the MSNY were covered widely in the American press.[6] The group also gave private performances.[3]

By January 1890 the MSNY had 25 members.[4] Member composers in 1890 included Nathan H. Allen,[7] Frederick Arthur Bridgman,[8] Laura Sedgwick Collins,[5] Frank G. Dossert,[8] Victor Harris,[9] Henry Holden Huss,[10] Bruno Klein,[10] Clara Anna Korn,[11] Sebastian Bach Mills,[10] W. H. Neidlinger,[9] Silas G. Pratt, Wenzel Raboch,[4] Sumner Salter,[9][8] Frank N. Shepperd,[9] Frank Treat Southwick,[5] Richard Henry Warren,[10] and Mary Knight Wood.[9] In 1893 the American Composers' Choral Association (founded by Emilio Agramonte y Piña) was subsumed into the MSNY.[12][3] The MSNY was notable for providing opportunities for women composers at a time when opportunities were rarely available elsewhere.[3] Some active women members (in addition to those mentioned earlier) included Vivian Burnett,[13] Eleanor Everest Freer,[14] Grace G. Gardner,[15] Margaret Ruthven Lang,[14] and Bertha Remick.[16]

The initial success of the MSNY led to the founding of two sister organizations: the Manuscript Society of Chicago (1891-1900) and the Manuscript Society of Philadelphia (1892-1936).[3] During the 1890s and into the early 20th century the MSNY presented two annual orchestral concerts and one annual concert of chamber music at Chickering Hall.[3] Henry Kimball Hadley's first symphony, Youth and Life, was premiered at an MSNY concert in 1897, and was later programmed by the New York Philharmonic for a 1921 performance at Carnegie Hall.[17]

The MSNY worked to assist American composers in obtaining control over the selection and performances of their creations.[3] In 1896 the organization lobbied the United States Congress to protect the international copyrights of composers.[18] Edward MacDowell served as the MSNY's president in 1899–1900. MacDowell was critical of the overall quality of the music being put forward by the MSNY, and unsuccessfully attempted to change the organization into one that allowed European composers of high standing to join and participate[6] This led to infighting in the group which damaged the organization, and after 1901 its activities were reduced as a result. It continued to operate to a lesser degree until disbanding in 1918.[3] One of its last concerts was a performance of Arthur Farwell's Christmas masque The Evergreen Tree in December 1917.[19] Other presidents of the MSNY included Franz Xavier Arens,[12][20] Frank Damrosch,[21] and Frank L. Sealy.[22]

Partial list of members

References

  1. ↑ Elson, Louis Charles (1904). The History of American Music. The Macmillan Company. p. 77.
  2. 1 2 "Clippings relating to the Manuscript Society of New York and to American composers before 1906: 1890-1906". The York Public Library Archives and Manuscripts. New York Public Library. Archived from the original on April 12, 2026. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bomberger, E. Douglas. "Manuscript Society of New York". In Garrett, Charles Hiroshi (ed.). The Grove Dictionary of American Music. Vol. 5. Oxford University Press. pp. 367–368. ISBN 9780199990597.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The Manuscript Society". The New York Times. January 28, 1890. p. 3.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Musical Matters". Buffalo Courier Express. January 5, 1890. p. 10.
  6. 1 2 Bomberger, E. Douglas (2013). MacDowell. Oxford University Press. pp. 184–185, 227, 238–239. ISBN 9780199899296.
  7. 1 2 "Noted Speakers and Players at Organist Meeting". The News-Journal. August 7, 1915. p. 2.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Singing Songs They Wrote". New-York Tribune. April 17, 1890. p. 2.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Musical Memoranda". The Brooklyn Citizen. March 23, 1890. p. 12.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Notes and Comments". Boston Evening Transcript. November 10, 1890. p. 6.
  11. 1 2 McVicker, Mary F. (2011). Women Composers of Classical Music: 369 Biographies from 1550 into the 20th Century. McFarland & Company. p. 154. ISBN 9780786443970.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Garrett, Charles Hiroshi (ed.). The Grove Dictionary of American Music. Oxford University Press. pp. 54, 99, 172. ISBN 9780199990597.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Notes and Comment From the Music World". New-York Tribune. November 15, 1914. p. 26.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Schleifer, Martha F.; Glickman, Sylvia, eds. (2003). From Convent to Concert Hall: A Guide to Women Composers. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 181, 184. ISBN 9781573564113.
  15. 1 2 "Recognition Won In Musical Field By Voice Teacher". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 4, 1928. p. 79.
  16. ↑ "Among the Musicians". The New York Times. February 15, 1914. p. 63.
  17. ↑ "The Philharmonic Concert". New York Herald. January 22, 1921. p. 8.
  18. ↑ "The Attempt to Revive Intellectual Piracy". The Century Magazine. LII (3): 473. July 1896.
  19. ↑ "The Local Concert Stage". New-York Tribune. December 23, 1917. p. 28.
  20. 1 2 "Programs of the Week". The New York Times. April 25, 1915. p. 80.
  21. 1 2 "Musical Items". The Etude. No. 6. June 1901. p. 207.
  22. 1 2 "Music at the World's Fair". The Musical Courier. Vol. 49, no. 1278. September 21, 1904. p. 22.
  23. 1 2 "Concerts of the Week". New-York Tribune. January 24, 1915. p. 25.
  24. ↑ Orr, N. Lee (2008). Dudley Buck. University of Illinois Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-0252032790.
  25. ↑ "Who Cadman Is And What He Has Done In A Nutshell". Jacksonville Journal. November 3, 1915. p. 6.
  26. ↑ "J. S. Camp Dies After Full Career". Hartford Courant. February 2, 1946. p. 4.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Musical Society Election". Musical America. May 20, 1899. p. 9.
  28. ↑ "American Composers: Alfred John Goodrich". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. January 13, 1924. p. 47.
  29. 1 2 "Some Interesting Concerts On List". New-York Tribune. April 12, 1914. p. 24.
  30. ↑ "Ernest Lent, Noted Musician, Is Dead". Passaic Daily News. December 26, 1922. p. 3.
  31. 1 2 "News of the Musical World". The New York Times. February 6, 1910. p. 15.
  32. ↑ "Edward G. McCollin". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 25, 1923. p. 18.
  33. ↑ "Smith N. Penfield Dead". New-York Tribune. January 9, 1920. p. 10.
  34. ↑ "Among the Musicians". The New York Times. February 15, 1914. p. 63.
  35. ↑ "Mr. and Mrs Stott Are Entertained By Artist at Ogunquit". Journal Tribune. September 3, 1931. p. 14.
  36. ↑ "Noted Musical Leader Is Dead". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. January 30, 1938. p. 4.
  37. ↑ "There Are Treats For Lovers of Music Recitals For the Week". New-York Tribune. March 28, 1915. p. 25.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.