The art of music, Vol. 04 (of 14)

In Short

This historical overview chronicles the growth of music in the United States, documenting the transition from amateur church-centered singing to the establishment of sophisticated operatic companies, symphony orchestras, and university music departments. It serves as both a chronicle of institutional progress and a critical assessment of the composers and performers who shaped the nation’s aesthetic identity. By examining the shift from European imitation to the incorporation of indigenous folk elements—such as spirituals and minstrel melodies—it captures the struggle to define an American sound. Its enduring value lies in its granular, period-specific detail, offering a window into the professionalization of music and the evolving public appetite for both classical tradition and popular song.

The Story

The narrative begins with the colonial era, where music was largely confined to the rigid, utilitarian psalm-singing of New England church societies. These early efforts, led by figures like the Reverend John Tufts, sought to establish a "plain and easy" method for communal singing, providing the necessary groundwork for future musical literacy. As these amateur societies expanded, they laid the foundation for the concert culture that would later emerge in urban centers like Charleston and Boston. The narrative highlights the slow, often faltering professionalization of these venues, characterized by the rise of subscription concerts and the intermittent efforts of European-trained musicians to introduce high-art traditions to a fledgling public.

The story progresses through the nineteenth century, a period defined by the dramatic tension between imported European operatic standards and the search for authentic American expression. The mid-century arrival of visiting troupes and the failed, idealistic attempts at "popular opera" by figures like Ferdinand Palmo underscore the difficulty of maintaining a professional operatic infrastructure. Yet, these efforts eventually stabilized, leading to the institutional strength of the Metropolitan Opera and the subsequent growth of companies in cities like Boston and Chicago. Parallel to this operatic development, the growth of symphony orchestras—exemplified by the Pittsburgh Symphony under Victor Herbert—shows a gradual shift from the "conservative" heights of conductor Theodore Thomas to more varied, approachable programming.

Central to this historical arc is the emergence of a truly American musical vernacular. The text devotes significant attention to the influence of African American spirituals, noting their sophisticated tonality and emotional resonance, which provided a departure from the "trivial" popular music of the era. This exploration connects to the minstrel tradition and the rise of composers like Stephen Foster, who, despite the stylistic limitations of their time, helped forge a popular song canon. The narrative then shifts to the "serious" composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, such as Edward MacDowell, Horatio Parker, and Arthur Farwell. These figures represent a refinement of American artistry—MacDowell through his sensitive, quasi-nationalist tone poems, and Parker through his rigorous academic contributions at Yale.

The journey concludes by detailing the academic institutionalization of music, as universities like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Columbia began to formalize curricula, theory, and criticism. The final chapters survey a generation of composers—including Edward Burlingame Hill and Henry Clough-Leighter—who navigated the influence of modern French and German schools while seeking their own idiosyncratic paths. By the time the narrative closes, the landscape has transformed: from the isolated, tentative singing of a colonial meeting house to a bustling, multi-faceted musical culture that maintains a permanent, if complex, place in the life of the nation.

How It Unfolds

The foundational era The account opens in colonial New England, where music was largely a byproduct of religious practice. Early efforts focused on the instruction of psalm tunes to the masses, establishing basic choral habits that would serve as the bedrock for later secular musical development.

The concert and opera circuit As urban populations grew, public concerts and opera houses began to appear in cities like Charleston and New York. These early endeavors were often precarious, marked by the financial failures of idealistic managers and the shifting reliance on European touring companies.

The rise of professional orchestras The text details the development of symphony orchestras, highlighting how leaders like Victor Herbert bridged the gap between serious symphonic tradition and popular appeal. It captures the tension between those who demanded strict classical adherence and those who prioritized broader educational accessibility.

The shift toward national identity The narrative examines the incorporation of folk materials, specifically African American spirituals, into the American repertoire. It distinguishes between the "worthless imitations" of popular song and the genuine melodic imagination found in these indigenous traditions.

The institutionalization of pedagogy The final stages of the history focus on the integration of music into higher education and the establishment of formal departments at major universities. This shift marks the transition from amateur, community-led instruction to the academic rigor of conservatory-style training.

The People

The history is defined by a cast of visionaries, teachers, and performers. The Reverend John Tufts stands at the start, an early agitator for musical literacy who believed that even the untrained could master the art of singing through his simplified notation systems. Lowell Mason emerges as a titan of this period, a man whose "earnest valor" in reforming church music and his pioneer work in juvenile education helped shift the nation toward a more disciplined, aesthetic approach to choral singing.

Victor Herbert represents the pragmatic entertainer, a man whose transition from classical cello to the conductorship of the Pittsburgh Symphony allowed him to lead his public "by his hand" toward higher musical ground. In contrast, Edward MacDowell appears as the sensitive, tragic genius, a wanderer who struggled to reconcile his psychic "wonderworld" with the material demands of academic life. His influence was profound, establishing a standard for piano performance and composition that signaled a coming-of-age for American art.

Finally, Arthur Farwell stands out as a bridge between the old and the new. A composer and educator, Farwell embraced the "community pageant" as a way to integrate music into the lives of everyday citizens, while simultaneously championing the use of indigenous folk themes. These figures, along with the resilient if ultimately unsuccessful Ferdinand Palmo, paint a picture of a nation that, over the course of two centuries, moved from the tentative imitation of European models to the creation of a distinct, self-confident musical culture.

In Its Own Voice

'Tinkers sang catches,' says Chappell, 'milkmaids sang ballads; carters whistled; each trade, and even the beggars had their special songs; the bass-viol hung in the drawing-room for the amusement of waiting visitors; and the lute, cittern, and virginals, for the amusement of waiting customers, were the necessary furniture of the barber-shop.'

(Describing the ubiquity of music in early English life, which set the standard for colonial expectations.)

The introduction of Satan as the protagonist of unskillful singing is an ingenious and appropriate touch.

(Commenting on how colonial authorities used the threat of moral corruption to enforce better standards of church music.)

The attempt at a democratic opera was a fine and courageous one, but the time was not ripe for such an effort.

(Reflecting on the collapse of Ferdinand Palmo’s early New York opera house.)

What It's Really About

This work explores the tension between European tradition and the quest for an original American musical language. It asks whether a nation’s art can be fostered through institutional means, such as university departments and symphony orchestras, or whether it must arise spontaneously from the "folk." A primary argument is that the early reliance on imported music was a necessary, though often stifling, stage of development. The text also investigates the role of the "popular" in music, cautiously evaluating whether minstrelsy and Sunday-school songs were merely "musical candy" or a vital, if crude, step toward a broader appreciation of the art form. Ultimately, the book is a study of how a culture matures, questioning how much of its identity is borrowed, how much is cultivated in the classroom, and how much is found in the "shadowy wonderworld" of the individual composer’s imagination.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in musicology, cultural history, or the development of American institutions will find this a fascinating, if sometimes dense, record. It feels like a primary source, carrying the weight of a 1915 perspective—complete with the formal, slightly elevated prose of the era and its occasional, dated assumptions about social and artistic hierarchies. The book does not shy away from the "difficulty" of its subject matter, often diving deep into technical descriptions of psalmody, harmony, and concert programs that require some patience to parse.

For those who enjoy the grit of history, the book is rewarding. It does not present a polished, mythologized version of the American past, but rather a messy, evolving process of trial and error. You will encounter the names of forgotten conductors, the failures of long-shuttered theaters, and the debates over what constituted "good" music in a burgeoning society. The passages on the structural sophistication of African American spirituals, in particular, offer a strikingly modern analysis, showing an early appreciation for nuances that were often overlooked in mainstream discourse of the time. The book’s greatest value lies in this level of detail; it provides a comprehensive, ground-level view of how music-making ceased to be a rare, professional luxury and became a standard facet of American public life. It is not a quick read, but it leaves one with a profound sense of the labor, passion, and institutional willpower required to build a musical tradition from the ground up.