Guide to the Collection of the Pittsburgh Orchestra, 1896-1910
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Collection of the Pittsburgh Orchestra,
- Creator
- Pittsburgh Orchestra
- Collection Number
- MSS#270
- Extent
- 1 cubic feet (2 boxes)
- Date
- 1896-1910
- Abstract
- The Pittsburgh Orchestra, not to be confused with the Pittsburgh Symphony Society, was founded in 1896 by Charles W. Scovel, Director of the Art Society of Pittsburgh. The Orchestra was in existence for fifteen years until it was disbanded in 1910 due to financial difficulties. This Collection includes a few pieces of correspondence as well as programs containing music notes, biographical comments on composers and musicians, and the names of orchestra members.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History of the Pittsburgh Orchestra (1896-1910)
The Pittsburgh Orchestra, founded in 1896, came into being largely through the efforts of Charles W. Scovel, Director of the Art Society of Pittsburgh. Aware that the occasional visits by out-of-town artists could not satisfy the growing desire of Pittsburghers for professionally trained musical groups, Scovel personally raised funds for a three-year guarantee of support for a local orchestra. He also persuaded Frederic Archer, a famous English conductor and organist, to serve as the first conductor of the orchestra and as music director. Music critic George Henry Wilson became the first manager and annotator of the orchestra.
On February 27 and 28, 1896, the Pittsburgh Orchestra, composed of 54 musicians, presented its inaugural concert, featuring soprano Emma Juch as soloist, in the recently dedicated Carnegie Hall. In the orchestra's fourth season, Victor Herbert became conductor and shortly thereafter enlarged the size of the ensemble by adding to the string section to achieve a better-balanced group. Herbert, the former bandmaster of the 22nd Regimental Band, had a distinctive, flamboyant style that had such great audience appeal that many came to Carnegie Hall primarily to watch him conduct.
During Herbert's tenure, numerous famous artists, among whom are Mme. Shumann-Heink, Fritzi Scheff, and Dohnanyi, made guest appearances. In the 1903-1904 season, the orchestra introduced Glazunoff's Seventh Symphony to an American audience, and in the same season, Richard Strauss, with his wife as soprano soloist, appeared as guest conductor. Herbert himself attained celebrity status during his Pittsburgh years as the composer and producer of a number of operas, including Cyrano de Bergerac and Babes in Toyland. By traveling widely with the orchestra, he also contributed to the reputation of Pittsburgh as a cultural center. In Herbert's third season in Pittsburgh, 33 of the total of 69 concerts were given in other cities, with expenses covered by Andrew Carnegie.
In 1904 Emil Paur succeeded Herbert as conductor and held the position until 1910, during which period the orchestra continued to attract prominent musicians, with Johanna Gadski and Fritz Kreisler among the guest artists.
Throughout its fifteen-year existence, the orchestra not only enjoyed great popularity but also earned the reputation of being a major symphony. Artistically successful, the orchestra, however, failed financially through lack of business leadership, and in May 1910, the Art Society decided to disband the organization for one season. The next month, the Society formed an orchestra called the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to replace the original group. After presenting a number of concerts in the fall of 1910, this orchestra, too, disbanded due to a lack of financial support.
Scope and Content Notes
This collection consists primarily of programs of the Pittsburgh Orchestra from 1898-1909. Beyond the standard music notes and biographical comments about composers and guest artists, these programs provide useful information for persons seeking a more detailed insight into orchestral and related matters. Each program lists the names of current orchestra members, arranged by instrument section, the names of guarantors for the season, and summaries of musical presentations and guest artists of preceding seasons. The programs for the 1902 season feature a listing of the departments, classes, and faculty members of the Carter Conservatory of Musical Art. Similar announcements for the Pittsburgh Conservatory of Music appear in the programs for the 1898-1901 seasons. Several advertisements describe banking services; others feature music stores in the Pittsburgh area. Of particular value in a study of the history of the Pittsburgh Orchestra is a message from the Art Society of Pittsburgh titled "The Future of the Orchestra," in the programs for the 1907-1908 season. Following a lengthy acknowledgment of past support by newspapers and patrons is an explanation of the current financial deficits of the orchestra. The message concludes with a request for a pledge of increased financial support from patrons of the orchestra. It also lists the ticket prices for the 1908-909 season.
The collection also includes a folder of correspondence which contains two letters -- one from S.W. Wilson to the secretary of the orchestra and another from Emil Paur to the Chairman of the Orchestra Committee. This letter provides excellent details about the conductor's monetary arrangements with the Committee.
Arrangement
The Pittsburgh Orchestra programs are housed in two archival boxes and are arranged chronologically with correspondence to the front.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Unknown.
Preferred Citation
Collection of the Pittsburgh Orchestra, 1896-1910, MSS #270, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Dorothy Kish and Craig Moore on September 16, 1997.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Martha L. Berg on January 25, 2000.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.
Subjects
- Arts Society of Pittsburgh (Pa.)
- Herbert, Victor, -- 1859-19 24.
- Paur, Emil, -- 1855-
- Scovel, Charles W., -- 1862-
- Archer, Frederic, -- 1838-1901.
- Composers -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh.
- Music -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh.