created a great sensation wherever they have appeared; and, it being
the intention of their father (who accompanies them) to take them to
Europe to perfect them in their art, he has been induced, at the
request of numerous friends, to make a tour through the principal
cities of America, to afford the musical public and those anxious to
hear these truly wonderful artists of the colored race an opportunity
of hearing them, and judging for themselves. The music they sing is
always of the highest order, and their selections are from the most
difficult and classical pieces that have been sung by the most
accomplished artists.
MR. WALLACE KING (tenor) possesses a fine voice of splendid quality
and great compass, which he uses with marked skill, and is especially
adapted to music of dramatic character.
MR. JOHN LUCA (baritone) is also the possessor of a splendid voice,
and sings in admirable style, both in songs and concerted music.
MR. A.C. TAYLOR (pianist and accompanist). This gifted artist, besides
being an excellent accompanist, is also a solo-player of great
promise. He has had the honor of playing before the most critical
audiences of New York and Boston; and it is predicted by our leading
musicians he will rank with the first pianists of the day.]
As will be seen by the comments drawn from the press, which have been
already and which will be hereafter given, Mr. Hyers's statements of
the artistic merits of his company were by no means exaggerated.
Their performances in the city of New York and in other parts of the
State drew large, cultivated, and enthusiastic audiences, and were, to
use the words of one writer, considered "a revelation."
Thus spoke "The New-York Evening Post:"--
"The Hyers sisters are colored, and, to the musical
instincts of their race, have added careful musical
training. Miss Anna Hyers possesses a flexible voice of
great compass, clear and steady in the higher notes. Miss
Emma, the contralto, has a voice of great power and depth;
qualities which, in impassioned strains, give it a richness
not often heard in chamber concerts.
"The gem of the evening was the 'Miserere' scene from 'Il
Trovatore,' which was skilfully rendered by the sisters,
Miss Emma singing the tenor part with very fine effect.
"A duet by Millard, sung by Miss Anna and Mr. J. Luca, was
also remarkably well rendered; Miss Anna displaying the
admirable qualities of her voice and her careful training to
the greatest advantage.
"The audience was enthusiastic, and the encores were
frequent."
Said "The New-York Tribune,"--
"A concert was given last evening by the Hyers sisters at
Steinway Hall. These are two young colored girls who have
received a musical training in California, and who are by no
means mere 'Jubilee' singers, as the programme of last
evening clearly shows. It embraced several airs and duets
from 'Martha' and 'Trovatore;' the last being the
'Miserere,' which called forth hearty applause."
"The Evening Telegram" alluded to them in the following complimentary
terms:--
... "The selections last evening embraced a high order of
music, operatic and otherwise; and were rendered with a
taste and grace that elicited frequent applause.
"One of the young girls possesses a very pure soprano, the
other an equally excellent contralto voice; and, singly or
together, their execution is marked by a refinement,
culture, and attractiveness that deserve first-class
audiences and first-class appreciation."
So great was the success of the talented troupe in the metropolis,
that when they visited Brooklyn they were already fully advertised,
and a general and very eager desire was manifested in that city to
witness their performances. So great was this desire, that, said "The
Brooklyn Daily Union,"
"Not only was every inch of standing-room in the Young Men's
Christian Association Hall occupied, but the ante-room and
even the stairway were completely jammed. In spite, however,
of the uncomfortable crowding, every one was pleased to be
present, and all were delighted with the concert.
"The young ladies are gifted with remarkable voices, and
sing together with perfect harmony; displaying the full
compass and beauty of their voices, which are clear and
sweet.
"Mr. Wallace King's rendering of Tennyson's beautiful song,
'Come into the garden, Maud,' was really exquisite, and was
followed by a vociferous encore. The concert was one of the
finest of the series."
But notwithstanding the many critical tests to which these young
ladies had been subjected all along from California to New York, and
despite the fact that their journey had thus far been marked by a
continual series of triumphs,--the thick walls of color-prejudice
everywhere yielding before the force of their rare musical abilities,
their almost marvellous sweetness of song,--they now approached with
feelings somewhat akin to dread the "modern Athens," that
acknowledged centre of musical and general æsthetic culture, Boston,
whose critical audiences ever receive coldly, at first, all newcomers,
and who, guided by their own judgments, and having their own standard
of merit, never yield praise because it has been accorded in other
sections.
The Misses Hyers, although fully recognizing all this, were not to be
daunted by it; and they therefore chose an ambitious, but what proved
to be a wise course: they at first appeared at Tremont Temple before a
select circle of musical connoisseurs. At this test performance, Mr.
Eben Tourjée, Mr. P.S. Gilmore, and others of the highest musical
ability in Boston, were, by invitation, present. Before the Misses
Hyers began to sing, Mr. Tourjée said that they would be judged by the
same standards as would be Nilsson or Kellogg. Mr. Hyers, speaking for
his daughters, readily assented to this: and the sequel proved that
his confidence was well founded; for all became satisfied, after
hearing them sing, that these young ladies had not been too highly
praised by the press of other cities. Said Mr. Gilmore, "These ladies
promise much that is great."
But the following, taken from one of the Boston papers appearing the
day after the performance just referred to, best describes the effect
of the same on those present:--
"We were invited with some fifty other persons this forenoon
to hear the singing of two colored young ladies, named Anna
and Emma Hyers, of San Francisco, at the Meionaon. They are
aged respectively sixteen and fourteen years, and, after a
casual inspection, may be called musical prodigies. They
are, without doubt, destined to occupy a high position in
the musical world.
"Anna sings not only alto, but tenor, and both with great
excellence. They sang 'Ah forsetui' [Transcriber's Note:
'Ah, fors'è lui'] from 'Traviata,' 'M'appari' from
'Martha,' and the 'Miserere' from 'Trovatore,' each with
remarkable clearness and accuracy, and surprised all with
the general skill they displayed. Anna has also the faculty
of reaching E flat above the staff. Judging from present
data, they are on a par vocally with our better
concert-singers; and a further hearing may place them in
rank with more pretentious vocalists."
Having at this _musicale_ satisfied the critics, they were spoken of
in words of warmest praise by the public press; and their subsequent
performances in Boston created, after all, the same enthusiasm as that
awakened in the West and in New York. I copy from "The Boston Journal"
the following:--
"The young California singers, Miss Anna and Emma Hyers,
gave their last concert at Tremont Temple last evening. The
audience was both large and enthusiastic; and a duet from 'I
Masnadieri,' 'Home, Sweet Home,' by Miss Anna, a duet from
'La Traviata,' a cavatina from 'Lucia di Lammermoor,' and
'The Last Rose of Summer,' also by Miss Anna, appeared to
give great satisfaction. The young ladies have made a very
marked impression in their concerts here.... Mr. Wallace
King has a pure, sweet tenor voice of remarkable compass,
and sings with excellent taste."
In Boston they made many warm personal friends, receiving from many of
its most cultured people very flattering attentions; and here, too,
were pointed out to them, in a candid and friendly spirit, such slight
defects in their voices, or manner of singing, as only those skilled
in the highest _technique_ of the musical art could detect. All such
suggestions were readily received by the young ladies, who, acting
upon the same, made much advancement in the technical requirements of
the lyrical art. They lingered long in Boston, being loath to leave
its congenial art-circles, and to leave behind its many facilities for
improvement in their profession.
Finally deciding to start again on their travels, they visited many of
the towns and cities of Massachusetts, and sang also in the principal
cities of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Their singing everywhere gave
the utmost satisfaction; and cultivated New England confirmed, in
words of highest praise, the verdict of the West and of New York.
A writer in "The Springfield (Mass.) Republican" thus spoke of the
troupe:--
"One of the largest, and certainly one of the best pleased
audiences of the whole season, attended the concert of the
Hyers sisters at the Opera House last evening. The voice of
the soprano, Miss Anna Hyers, is beautifully pure and liquid
in its higher range; and she sings notes far above the staff
with the utmost ease, where most sopranos gasp and shriek.
So easily, indeed, does she sing them, that few persons are
aware of the dizzy vocal heights which she scales. Mr. King
possesses that great rarity, a _real_ tenor voice, pure and
sweet, and of great compass. But the charm of the concert
consisted not so much in individual excellence as in the
combination of the voices in some wonderfully fine four-part
singing. Nothing in this line so exquisite as the 'Greeting
to Spring' (Strauss' 'Beautiful Blue Danube' waltz
vocalized) has been heard in Springfield for many a year.
The voices were as one; the shading was perfect; the
modulations were absolutely pure and true; melody and
harmony were alike beautiful."
At Worcester, Mass., the performances of the company created a decided
excitement in musical circles and among the people generally. "The
Daily Press" of that city referred to the performance of the troupe in
the following complimentary manner:--
"A larger audience than that of last Saturday evening
greeted the Hyers sisters at Mechanics' Hall last evening.
The programme was a new one, with the exception of the
'Greeting to Spring,' which was repeated by request, and was
enthusiastically received. The 'Excelsior' of Messrs. King
and Luca, the 'Cavatina Linda' of Miss Anna Hyers, the
'Sleep Well' of Mr. King, and the 'Non e'ver' [Transcriber's
Note: 'Non è ver'] of Miss Emma Hyers, were encored, as well
as nearly all the quartets. The quartet-singing was
unaccompanied, and was the finest that has been heard in
this city for years. The voices blended beautifully, and
were full of expression. Nor can too high praise be bestowed
upon the soprano and tenor. They showed great cultivation,
and a quality of voice rarely equalled."
While they were in Connecticut, "The Daily Union" of New Haven
remarked,--
"New Haven has but rarely heard such extraordinary artists,
or reaped so much benefit as from their concerts."
And "The Providence (R.I.) Journal" said,--
"Seldom in the history of our pleasure-seeking has it been
our good fortune to enjoy an hour of such exquisite pleasure
as we were blessed with on the occasion of our attending a
concert given here, a short time since, by the Hyers
sisters."
Our talented artists had now acquired throughout New England a fame so
fair, that Mr. P.S. Gilmore felt warranted in inviting them to appear
at the great Peace Jubilee concerts; and here, before an audience of
fifty thousand people, and in the company of several of the great
solo-vocalists of the world, surrounded by a chorus of twenty thousand
voices and an orchestra of one thousand performers, these gifted girls
occupied a proud position, reflecting upon themselves and all with
whom they were identified additional honors.
During the winter of 1875, the Hyers troupe several times appeared (on
Sunday evenings) on the Boston-Theatre stage in sacred concerts,
supported by a select orchestra of forty performers, all under the
management and conductorship of that fine musician and prince of
gentlemen, Mr. Napier Lothian, leader of the Boston-Theatre
orchestra. At these concerts the music rendered was mostly classical;
although the programmes contained also numbers of a popular
character,--such as were suited to the tastes of the large,
miscellaneous audiences in attendance,--which showed to the highest
advantage the versatility of talent and extensive musical resources of
the troupe. The writer recalls with much pleasure the delightful
emotions which, on one of the evenings alluded to, were awakened in
his breast by the very graceful stage appearance and the divine
harmony produced by these accomplished musicians; for when not
thrilled alone by their music, so faultlessly, so sweetly rendered, he
could not repress the thoughts that came forcibly into his mind, of
not only how much these noble artists were doing for the cause of pure
music, but for that other righteous one,--the breaking-down of a
terribly cruel prejudice, founded on the accident, so to speak, of the
color of the face.
The concerts just alluded to, it is needless to say, brought out the
warmest praises of the Boston journals. It is unnecessary, after the
numerous comments, so highly eulogistic, already given, to quote what
would only be a repetition of the same.
The Misses Hyers have, since the events heretofore mentioned, visited
most of the cities and towns of the State of Maine. In that State they
are great favorites, and sing always to large and delighted audiences.
"In Lewiston," says "The Folio," "they received at a concert thirteen
encores; and at Auburn a full house was gotten out on a half-day's
notice."
It would be pleasant to follow the Misses Hyers into that other walk
of art, the drama, which they have of late been pursuing so
successfully, were such a course within the province of this book;
but, as it is not, we will only briefly state, in concluding this
sketch, that they have lately, with an enlarged company, been acting
in a drama called "Out of Bondage," written expressly for them by Mr.
Joseph B. Bradford of Boston. The drama is in four acts; comprehends
four phases in the life of a freedman, beginning in slavery, and
continuing through to his attainment of education and refinement; and
is full of interesting incidents. Their success in this new field has
already, in the smaller places in New England, been great; and it is
the intention of the troupe to produce the drama ere long on the
Boston stage, and in other of the large cities.
Mr. Hyers still holds to a resolve to take his talented daughters to
Europe, in order to there perfect them in the higher requirements of
their art, and to fit them for the operatic stage.
It is to be hoped that he will not relinquish this ambitious and
creditable resolve; for certainly his gifted children have already
clearly shown such rare musical powers, and, incidentally, so much of
dramatic talent, and have had so much stage experience, as to fully
warrant him and all their friends in firmly believing that these
versatile young ladies may, after a short course of training under the
best masters of Europe, easily attain to the highest distinction on
the operatic stage.
XIII.
FREDERICK ELLIOT LEWIS,
PIANIST, ORGANIST, VIOLINIST, ETC.
Like the honey-making bee,
Passing from flower to flower,
Tasting and gathering the sweets of each.
In musical versatility, in capability for playing upon a great variety
of musical instruments, there may be possibly, among the large number
of talented artists of this country, a few who equal the subject of
the following sketch: the writer, however, confesses, that, if there
be such, he does not know of them. But, be this as it may, such an
instance as I am about to present is one, which, in its showing of
great musical talents and diversity of acquirements in instrumental
performance, will be readily admitted as, to say the least, most
extraordinary.
For Frederick E. Lewis performs with ease and with pleasing finish on
the piano-forte and the organ, on the violin, viola, violoncello,
double-bass, and the guitar, on the clarinet and flute, on the cornet,
and on nearly every one of the wind-instruments. Indeed, you can
scarcely bring to this remarkable musician an instrument upon
which in tasteful and artistic manner he cannot perform.
[Illustration: FREDERICK ELLIOT LEWIS.]
It is not my purpose, however, to present him here as a musical
"prodigy," nor as one of those rather abnormal, supernatural beings
who astound their hearers by playing upon an instrument almost at
sight, without previous study, or without observable method; playing,
as it would seem, from a kind of instinct. I present him rather as he
is,--an intelligent, a cultured gentleman; an artist so great in
natural gifts as to often excite astonishment certainly; but yet one
with intelligent method, and fully able to understand and explain all
he so skilfully performs.
His extraordinary success in acquiring a good degree of proficiency in
playing upon at least fifteen instruments--on two or three of which he
excels as a performer, and most of which, too, he teaches--is due not
alone to his great natural endowments, but is largely the result of an
assiduous cultivation of the same, and of a severe, steady, and
long-continued study and practice of each one of these instruments, in
which occupation he has ever aimed at the classical, and avoided all
that was coarse or commonplace, either in the compositions used, or in
his execution of the same.
On choosing an instrument for study, Mr. Lewis's plan has been to
first learn all about its structure, the theory concerning its
qualities, its tone-producing capabilities; and then, choosing the
best practical text-books procurable, to commence, without other
teachers than the latter, its practice. He is acquainted, therefore,
not only with the musical capacity of all the instruments he plays,
but also knows so much in regard to their mechanism, that, when out of
order, he can generally repair them; thus possessing in this latter
respect an ability far from common among musicians. He has at his
rooms quite a large family of stringed instruments, consisting of two
or three violins, a viola, two 'cellos, a double-bass, and a guitar.
These have all been carefully chosen for their beauty of form, and
nicety and sweetness of tone, their owner being a decidedly good
judge, a real connoisseur; and none of them are for sale.
His rooms are neatly but not expensively furnished. A few choice
pictures hang on the walls: but here, there, and everywhere are to be
found the emblems and accessories of the musical art,--a piano-forte,
on the back part of which are great piles of music, and in which are
the latest and choicest publications; a number of music-stands;
several of the viol family hanging on the walls, or placed in their
boxes on the floor; two or three varieties of the clarinet; a cornet,
a guitar, a flute, &c. In fact, there is music, music everywhere, and
enough instruments to form at any time an orchestra of at least a
dozen performers; with a skilful instructor or conductor near at hand
in the person of Professor Lewis, ready to wield an efficient _bâton_,
to play the leading part, or with pleasing compliance to play in a
subordinate capacity.
A visit to these rooms is always highly pleasing and instructive, not
only to the practical musician, but to all lovers of good music. With
the former Mr. Lewis is ready to join in a duet; allowing his visitor
to choose from among his many instruments the one with which he is
familiar, while he himself is prepared to take any other one necessary
in forming the duet. To those who cannot play, or who, perhaps, choose
to listen rather than to play, he is ever obliging, and acts as though
he considers it a very pleasant duty to entertain his friends. At
such times he will commence with his favorite, the piano, and go
through successively a performance upon each one of his many
instruments, giving his delighted listener a taste, so to speak, of
the melodious sweets of each. He delights not only to play, but is
also quite fond of conversing on general music; with which subject he
is very familiar, and is ever interesting and instructive in
discoursing upon the advantages and pleasures to be enjoyed by its
study. Indeed, at such times one is in doubt whether to admire him
most as a performer or as a theorist; for as the latter he is
remarkably proficient, and in treatment delightfully eloquent. As may
be inferred from the foregoing, Mr. Lewis is in his manners extremely
affable and easy. He charms his visitor by his simplicity, modesty,
and freedom from that conceit which might be perhaps expected from one
so wonderfully skilled in his profession. Pope's expressive lines
apply to but few persons so closely as they do to Mr. Lewis; for he is
truly
"Of manners gentle, of affections mild;
In wit a man, simplicity a child."
In these times of charlatanry, when titles are so often assumed with a
reckless disregard of truthfulness, I hesitate to apply even to one so
fully qualified, so extra skilled in music, as Lewis, the prefix
_professor_; for I wish, as I ought, to entirely disassociate him from
the mere pretenders to whom, in general, I have just referred. But to
him the title surely belongs; and there is no competent judge, who,
when made aware of the great talents and acquisitions, theoretical and
practical, of Mr. Lewis in the science of music, will not cheerfully
accord it to him. Mr. Lewis does not encourage a use of this title as
applied to himself: it is, however, habitually given to him by those
who enjoy his acquaintance, and who believe that it belongs of right
to him.
Although depending for his support upon the profession of music, his
intense love for the noble art is so pure, is so conscientious, as to
lift him far above the exhibition at any time of a spirit of cupidity,
and to cause him frequently to discourse the most exquisite music,
when he can expect no other reward than the pleasure he feels in thus
gratifying his auditors.
I have thus given a somewhat general outline of the characteristics
and accomplishments of our subject. But what is his history in
particular? What have been the beginnings, the circumstances, that
have united to produce a character so pleasingly and so harmoniously
formed? These questions I shall now endeavor to briefly answer.
Frederick Elliot Lewis was born in Boston in the year 1846. His
parents, both natives of New England, were people of musical and
general culture; his father being a performer on the flute, violin,
violoncello, and piano, as well as a chorister; while his mother was a
pianist, a leading soprano-singer in choirs, a lady of fine musical
taste, appearing often in public, and taking always a leading part.
At the early age of six years, Frederick evinced a surprising fondness
for music; but it was not until he was eleven years old that he began
its real study. This he did under his mother's direction, taking
lessons on the piano-forte. At this time he found the study of music
difficult, and the acquirement of its scientific rudiments was to
him dry work. In one year, however, its charming beauties began to
open before his young mind; and after this he rapidly developed a
talent for music, felt the inspiration of the beautiful art, and
became ambitious to excel.