Earl R. Drake Company

              THE EARL R. DRAKE COMPANY



BLANCHE BLOOD




EARL R. DRAKE VIOLINIST



EBORG HAUSCH




WM A. WILLETT




Management Mutual Lyceum Bureau,
 Suite 55 Auditorium Building, 
Chicago





The Earl R. Drake Company



M
R. DRAKE, the well known virtuoso, was born near Aurora, Illinois, in November, 1865, and evinced remarkable musical talent when but five years of age.  After studying and concertizing in this country with great success for a period of years, he carried out his earnest desire to further perfect his work among the masters of Europe, and in 1892 began daily study of the violin with Joachim, of Berlin.  Being a pianist of merit Mr. Drake was accorded the honor of playing accompaniments for Herr Joachim and his pupils, by which he obtained a thorough knowledge of the interpretation of the greatest concertos according to Joachim's conception of them.  Mr. Drake and his company have been received with unqualified endorsement wherever they have appeared for us during the past two seasons.  Miss Blood continues with him again next season as accompanist and viola d'amour soloist and Miss Ingeborg Hausch appears as flute soloist.  Prof. William A. Willett, the distinguished baritone, late of the Jessie Bartlett Davis Company, has accepted a place in the company and will add great strength to the program.  Mr. Willett has made a great reputation in recital work in the United States and Canada, having appeared in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, Washington, Colorado Springs, Denver, Toronto, Montreal, etc.  Mr. Willett first sang 
Elijah
 in Manchester, England, in 1889, and has since sung it over 200 times in the United States and Canada.






NILES DAILY STAR


The concert by the Earl Drake Company last night was the third in the High School course and exceptionally fine.  Mr. Drake proved himself a superb artist by playing on both violin and piano, and his Appassionata Fantasie by Vieuxtemps, as well as some of his own compositions, was something exquisite.  Miss Blood excited great admiration by her performance of one of her own compositions and a difficult one by Wieniawski on the viola d'amour.  We shall hope to secure this admirable company again.




CHICAGO, ILLINOIS STAATSZEITUNG (Translation)


Mr. Willett's beautiful voice, good phrasing and fine musical understanding make him one of the best lieder singers in this city.




GALESBURG EVENING MAIL


A baritone voice of rich timbre, remarkable range, under complete control; splendid sotto voce and a versatile singer; splendid interpretation.






Professor Drake's Famous Stradivarius




One of the most notable features of Mr. Drake's concerts is the famous Stradivarius violin, bearing date of 1713 and purchased by him for $5000, which he always uses.  The instrument is one of three made by Stradivarius, remarkable for their exceptional beauty and quality of wood.  The varnish shows three colors—a gold, red and brown, heightened in artistic effect by use and age.  The tone is of the most perfectly pure and full quality, soft and even throughout, which is largely due to the perfect condition of the instrument, it having no patching in the interior.







NEW YORK MUSICAL COURIER


Earl R. Drake, the enterprising and gifted Chicago violinist, has been the first player to present to the American public Richard Straus' violin concerto.  Mr. Drake gave his concert with the assistance of an orchestra, and played with his usual technical ability and refined musicianship.  He plays with breadth and dignity.




CEDAR FALLS, (IOWA) DAILY RECORD


The Earl R. Drake Concert Company at the Normal last night scored a success.  The violin selections of Mr. Drake showed him to be an artist of the first rank.  The superior tone of his $5,000 instrument at once appealed to the lovers of fine music.




CHICAGO TRIBUNE


Mr. Drake played two of his own compositions for the violin, Lalo's Spanish Symphonie, Vieuxtemps' Fantasie Appassionata, and the Greig Sonata.  Mr. Drake is a violinist of great ability.  He has the true artistic instinct, playing at all times with feeling and fire.




LONDON NEWS


Mr. Willett scored a magnificent triumph.




DETROIT TRIBUNE


A musical voice marked with intelligence and emotional warmth.




FINDLAY REPUBLICAN


A voice round, full and resonant.




CHICAGO AMERICAN


Mr. Willett's voice is remarkably firm, and lacking in the tremolo so common among singers.




MINNEAPOLIS TRIBUNE


Mr. Willett as 
High Priest
 found much favor; he has besides a splendid voice, a most musicianly manner.




MILWAUKEE EVENING WISCONSIN


He has a high baritone, musical and even throughout with a highly musical temperament; his interpretative ability makes him adequate for oratorio or other musical works.




CHICAGO MUSICAL LEADER


He gave a dignified and powerful performance and would be of service on any oratorio program.




DECORAH PUBLIC OPINION


The concert at the Grand opera house last evening, the fourth number of the lecture course, by the Earl Drake Concert Co., was but a creditable addition to the course of high class entertainments offered this year.  This being the only musical number of the course, considerable was expected of it, and no one was disappointed.  Each member of the company is an artist, and altogether the program was very entertaining.




CALUMET (MICH.) NEWS


The principal feature of the evening was the violin playing by Miss Blanche Blood.  Her efforts were received with hearty applause, and encores were demanded in both her numbers.  Her tone was full and round.




DAILY IOWAN, IOWA CITY


For over two hours this audience enjoyed the keenest pleasures listening to the delightfully rendered program and demanding encore after encore.  Mr. Drake showed himself not only a master of the technique of violin playing, but also a most able and sympathetic interpreter of the selections rendered.  The selection 
Gypsy Scenes,
 composed by Mr. Drake, proved him a composer of no mean ability.  The violin duet by Mr. Drake and Miss Blood was also much enjoyed.




Viola d'amour of the Sixteenth century







LAPORTE, (IND.) HERALD


Mr. Drake is all musical animation.  He plays as only a true artist can play, with soul as well as body, and the effect was readily seen and felt.  His best numbers were possibly 
Fantasie Appassionata,
 Vieuxtemps, (a) 
Slumber Song
 and (b) 
Polish Dance
 (both his own composition), and in the duet by Mazas with Miss Blood.  His technique is simply wonderful, and he plays with such expression as to excite the admiration of all.  Miss Blanche Blood did some fine execution on the viola, stamping herself as a finished artist.  The lady's playing was excelled only by her modesty, but she gave a splendid rendition of (a) 
Slumber Song,
 her own composition, and (b) 
Rondo Elegant,
 Wieniawski.  She also played in an instrumental trio of popular airs, in the duet with Mr. Drake, from Mazas, and the ensemble playing, in all of which she disarmed criticism.  The viola was very much enjoyed by all.  The entire concert was a musical triumph.




CHICAGO INTER-OCEAN


Mr. Willett proved himself an exceptionally fine artist; his interpretation is remarkably good.




MICHIGAN CITY EVENING NEWS


As Elijah, Mr. Willet gave a dignified and wonderful performance, displaying a beautiful voice of great power and wonderful sweetness.  He is a man of great talent.




ELGIN DAILY COURIER


A charming, rich baritone voice and a perfect enunciation.




ADA UNIVERSITY HERALD


He pleased the audience greatly.




JOLIET HERALD


He possesses a rich voice of unusual flexibility and range.  The ease and naturalness of his style and his perfect enunciation are charming.




TOLEDO TIMES


His singing was nothing short of magnificent.




CHICAGO MUSICAL TIMES


One of the most popular singers in Chicago.




BOWLING GREEN SENTINEL


His voice is of wonderful richness and great power; he puts much inspiration into his work.




TOLEDO BEE


A voice of strength and sympathy.  He possesses much musical culture.




TROY DEMOCRAT


His interpretation is masterful and shows he is familiar with the school and tradition of oratorio.




TOLEDO COURIER


His work was a distinctive triumph.  He treats his songs with subtle perception and meaning.




THE CONCERT GOER


Mr. Willett possesses a well placed voice of good range.




NEW YORK MUSICAL COURIER


Mr. Willett has a baritone voice of good volume, yet sympathetic.  He displays unusual artistic ability and musical intelligence.




LIMA GAZETTE


His singing was the feature of the day.