The American Symphony Orchestra of Chicago

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GLENN DILLARD GUNN
CONDUCTOR

AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF CHICAGO


Something American on Every Program

RECORDING THE SUCCESS OF MOVIE PRICED MUSIC
Herald (handwriting)News of Music
And Musicians
By FELIX BOROWSKI

POPULAR symphonic music dispensed at Cohan's Grand Opera House by the American Symphony Orchestra yesterday attracted to that place a gathering which, if it did not fill the theater, was not o inconsiderable size. Nor was the audience which hearkened to Mr. Gunn's musicians ungenerous is the matter of its applause.
	The Program which was set forth at this entertainment was not of that character which was likely to bore the people who listened to it. There was plenty of tune and it was good tune. There were old favorites among the classics of light music—pieces like the overture to Nicolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor and Massenet’s Scenes Alsaciennes—and there were other compositions, of the order of Tschaikowsky’s Casse Noisette, which almost have arrived at that prosperous stage of their existence in which they are whistled by the man in the street. 
	Mr. Gunn did not selfishly keep all the concert to himself and to his men. Three soloists were given opportunities to show what they could do. Mrs. ManDermid sang Dich Theure Halle from Wagner’s Tannauser, as well as some songs--her husband’s My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose, Edward C. Moore’s Hammock Song and Heanne Boyd’sAt Morning—and Miss Lois Adler performed part of McDowell’s second concerto for piano. In the second division of the performance Richard Wagner, violon–cellest, interpreted two pieces, respectively by Goltermann and Schubert.
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	It is pleasant to record the success of the music–making. The American Symphonly Orchestra was heard to better advantage than it had been at the concert of native compositions which Mr. Gunn presented in Orchestra Hall a little more than three weeks ago. There is considerable benefit to be gained by presenting the symphonic compositions of musicians who had or have the technique of orchestral creations at their fingers’ ends. An orchestra which plays only infrequently as an aggregation risks much in negotiation unfamiliar manuscripts. It is likely to achieve finer results with Tschaikowsky with Ni CONCERTS OF SUNDAY ARE WELL ATTENDED
The American Symphony Orchestra Under Gunn at Cohan's Grand.
MME, JULIA CULP CHARMS
Harold Bauer and Ossip Gabrilowirsch Join in Recitals—Other Concerts Given.

BY STANLEY K. FAYE.
	All the world came out Sunday afternoon to greet the spring, and the matinee musical affairs prospered amazingly. All the houses where concerts were given were well filled except the Grand opera house, where the American Symphony orchestra offered programs that in the course of time are sure to meet with the popular appreciation that they deserve.
	Glenn Dillard Gunn’s offerings w his orchestra were happy, with one exception, The Todtendanz of Liszt, w brought forard the gifted Chicago soloist, Moses Bogulawski, in the solo  The interpretation was interesting  this work is Liszt in an uninspir ment. The second soloist was  W. Clark, a Chicagoan and one of America’s best barytones, who sang  American composers. The o separate American numbers w Herbert’s Polichinelle and JOURNAL,Orchestra in Sunday Concert; Kreisler Plays
American Organization Gives First of Three Programmes; Nellis and Sara Kouns Make Debut; Famous Violinist Returns; Kneisel Quartet in Closing Concert; Other Musical Events
	Of the live concerts given within a distance of nine blocks yesterday afternoon two were joint recitals of young artists; two were return visits; and one was the beginning of a new series by the American Symphony Orchestra, Glen Dillard Gunn, conductor. In this last Cohan’s Grand opera house came back to its place as a house for musical events, the first time that it had done so regularly since George Hamlin used to give song recitals there years ago.
	The American Symphony orchestra has come to attention several times during the last few seasons through the valiant efforts of its conductor to give concerts of American music. Perhaps it would have been better known and better liked if, instead of propagandizing, it had done as it did yesterday, played a concert of the lighter sort, without reference to nationallity. I never enjoyed its performance nearly as much as I did then, furing the overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor and Tschaikowsky’s Nutcracker Suite. It had more balance, more light and life than it ever had previously, and in the Waltz of the Flowers Conductor Gunn demonstrated a complete knowledge of the lilting, persuasive urge thta lies in the waltz rhythm. It was excellent and worth–while entertainment, in spite of the omission of two sections of the suite.
	Three  were on the programme, though  the hearing only of Mrs. S MacDermid in Dich, Theurhaeuser. If this  terpriseTHE DAILY NEWS.CONCERTS IN PLENTY
OFFFERED IN CHICAGO
Most Important Was Work of American Symphony Orchestra Under Gunn.
KNEISEL QUARTET PLAYS
Recitals at Central Music Hall and at Congress Hotel –Fritz Kreisler at Auditorium.

BY STANLEY K. FAYE.
	Beyond a doubt the most important of  yesterday's many concerts was that of the American Symphony orchestra at Cohan's Grand Opera house. It was the first in a series of concerts, popular in tone and in price of admission, that is likely to be of  unexampled service in the musical education of Chicago.
	Except, for the MacDowell concerto played by Miss Lots Adler, the program was of the most clement character, starting with Nicolai’s joyous Merry Wives of Windsor overture. Any auditor expecting virtuoso work by Glenn Dillard Gunn and the men under his direction would have been disappointed, for the orchestra’s youth and the lack of rehearsals brings about a certain sketchiness in their art, a stiffening of the pure melodic curve. Nevertheless, their unity of purpose was admirable, and they gave fully efficient support to Mrs. Sibyl Sammis–MacDermids’s singing of Dich, Theure Halle,  from Tannhaeuser. The aria was delivered with skill and effect; Mrs. MacDermid’s voice has in the last few years developed into one of the best sopranos in this sity. The third soloist was Richard Wagner, cellist.THE CHICAGO
DAILY TRIBUNEAuspicious beginning of the popular priced concerts to be given Sunday afternoons at the Grand Opera house was made yesterday afternoon by Glenn Dillard Gunn and his American Symphony orchestra. The portion of the program subject to comment includes the Merry Wives of Windsor overture by Nicolai, Wagner’s Dich theure Halle aria, and Tschaikowsky’s Nut Cracker suite.
	Efficiency of a surprisingly high grade was to be noted in the playing of this young ensemble, and the Tschaikowsky crimination audience. Sybil Sammis–MacSermid, soprano, sang the Tannhauser aria with excellent tone and admirable dramatic effect. Mention of Mr. Kreicler’s recital and those of the Misses Kouns and the Misses Balmer subsequently. 
Tribune (handwriting)GUNN ORCHESTRA PLEASES.
THE Freisschuta Overture by Weber, played by Mr. Gunn’s orchestra, is the best performance this new organization fas given. The tone was at once neat and well nourished. This double virtue is called insemble and is the hall–mark of the real orchestra.
	Mrs. Mitchell Hoyt was a charming soloist. The aria form Herodiade was in her vibrant, youthful voice. If the interpretation was not the sensuous one that we usually hear on the opera stage, it was rhythmic, as a opera rendition rarely is.
	Miss Myrtle Elvyn played Liszt’s E flat major concerto. She did well to present this brilliant intellectual bit of acrobatic entertainment, suited exactly to her style.Orchestra in Popular Concert
	The American Symphony orchestra, Glenn Dillard Gunn conductor, gave its second popular programme at Cohan’s Grand opera house yesterday afternoon before an audience that filled the theater and applauded with the whole–hearted sincerity employed by popular audiences and not always imitated by those who go to hear loftier music. Advantage was taken of the opportunity to announce that the series will be extended from three concerts to four.
	Two soloists appeared, Charles W. Clark, baritone, of Chicago, and Moses Boguslawski, once of Chicago, now of Kansas City. The latter made his first appearance in Liszt’s series of variations for pianos and orchestra, called Todtentanz. It is a work requiring much viruosity, both for soloist an dconductor, for it is one of the trickiest compositions in existence. It has not been heard here since Ferruccio Busoni played it with the Chicago Symphony orchestra five years ago.
	Bogulawski has a seemingly unlimited technial development and a striking talent for making rhythms inspiriting. The Todtentanz requires both in large measure, and hence this performance was a huge success. The orchestra played its part well, but both soloist and conductor plainly looked relieved when the final chord was safwly struck. They may have thought there was cause for apprehension in the beginning, but their fears were not realized. It was an excellent performance. Time pressed, and the reviewer hastened on.OFFICERS
CHARLES G. DAWES  PRESIDENT
H. C. CHATFIELD TAYLOR VICE PRESIDENT
JOSEPH E. OTIS TREASURER
MANAGEMENT: F. WIGHT NEUMANNAMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
GLENN DILLARD GUNN, CONDUCTOR
 FINE ARTS BUILDING      CHICAGOGuarantors of American Concerts
KNOWLTON  AMES  J. OGDEN ARMOUR  CHARLES G. DAWES
CHAUNCEY KEEP J. E. OTIS  JULIUS ROSENWALD  JOHN G. SHEDD
CHARLES H. SWIFT  WALTER H. WILSON
THE AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Glenn Dillard Gunn, Conductor
ANNOUNCES A SERIES OF
TEN POPULAR CONCERTS

On Sunday Afternoon, beginning the Third Sunday in October, nineteen sixteen, at
COHAN'S GRAND OPERA, HOUSE MANAGEMENT F. Wight Neumann
Prices of Admission: 10, 25, 50 and 75 cents  Season Tickets: $2.50, $5.00 and $7.50

THE PROGRAMS will represent tuneful examples of, best classic and popular music. At each concert one or more works by American composers will be presented.

THE SOLOISTS: Mme. Ernestine Schumann–Heink, the distinguished conralto has offered her services for one concert of the series. Other artists thus far engaged are:Vocalists:Charles W. Clark, BaritonePianists:Myrtle ElvynHazel Eden, SopranoEdward CollinsGeorge Hamlin, TenorMrs. J. Mitchell Hoyt,SopranoCarrol RobinsonMrs. Thomas J. Prindeville,SopranoAllen SpencerViolinist: Guy H. WoodardPasquale TallaricoCellist:Richard WagnerOTHER ENGAGEMENTS PENDINGBelle Tannenbaum
MR. GUNN'S ORCHESTRA.

	A gathering of goodly size occupied Cohan's Grand Opera House, when Glenn Dillard Gunn and the American Symphony Orchestra presented a popular concert there yesterday.
	Generous in the provision of soloists, Mr. Gunn brought forward Miss Myrtle Elvyn; pianist; Mrs. J. Mitchell Hoyt, soprano, and Frederick Search, violoncellist. Of these the principal was Miss Elvyn, who elected to be the interpreter of Liszt's E flat concerto. Hearing this attractive artist in the work, one was moved to speculate as to the reason why a pianist so pleasing to, the outward eye and so engaging as to her gifts should be brought before the public so seldom in Chicago.
	Miss Elvyn proved on this occasion, as she has proved in previous appearances, that her accomplishment must be regarded with more than ordinary respect. A passionate performer she is not. It is possible that she regards with somewhat frigid complacence the ardent compositions which represent
unutterable things to some of  brothers and sisters in art. Yet  interpreter of Liszt’s concerto posessed of a touch of appealing  a technic of great brilliance  sensibilities. These  and they made  well wo
Battle Creek Mich. Journal (hand written)Forty-five members of the American Symphony Orchestra, anout a third of the  membership of the organization, appeared in concert here last night, with Glenn Dillard Dunn as conductor.
	Following its motto of Something American on Every Program the orchestra last night  opening number,  overture Jubilee selection which  close, the  to its  Pat tion  instru–  ught of the  Dvorak syphony  cand the aria Dich  ne, form Wagner. Mrs.  is one of the best known  the American pub–  invariably wins the  audiences whenover  last night,  by pro– News of Music and Musicians
By FELIX BOROWSKI

MR. GUNN’S enterprise in disppensing symphonic music on Sunday afternoons would seem to be meeting with the favor of many people. There was a large gathering in attendance at Cohan’s Grand Opera House last Sunday—a gathering which accepted in enthusiastic spirit the artistic fare that was offered to it.
	The program enlisted the co–operation of two soloists—Charles W. Clrak, barytone, and Moses Boguslawski, pianist. The former, a singer of remarkable intelligence and skill, presented lyrics by Massenet, MacDermid, Wyman, Fogel and Damrosch. Mr Boguslawski, who belongs to the musical community of Kansas City, elected to be heard in Liszt’s Todtentanz and in a group of solo pieces by Chopin and Rubinstein.
	The American Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Gunn, delivered itself of effective interpretations of the prelude to Humperdinck’sHansel and Gretel, the slow movement from Dvorak’s New World, symphony, Victo Herberts nelle and Badinage and cokzy march from   of Faust by BerliJournal (handwriting)Popular Concert at Grand 
	The third, and for the present the final concert by the American Symphony orchestra, Glenn Dillard Gunn, conductor, took place at Cohan’s Grand opera house yesterday afternoon before an audience that came to hear good light music, and got it. Becuase of the efforts of this as well as other organizations, the word popular has come to have a rather more ingratiating meaning than it has enjoyed in past years.
	It was good entertainment. There has been much worse playing and worse conducting in Chicago not so very long ago, and applied to performances supposedly of much loftier aim. The Freischuetz overture was played as well as one would care to hear it in any place at any time. The same is true of the scherzo from the Dohnanyi suite; it would have been true likewise of the Romance from the same woek if certain of the wood–wind instruments had not performed unexpected and startling antics in the way of getting our of pitch with each other.
	There were three soloists. Mre. Mitchell Hoyt sang Il est doux, il est bon, from Massenet’s Herodiade, correctly and on pitch, if with no particular distinction of dramatic color. Frederick Preston Search, cellist, appeared in the seond half, and consequently could not be heard, as was the case with Mrs. Hoyt’s gorups of songs.
	The third was Myrtle Elvyn, Chicago pianist, in a performance of Liszt’s concerto, in E flat. It has been some time since she made a public appearance here, but in that time she has not forgotten to be, as she was before, the most ornamental of all pianists. She is such a picture while on the stafe that there is danger of forgetting her gifts as an artist.
	As a matter of fact, she is to by reckoned with. She has skill; fleetness, spirit, magnetism, most of the merits of the great pianists. Her tone was unaccountably wooden and unresonant yesterday, regrettably so in the memories of the times when it had not been so, but even this did not prevent fer performance from being dashing, vigorous, and even exhilarating.AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PLEASES
Appreciative Audience Attends Opening of Chautauqua Season at Post Theatre.

	Movie priced music evidently is a huge success at the Grand opera house these Sunday afternoons, for the American Symphony orchestra, Glenn Dillard Gunn, conductor, proudly, of somewhat self–consciously, faced a very large audience there yesterday.
	The numbers heard were Weber’sFreischutz overture, the Massenet aria Il est doux, il est bon (which might well have been sung in its passable English version), the Scherzo and Romance from the Dohnanyi suite, and the beginning of the leather souled E flat piano concerto by Liszt. Mrs. J. Mitchell Hoyt, soprano, and Myrtle Elvyn, pianist, were soloists.
	The orchestra’s playing gains steadily with regular appearance, and Mr. Gunn, whose conducting gradually departs form the German categoric style to enroll itself under the more volatile Celtic, gave a very good reading of the overture and an admirable study of the  nanyi numbers. Mrs. H solid tone was 
AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Pop
	At the other end of the loop –Cohan's Grand Opera House  Glenn Dillard Gunn directed his American Symphony Orchestra in a pleasing program– the first in a series of three populars to be given by this o under the direction of F. Wight Neumann at  named playhouse. Assisting the orchestra were soloists, the principal one being Sibyl Sammis M the well known Chicago soprano. The services  Adler, pianist, and Richard Wagner, cellist, were listed. Improvement can be noticed at each new of this organization as was evidenced on this and though it lacks some smoothness as yet, the o indi possibilities of considerable ch He of An con was  up  ore wa f the  tu was e ab Nutcracker suite excellent  Conduc the listene hauser an that is cha Mrs. MacDermid  cagoans’ song The Ham of the Chicago  were heard for  interesting bits.  ongs evoked much  ual beauty, clarity consummate art.  following Sunday.American (hand written)MONDAY.
‘POP’ CONCERTS
BEGUN BY GUNN
ORCHESTRA
BY HERMAN DEVRIES.
Glenn Dillard Gunn always has a new trick or two up his sleeve. When he is not creating orchestras he is organizing contests; when he ceases to conduct, his hand is ready to wield the pen, instead of the baton. His perennial subject of inspiration is the Chicago public and his omnipresent expression of foster–fatherly interest is a quest for it pleasure and education.
	Not satisfied with the already won laurels of the American Symphony Orchestra of Chicago, of which he is the director and founder has hit upon the plan of reac wider public and spreading the propaganda of beauty among the classes to whom the proces of a regular symphony concert are a financial thou–shalt–not. He inaugurated yesterday a series of popular concerts at Cohan’s Grand Opera House at the inviting admission fees of ten, twenty–five and fifty cents.
	I heard only the opening number, as four more concerts were a part of my Sunday pilgrimage. Nicolai’s overature to the Merry Wives of Windsor, given with great brio, revealed the delightful humore and all of the usual sense of rhythm and balance characteristic of the orchestra.
	Mrs. Sybil Sammis McDermid, the well known local soprano, sang Wanger’s Dich, Theure Halle, from Tannhaeuser, with splendid volume and tonal resonance.
	The Sunday pops deserve the support which they undoubtedly will acquire.THE CHICAGO EVENING POST,First of  Pops by New Symphony
By Karleton Hackett.
	Yesterday afternoon the American Symphony Orchestra gave the first of its series of  Pops at Cohan’s Grand Opera House, and Glenn Dillard Gunn was considerate enough to put the hour at 3 o’clock, and in addition actually began on time, thereby winning my undying good will. The audience greeted Mr. Gunn and the members of the orchestra most cordially, giving him to underatns that they approved his venture and would support him. There were not so many people present as I had expected to see. The program began with the overture to Nicolai’sThe Merry Wives of Windsor, which was played with spirit and vim, tho making rather heavy weather of it in places. Mrs. Sibyl Sammis–MacDermid sang Dich Theure Halle with authority and firm tone and was recalle several times to how to the applause.
	The best thing I was able to hear was the playing of the Russian and Arabian dances from Tschaikowsy’s Nutcracker Suite, which was the more surprising, since knowing Mr. Gunn’s abhorrence for Tschaikowsky and all his works, I did not suppose that any consideration would have the force to persuade him to admit anything from his pen to one of these concerts. Thus we see the softening influence of  pops upon even the most severe of musicla educators.
	Miss Lois Adler plared the MacDowell Concerto for Piano, but it was immpossible for me to hear it.
	To judge from the attitude of the public the concerts will be asuccess, for the applause was hearty and the people enjoyed themselves, but the attendance left somethign to be desired in point of numbers.A Succ
	April is not usually  but Sunday last, the fewer than six concert  to begin was the pr by Glenn Dillard Gunn and his American Symphony Orchestra, which has caught on and bids fair to take a place of importance in Chicago’s musical shceme. This was the second  of Mr Gunn’s series under Mr. Neumann’s management, and there was a noticable increase in attendance so the Cohan’s Grand Opera House presented a most satisfactory appearance. Estimated is it that not more than fifty chairs were vacant. The program was admirably arranged to justify the designation popular concert, and the men and their conductor were in the best of mood. With the aid of two soloists, Charles W. Clrak, the baritone, and Mr. Boguslawski, a pupil of Mr. Gunn and therefore an excellent player.