John Crogan Manning

              Figure


John Crogan Manning.  Paris — June 1908




John Crogan Manning
 displayed, at an early age, a remarkable talent and love for music.  From the first it seemed a foregone conclusion that his life would be spent in the pursuit of the greatest of all the arts—music, and his intrinsic and native qualities augured well for a successful and inevitable career in the pursuit of that art.




To-day Mr. Manning ranks as one of the best pianists in that most musical of cities—Boston, and is most favorably known throughout the East.




CHOPIN LECTURE-RECITAL



The coming seasons of 1909 and '10, Mr. Manning will give to the public throughout the United States his charming Conversational Pianoforte Recital on Chopin—the greatest of all pianoforte writers—playing only his compositions and giving short talks concerning the master, his life, and the influences brought to bear upon the numbers Mr. Manning will play—thus, any person not especially musical can more fully appreciate the beautiful in music.





A FEW ENCOMIUMS FROM THE PRESS AND PERSONS WHO HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF HEARING MR. MANNING—NOT ONLY IN HIS 
CHOPIN RECITALS
—BUT IN RECITALS OF VARIOUS OTHER MASTERS' WORKS



It was a great pleasure to hear Mr. Manning's lecture-recital on Chopin.  So artistic, yet so popular a piano recital is rarely heard.  His execution is so skillful, his interpretation so poetic, even emotional, that his playing must always attract attention, but when to the music the lecture feature is added, the evening becomes unusually attractive, an ideal number for lecture courses that care for good music.

Mr. Manning came to Swarthmore fresh from a great success at the home of President Elliot, of Harvard.  We were expecting something good, but were pleased beyond our expectations.

Students are quickly responsive; if what they hear is worth while they are an ideal audience.  Mr. Manning during the entire evening had that attention which is an inspiration.  He talked about Chopin especially of the compositions on the program, and, having interested us in the man and prepared us for a better understanding of the numbers as they came, he played them.

This note to the committee seemed to be the general sentiment:  
Give us more like Manning—the best thing of the winter.  He is a worthy interpreter of Chopin, truly.
—


PAUL PEARSON,
 
in Talent.


Mr. Manning is a pianist that one can always hear with pleasure and profit.  He has an admirable technic, pleasing tone, repose of manner, and his interpretations are invariably consistent, honest and free from affectation of any kind.  There is nothing but praise for Mr. Manning's general performance, which was much enjoyed by the large audience present.—


Boston Post.




Mr. Manning is a pianist of ability.  His technique is clear-cut and well-rounded, and there is much of beauty and sentiment in his interpretation.  He is able to discern the composer's musical message, nay, more, to convey that message to an assembled audience with clearness and authoritative accuracy.  Mr. Manning is an interesting player.  He does not soar up among the clouds, but he is capable of real musical work that has much of real merit and much of decided talent.  At all times does he strike his notes with great purity of tone.  They always ring true with an emphatic precision that is good to hear.  And at other times there is a delicacy of touch that gives so much of light and shade to musical work and relieves it of monotony and weariness.—


Boston Times.




BAY VIEW ASSEMBLY.




Mr. John C. Manning, pianist, made his first appearance before a Bay View audience, presenting an excellent program in an admirable manner.  Mr. Manning displays adequate technique, and an artistic sense of proportion in tonal values.  His playing is clean-cut and convincing, his interpretations sane, refined and well-balanced.—


Resorter, Petoskey, Mich.




He is unquestionably a very musical man, with a pleasant, well-varied tone, fine taste for phrasing.  Mr. Manning has also charm and is a musician of unusual taste and feeling.—


Boston Evening Transcript.




MONTEAGLE, TENN., ASSEMBLY.




* * * I have heard many commendations of your superb recitals.  You captivated our people and best of all you elevated them with nobler conceptions of art and life. * * *




—
MR. A. P. BOURLAND,
 Manager.




Mr. Manning again afforded pleasure by his well-trained technique, the certainty of his distinctly musical touch, and the ease, sincerity, and smoothness of his playing generally.—


Boston Herald.




Y.M.C.A. LECTURE COURSE




As he sits before the instrument, your first reflection is, here is a man in love with his work.  He loses himself in it, and it is the spirit of the composition that rises from the keys at the touch of his fingers.  His technique is good, his range is large, his touch is clear, incisive, supple, delicate, forceful at the will of his selection.—


Mt. Vernon, N. Y.




Mr. Manning's great versatility was easily shown by the wide range of his selections.  His execution is brilliant and at the same time so full of deep feeling and expression that his hearers are captivated.  He turns from the pathetic to the gay with an ease that is marvelous.—


Topeka State Journal.




Mr. Manning's playing is characterized by great refinement and delicacy of touch.  The Chopin numbers were all beautifully played and at the close of the scherzo Mr. Manning was recalled and responded with a most exquisite rendering of Moszkowski's 
Autumn.
—


Lawrence Daily Journal, Kans.




THE MANNING RECITAL.




The auditorium of the Presbyterian Church was sparsely filled last night with any but a musical audience to hear the Manning piano recital.  The audience was a clear case of little girls selling tickets.  The members of the music club passed up what was really the best piano recital given in Emporia for many years.  The program was heavy and lasted for an hour and twenty minutes, and there was this remarkable thing about it:  though there was not a light piece on the program, the four composers whose works made the program being Bach, Beethoven, Schuman, and Chopin, no one in the audience seemed to grow weary.  This is the highest compliment ever paid to a pianist in Emporia.  At the close of this heavy, classical poem, unrelieved by song or any other form of musical diversion, the audience insisted on an encore.  If it had been a musical crowd this would have been expected.  But a crowd made up of business and professional men and their wives and daughters,—a distinctly 
not
 musical crowd, demanding an encore proves that good music, heavy music, if you please, well given is always delightful.  Technically Mr. Manning has what the baseball cranks call a wonderful 
south paw.
  His left hand is his strength.  He has unusual skill with it and control over it.  His playing was even, sympathetic and intelligent.—


WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE,
 
in Emporia (Kans.) daily paper.






FOLLOWING are a few of the important Colleges, Academies, Lecture Courses, Clubs, etc., where Mr. Manning has repeatedly played.






WELLESLEY COLLEGE


Wellesley, Mass.




RADCLIFFE COLLEGE


Cambridge, Mass.




PEMBROKE COLLEGE


Providence, R. I.




SWARTHMORE COLLEGE


Swarthmore, Penn.




DARTMOUTH COLLEGE


Dartmouth, N. H.




KANSAS UNIVERSITY


Lawrence, Kans.




BRADFORD ACADEMY


Bradford, Mass.




MISS CHAMBERLAYNE'S SCHOOL


Boston




QUINCY MANSION SCHOOL


Quincy, Mass.




MAC DOWELL CLUB


Boston




CHROMATIC CLUB


Boston




ST. BOTOLPH CLUB


Boston




LADIES' MUSICAL CLUB


Topeka, Kans.




EXETER MUSICAL CLUB


Exeter, N. H.




GRAFFORTH CLUB


Portsmouth, N. H.




Y. M. C. A. LECTURE COURSE


Mt. Vernon, N. Y.




MONTEAGLE ASSEMBLY


Monteagle, Tenn.




BAY VIEW ASSEMBLY


Bay View, Mich.




HARVARD MUSICAL ASSOCIATION


Boston




INDIANA STATE MUSIC TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION,


Ft. Wayne, Ind.






FOR TERMS ADDRESS M. B. PARKS 246 HUNTINGTON AVENUE, Room 34, BOSTON, MASS.