Music Meets Drama

  Carnegie Hall sits on the corner of 57 th Street and 7 th Avenue in New York City.   B uilt in 1891 the hall continues to be a center piece of the city’s musical life to this day.   There are a myriad of great classical musicians’ spirits hovering around that venerable stage where they once performed.     Only classical musicians?  NO!  Carnegie Hall has hosted fund raisers for orphans, peace concerts, Broadway shows done in concert format, jazz concerts, international peace and political action lectures.    On April 5, 1918 the outer lobby of this revered space was decked out with banners and a poster of Uncle Sam.   Over the stage hung posters for the national war savings campaign and a picture of large guns and fighting men which stated, “These boys are giving their lives will you lend your quarters?” Another poster encouraged women of America to save their country.   What was the occasion?   The world famous cont...

  Festival March/Festival Prelude   Should the title be “Festival Prelude” or “Festival March” or “March Prelude” or simply “March,” should it be called “Festival Overture” or maybe just “Prelude?”  Is the work to be scored for full orchestra, smaller orchestra or arranged for organ, piano and violin?  These are the unnerving tasks of assigning a title and deciding what instrumentation works best for the music you are hearing in your mind.    Eventually Gena Branscombe used the titles “Festival Prelude” and “Festival March” interchangeably.   Writing to her publisher, Arthur Schmidt, on August 11, 1913, she reveals that she is busy orchestrating her “Festival March” and wonders, “How can one ever write well for orchestra - if one never can hear what one has written?”   Nearly a month later she tells Mr. Schmidt that her “Festival March” for orchestra was completed.   As a self-promoter, Miss Branscombe dined with a Mr. Reinald Werrenrat...

  The Gena Branscombe Project proudly announces their 2021 scholarships winners. Congratulations are given to Michaela (Micah) Gleason, Conductor; Cameron Smith, Composer; Melissa Yanchak, Arts Administrator.  In addition, Jane Kozhevnikova was the recipient of our Art Song Commission award.   These scholarship recipients will carry forth Miss Branscombe’s values throughout their careers.  They demonstrate the best of musical creativity which embraces humanity’s diversity and a resolve to hold high the tenets of artistic expression.   #BringingBackBranscombe

    “ German born Arthur Schmidt (1846-1921) was a trailblazer for American composers and in particular American women composers.  In my mind and opinion he broke down barriers, sought out potential that could be developed into the brightest and best.  He proved that the word composer had no gender bias to it….a composer is a composer whether man or woman!”  This quote is from my January 2011 blog posting.   The “Elusive Mr. Schmidt” blog posting in April 2013 explained that in all of his business papers at the Library of Congress there was not one picture of him.   Schmidt’s great granddaughter contacted me and sent me her great grandfather’s picture.   He was no longer elusive.     This will be my third blog I have written about Mr. Schmidt.   He was a publisher extraordinaire who in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries promoted and published American composers.    That era was about publishing ...

  November 4, 2021 marked what would have been Gena Branscombe’s 140 th birthday.  Well, it was her 140 th birthday.  This landmark was posted on my Facebook page along with a picture of Gena smiling into the camera.  Friends and colleagues responded with encouraging remarks which touched me deeply.   That same day the BBC Philharmonic, on their Facebook page, posted a short bio and beautiful sketch of Miss Branscombe acknowledging her birthday and her career.   What a surprise and honor for her and her family.   BBC Philharmonic   Composer, pianist and educator Gena Branscombe was   #BornOnThisDay   in 1881.   During her lifetime, the talented composer had 74 of her choral compositions published by 22 different music companies, along with 150 art songs, 13 piano pieces and 8 instrumental works   She followed composer Amy Beach to be elected President of the Society of American Women Composers in the late 1920s   At ...

  The Gena Branscombe postings on my blog have centered on her vocal music, singers who performed her songs as well as her life and career.  Little has been written about the instrumental music she composed.  That’s my fault.    Gena’s instrumental works were not published as her songs and piano pieces were.  Her orchestral and instrumental compositions are in manuscript held at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.    Several weeks ago I was searching YouTube for Gena Branscombe recordings that may have been posted.  What a wonderful surprise to come upon Katey J. Halbert’s recordings of Miss Branscombe’s Pacific Sketches for French horn and piano.    A trip to Hawaii in 1955 was the inspiration for these works.   Flying to San Francisco from New York, then boarding an ocean liner, on board Gena attended Hawaiian cultural lectures and took hula lessons.   She was 74 years old!   Way to go, Gen...

  “Am enclosing a programme of Nevada Van der Veer’s concert” …. ““Happiness” was well received in spite of the fact that the accompanist composed as she went along.”   (from a letter to Arthur P. Schmidt, publisher, dated February 11, 1916)   Today as I was transcribing a few of Gena Branscombe’s letters to her publisher, Arthur P. Schmidt, I came across this quote and it made me laugh out loud.  There is no mention of where the concert was held or the accompanist’s name, which is good.  We all have bad performance days.   Nevada Van der Veer (1884-1958) was a New York City born contralto.   Her first name was derived from the admired American opera singer Emma Nevada (1859-1940).     Miss Van der Veer was a contralto soloist at several New York City churches including Fifth Avenue Presbyterian.   Her singing voice was said to be powerful, even and velvety.   Known for her recital work, she toured frequently.   ...