Large orchestras were established all over the country—Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Los Angeles, widely scattered cities, were among those which made serious efforts in the orchestral line, and performed large orchestral works.
America became in a still greater degree the hunting ground of the musical star who came from Europe, and swept the country of its loose dollars, appearing both as soloist with these orchestras, and giving recitals in the various cities.
Among pianists we had Busoni, who was, for a time, resident in Boston, Vladimir de Pachmann, the great interpreter of Chopin, who was immensely popular for some twenty-five years, and Paderewski, whose progress through the country was marked by previously unheard of demonstrations. It is said that thousands of people traveled many miles to see the train pass in which he was traveling. Alfred Reisenauer came in 1895, Slivinski, Alberto Jonás, Raoul Pugno, Siloti and Dohnanyi, were among those who made their first appearances in America during this decade.
There was also a large list of violin virtuosi beginning with Adolf Brodsky, who was followed by Henri Marteau, César Thomson, Ondriczek, Burmester, Halir, Gregorovitch, Marsick, Maud MacCarthy, Petschnikof and Madame Normann Neruda, who had been prominent in England for many years, and was long past her prime when she visited America. But the greatest artist of all was Eugen Ysaye, who first appeared in 1894, and who, since the great war, has been conductor of the Cincinnati Orchestra.
Opera continued to flourish on misfortune. Henry Abbey, who had ruined himself in driving out Mapleson, formed a partnership with John B. Schoeffel and Maurice Grau, and for some years provided opera for the country. Signor Luigi Arditi, who first appeared as conductor of the Havana Company in about 1848, and had seen more operatic service in America than any other conductor, made a brief but interesting estimate of the impresarios under whom he had traveled during those years. "I have come to the conclusion," he writes, "that Don Francesco Marty (of the Havana Company) was the most generous of men, and Max Maretzek the cleverest. Colonel Mapleson was decidedly the astutest of all directors, ... while to Henry Abbey must be attributed every straightforward and honorable quality. Maurice Grau was the cleverest of entrepreneurs."
Among the singers brought here by this combination was Tamagno, who appeared in 1890. The following season came Jean and Edouard de Reszke, who reigned supreme for a number of years. Also two American singers who had made reputations abroad,—Emma Eames and Marie van Zandt. In 1893 Nellie Melba and Emma Calvé came; and in 1894 Pol Plançon. In 1896 the Abbey and Grau combination collapsed. Abbey died soon after, and Grau continued alone until 1903.
In 1895 Walter Damrosch made an effort, which extended over several years, to reëstablish German opera, at the Metropolitan Opera House. This house, by the way, had been burned down in 1892, but was rebuilt and opened again in the following year. Several new singers were brought over from Germany, among them being Johanna Gadski.
In 1897 and 1898 Walter Damrosch joined forces with Charles A. Ellis, the manager of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who had already been managing a company of which Melba was the star.
In 1896 Ernestine Schumann-Heink made her first American appearance in Chicago, and the following year joined the Metropolitan Company. Also Milka Ternina, an excellent artist, made her first appearance in Boston.
In 1898 Maurice Grau was the leading operatic impresario once more and introduced several new singers, including Marie Brema, Suzanne Adams, an American, and Marie Engle, also in 1900 another American, Louise Homer, while of the men Albert Alvarez, a French tenor, and Antonio Scotti, an Italian baritone, were the most brilliant stars.