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Page 13 text:
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7 The New England Conservatory of Music has played an important role in the building of a musical America. It has been one of the first conservatories to be planted upon our soil, and its growth has been representative of the trends and progress of music in our country. Prior to its founding, young aspiring musicians were forced either to suffer the loss of conservatory training or to cross the vast Atlantic to ob- tain it in a foreign city. Eben Tourjee well realized the urgent need of establishing conservatory methods here and when in 1867 he announced the opening of the New England Conservatory, enough students enrolled to make the venture worth while. Mr. Tourjee had rented three floors of the Music Hall annex building. The rooms were bare and unattractive. Room 13, used as a recital and lecture hall, was equal to the size of the Jordan Hall platform. The Director ' s office was unpreten- tious. It was the faculty, comprising some of the leading musicians of Boston, which attracted students. In 1870 the first class of thirteen members graduated. Also that same year Mr. Tourjee made the school a non- profit institution by incorporating it under the laws of Massachusetts. The rapid increase of students meant the moving, of the Conservatory to larger quarters. Mr. Tourjee bought the St. James Hotel at Franklin Square to serve both as a school and dormitory. The Home eliminated the expense,
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Page 14 text:
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dangers, and disadvantages of Commuting and provided a Cultured Home for 550 of the student body in the quiet, Healthful location of Franklin Square. The first floor consisted of concert halls, library, reading and recitation rooms; museum and parlors were above. The building was so constructed that from interior balconies the girls could drop pillows on to the silk hats of offending pro- fessors, and then quickly vanish. A house detective was necessary to keep track of these young ladies that had passed the childhood period. Her name was Polly, and she per- formed her duty efficiently as well as thoroughly. When two girls signed up to go walking and instead unchaperoned at- tended the theatre, Polly was sure to know and, upon their return, to reprimand them. Whist parties and other tabooed functions were doomed to sudden death by her unfailing appearance. Under Polly ' s eagle eye and the inspiring guidance of the Tourjee family, who also resided at the Home, musicians were in the making. In addition to their major studies they could take courses in elocution, art, literature, language, tuning, and physical culture. Clubs began to spring up. The young men organized a society called Harmonics to discuss literature. Whereupon the young ladies went a step further with a Wadsworth Society to discuss not only literature but also current events. More clubs followed for the purpose of developing congenial quiet-home life, and even that ostracized game of baseball found enthusiastic players among the boys. Twenty years later, however, the home became inadequate to meet the needs of an increased registration. Under the leadership and influence of Eben D. Jordan a suitable site was chosen for a building expressly designed to furnish every musical advantage possible. In 1902 the Conservatory found itself in a permanent and satisfying home. Twenty-five years later a wing was added harmonizing with the architecture of the old building. As the Conservatory home was expanding, the dream of a student symphonic orchestra was gradually crystalising towards realization. The first call for instrumentalists by Mr. Tourjee brought forth an orchestra of one mandolin, one cornet, one trombone, three violins, and nineteen flutes. Later on for the benefit of string players, orchestral scores were read with the organ supplying the missing parts. This had to continue for some time, and in 1891 Mr. Elson jested about the situation at an Alumni gathering with the remark, I am sure all feel sorry that the wind instrument players blow themselves out so soon, and wish we could tempt some of these young ladies to take up the bassoon, double bass or c LW
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