About the Symphony
Rich Musical History in Mansfield
Mansfield has a rich musical history, far more impressive than most cities of this size can claim. While the city was struggling to get industries, highways and railroads during the first years of its existence culture had to take a back seat. The town seemed to come alive, however, in the 1850's and 60s.
Previous to that time much of the town's musical entertainment was limited to the churches and their choirs. The First Congregational Church on Park Ave. West, with its fine auditorium and organ, was a favorite place to hold concerts and recitals.
Miller's Hall at third and Main Streets was opened in 1858 and it soon became the favored place to hold concerts and theatrical productions. In the following 20 years several other halls were opened to the public. Among them were the Opera House, Philharmonic Hall in an upstairs room at 9 South Main St., the Masonic Hall at Park Ave and Main St., Rissler and Stoody Hall at 43 1/2 North Main, and the Blecker Hall upstairs at 68 North Main St.
The Philharmonic Society was formed around 1880 and it soon became the city's leading cultural organization. One of the organizers of the Society was George W. Blymyer, director of the choir at the First congregational Church. One of the early leaders in Mansfield music circles was Prof. Will H. Pontius, a music teacher who had a studio on South Main and First Streets. Pontius did some composing as well as teaching and conducting. He was director for some of the May Festivals which were huge arts festivals held in Mansfield in the 1890's.
Festivals Popular
The Festivals were sponsored by the Gounod Club of Mansfield, an organization which held much prestige. Some outstanding musical groups and vocalists came here to present concerts for a few days in May, mostly at the Congregational Church. Sometimes choral groups from neighboring towns participated. In 1893 the Cincinnati Grand Orchestra and noted trumpet player Hermann Bellstedt were here.
The Boston Festival Orchestra was here for the 1896 program which also featured Hayden's The Seasons.
In the early 1900s the Shrine Club sometimes sponsored appearances by outstanding singers. Among the great artists who were here were Geraldine Farrar, who sang in the Majestic Theater and Madame Schumann-Heink, who was at the Opera House. The Civic Music Association was active in the 1930's and 40's, providing Mansfield with some great music. Marian Anderson, Violinist Isaac Stern and the Cincinnati, Detroit, Pittsburgh and National Symphony Orchestras were here.
Mansfield has had some fine choral groups of its own. The Mastersingers, Frauen Chor, Choral Society and Madrigal singers have provided music lovers in this area with quality entertainment during the 50's and 60's....even still now!
Under the leadership of Robert Cronquist the orchestra began to use some of those choral groups in concerts. A Symphony Chorus was formed as a permanent part of the Mansfield Symphony Society in 1977 with Calvin Y. Rogers of Ashland College as choral director.
Each year the orchestra and singers present a number of programs incorporating the talents of our local singers. Selected members of the chorus also perform as needed for solo and chorus parts in operas and other programs. A Christmas pops concert also is presented each year combining the talents of all musicians.
In 1979, the Mansfield Symphony Society, together with the Mansfield Arts Center, was instrumental in forming a consortium of four cultural groups to present the first Annual Summer Festival of the Arts- a five day arts event. This successful endeavor was expanded in 1980 to include more organizations and ran a full 2 weeks.
In 1997, the Renaissance Theatre and the Mansfield Symphony merged to become the Renaissance Performing Arts Association. This business model has gone on to be copied all over the world.
Dec. 21, 1930
A few days before Christmas in 1930, 40 musicians presented a classical concert in an upstairs room in Germania Hall at Fourth and Main Streets in Mansfield. It was the first program by the Mansfield Symphony. The next day a critic for the Mansfield Journal predicted "an auspicious future for the group."
The concert that night was the result of many rehearsals and a great deal of work by the musicians and their conductor, Prof. Eugene Weinberger, whose idea led to the formation of the orchestra.
The first concert was sponsored by the Associated German Society of Mansfield whose members were interested in promoting quality music in Mansfield. Tickets for the opening program sold for 50 and 75 cents. There was no mention of the size of the audience, but it couldn't have been very large since Germania Hall had limited seating.
Master of ceremonies at the first concert was Atty. George Biddle who said at the conclusion of the program: "No greater distinction could come to Mansfield than that it should have and support a good symphony. It is a civic responsibility."
The works of four composers were presented din the opening program. The numbers included "March Slav" and "Andante Cantabile" by Tchaikovsky, Haydn's "Military Symphony", "Blue Danube Waltz" by Strauss, and Moskowski's "Einzugs March" from the opera "Boabdil".
When the symphony gave that first concert three quarters of a century ago it had quite a number of well-known Mansfielders in its membership. Jane Algright was concert mistress. Her assistant was Mrs. Katherine Schafer Platt. George Ireland who later became concertmaster, was in the violin section, Walter Willis, JC Bayer, and Paul Todd were among the cello players. Playing trumpet were Lloyd Paste, Oscar Fensch, and Ferdinand Schwaner. Albert Perez was a trombone player, LG Merschdorf was in the violin section and Miss Otilla Myers was the pianist. Other charter members included William Grabler, Laurence Todd, HC Metzler, Charles Ireland, Ruth Remy, and WJ Alexander who was also at one time a member of the Ohio Theatre orchestra. As the symphony began to perform more difficult numbers leading musicians were imported from the Cleveland Orchestra. These visiting players included cellists, flutists, harpists, or whichever instruments were needed at the time. Among the guest players were noted musicians such as Isidore Gordon and Henry Hensel. On occasion these Cleveland musicians would load thousands of dollars of instruments and five or six players into Hensel's big Pierce Arrow and drive down to Mansfield for final rehearsal and again the next night for the concert. At the start Dr. Myers, a Mansfield physician, footed the bills. Then a few leading citizens began to make contributions and were listed in the programs as sponsors. This rich history of musicians from the Cleveland area commuting, and local individuals and businesses supporting the costs continues to this day.
Before the First Concert
Eugene Weinberger, on a trip to Hungary, got an idea to establish a Symphony in Mansfield. He felt that he knew of enough talented musicians in Mansfield to form the nucleus for a good musical organization. When he returned, he began gathering members for an orchestra. One day Weinberger, along with Dr. RV Meyers and Prof. W. Warner of Dayton, stopped at the old Liederkranz Hall at Fourth and Main Streets where Frank Dekrell's orchestra was playing a dance engagement. The three men asked if the orchestra would like to be a part of a symphony they were organizing and if they would like to help. They agreed and helped round up able players from Mansfield, Ashland, Crestline, Galion and Shelby. Only 12 musicians reported for the first rehearsal and Weinberger was told that his idea for an orchestra wouldn't work. However, he refused to abandon his plan. He had 40 musicians for the first concert.
Some Lean Times
Weinberger was able to keep his orchestra together for a few years despite the Depression of the 1930's. Money was hard to come by and the musical group had little to work with.
During those lean years of the Symphony, money was so scarce that the orchestra members contributed 25 cents each to help pay the rent for a rehearsal hall. Financial records from the time also indicate that no musicians were paid for their work. After Weinberger left in 1935, the finances worsened, and the symphony did not function on a regular basis for the next ten years.
Moving Forward
The orchestra was reorganized as the Mansfield Recreation Orchestra in 1946 when Joseph Pival, a teacher, moved to the podium. In 1950 the orchestra acquired a new conductor and a new name. Ted Tatgenhorst, a music instructor at Mansfield Senior High School, took over the directors duties and the group became the Mansfield Civic Symphony. Tatgenhorst, uncle of John Tatgenhorst who went on to create the Ohio State University Marching Band arrangement of "Hang on Sloopy", was at the helm for three years. In 1954 the group officially became the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra. It was also that year that Robert Cronquist, who had previously served as assistant conductor, became the music director. For the next 22 years Cronquist directed the orchestra though much growth and many growing pains. It was during his helm that the group developed into the first class organization that we know today. He also began the practice of bringing in noted artists to appear with the orchestra.
In 1964 with the demise of the Civic Music Association, the Mansfield Symphony began to bring in such noted artists as Jerome Hines, Frank Guarrera, Itzhak Perlman, Leonard Rose, Lorin Hollander, Peter Nero, Sarah Vaughn, and Jose Iturbi. Iturbi was a noted music director who had multiple awards for his work in film, most notably in "Anchors Aweigh" with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.
Also around that time, the late Josephine Cook began providing funds to book a ballet group yearly. The Dayton Ballet, the Butler Ballet, Ballet Met all performed with the Symphony. That great history of classical dance with the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra carries on today with NEOS Dance company recently being added to the Renaissance Family.
Women's Legacy is Great
The Mansfield Symphony owes a great deal of gratitude to the legacy of the women of this area who have been concerned and dedicated enough to donate time, labor and money to keep the symphony alive and help it grow. Many of those who began the Women's Committee of the Mansfield Symphony are no longer with us, but the community should never forget their contributions to a program that has enhanced Mansfield's quality of life. A real pioneer in the city's music circles was the late Daisie Gibson, who as a musician herself and a teacher of others, had an important role in the building of the symphony. She played in the orchestra for a number of years and figured in numerous projects to benefit the organization. The Women's Committee was responsible for the popularity of the annual Symphony ball which was held each May. Other notable women who contributed much include Mrs. Arthur Alleshouse, Mrs. Adlyn Lichtenstein, Mrs. Elva Newdome. The orchestra awards an annual scholarship for an outstanding music student in memory of Mrs. Lichtenstein. When the Symphony and the Renaissance Theatre merged in 1997, the Women's Committee fell into the history books. But there are still hundreds of dedicated women volunteering their time and energy each season as part of the Encore League.
The Symphony Today
While the national climate for Symphony Orchestras is a precarious one, the Mansfield Symphony continues to serve its community in numerous ways. The Symphony here is fast becoming a model for organizations our size to be an integral part of the fabric of its community. In partnering with the Mansfield Art Center, Richland Academy, Ashland Regional Ballet, NAMI of Richland County, the Richland County Library, the 179th Airlift Wing, dozens of local churches, the Ocie Hill Community Center and numerous other local organizations, the Symphony is breaking new ground with what it means to be a local symphonic orchestra.
That great old tradition of players coming from Cleveland is alive and well. Many of the Symphony's great young players come from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin College and other world class music schools in the Northern Ohio area. About half of the players are Mansfield residents...about the same ratio as that first night in 1930.
All of that, plus the leadership of Robert Franz has led the sound of the group to new heights that it perhaps has never reached before. As one of the premiere small budget orchestras in the nation, the Mansfield Symphony continues to add to the rich history that it is founded upon.
