Strong on Music

This text uses the diaries of lawyer and music lover George Templeton Strong as a starting point from which to explore aspects of New York City's musical life in the mid-19th century. This volume ranges across opera, orchestral and chamber music, black-face minstrels, military bands, church choirs and even concert saloons. Among the scenes portrayed are the rapturous reception of Verdi's "Ballo in Maschera" in 1861; the impact of the Civil War on New York's music scene, from theatres closing as their musicians enlisted, to the performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at every possible occasion; and open-air concerts in the developing Central Park. The author draws on primary source materials from daily newspapers, memoirs, city directories and architectural drawings.