9 8 
THE OLD GERMANIA ORCHESTRA. 
Mi.ssop.ri ? Botanical 
George Engelmann Papers 
THE OLD GERMANIA ORCHESTRA. 
On the morning of the 2d of August, 1848, 
the good packet ship “ Diadem ” sailed 
out of its London dock, bearing to the New 
World, in the midst of much other, more or 
less precious freight, a group of German 
musicians. They were members of an 
orchestra which was destined to fulfill as 
eventful a history for itself as it did a 
faithful mission of good toward the progress 
of music in America,— an orchestra since 
known perhaps throughout the entire coun- 
try, and certainly in every American city, as 
the Germania Musical Society. 
The Germania Orchestra was composed 
of twenty-four members.* They were young 
and adventurous, but they carried with them 
something better than a love for adventure 
— a love for their chosen art, so strong and 
faithful that it was in fact the primary cause 
of their journeyings ; so sacred that it claim- 
ed precedence over every social tie ; and so 
enduring that in the long period of varied 
and frequently evil fortune which was now 
to follow, they were never once untrue to 
that art. Amid hardships which would per- 
haps have broken a mere spirit of adventure, 
they did not turn back, but, pushing through 
and conquering every difficulty, they won 
at length, even in that unartistic field, a 
genuine artistic triumph ; compromising none 
of their classical instincts, and winning the 
field by storm rather than strategy, at the 
very point of the musical bayonet. 
Bearing in mind the condition of musical 
taste in this country a quarter of a century 
ago, and measuring its immense strides since 
that day ; noticing too, how, during the ear- 
* The main facts contained in this sketch of the 
“ Germania ” have been obtained from the journal 
of Mr. William Schultze, who was the leading 
violinist from the first to the last day of its exist- 
The following is a list of the original members 
of the Orchestra: 
^ Flutes. 
. Oboe. 
> Fagotti. 
Pfeiffer . . . 
Ohlemann 
Thiede . . . 
Mann .... 
Haase 
Moritz. . . . 
Kiistenmacher 
Plagemann ... 
Kielblock. . . .Trombone. 
Njorth Drums. 
| Trumpets 
> Horns. 
lier part of that period, the progress of mu- 
sical feeling and the success of the “ Ger- 
mania ” were accurate barometers of each 
other, it cannot, surely, be an ill-spent hour 
in which we here recall the history of its 
career. 
The nucleus of the Germania Orchestra 
was formed from Joseph Gungl’s orchestra of 
Berlin. To these members were added others 
of equal culture, if not equal experience, and, 
being nearly all young men and personal 
friends, they had thus, at the outset, an im- 
portant combining link which secured their 
unity of purpose and effort during so many 
years. 
The idea of forming an orchestra for an 
American tour originated in the autumn of 
1847. The political events which were then 
hastening the downfall of Louis Philippe 
and which soon enveloped all central Eu- 
rope in the gravest difficulties, had caused 
a general neglect of musical matters, which 
extended even to the German public, and 
the revolution of March 18, 1848, which 
seemed for a time to paralyze the entire pub- 
lic mind, had the effect to confirm and hast- 
en the purpose of the young musicians. 
The original plan of the organization was 
to start directly for the United States. At 
a preliminary entertainment, given before 
the United States Minister to Berlin, Mr. 
Wright, the English Ambassador, the Earl 
of Westmoreland, was present. The Earl 
was somewhat distinguished as an amateur 
in music, and an overture of his composi- 
tion was performed on this occasion. This 
first concert of the young society took place 
May 4, 1848, in the Milentzschen Saale, at 
Berlin. It was so decidedly successful that 
both the Earl and the American Minister 
furnished the orchestra with strong recom- 
mendatory letters, and thus fortified they 
resolved first to visit London. The qualifi- 
cations of a consular incumbent from this 
country scarcely included then, any more 
than at present, a critical knowledge of mu- 
sical technics, and we are without informa- 
tion as to our Mr. Wright’s accomplishments 
in this respect. It is probable, however, that 
the worthy representative thought he could 
not go far wrong in adding his official sig- 
nature to that of a man who had actually 
written a piece of music himself. 
Arriving in London, the members found 
their progress materially checked by their 
