The Molé Chamber
Music Concert Club was founded by Boston
flutist Charles Molé in the spring of 1891 and presented
its first concert on March 2. Earlier, in the fall of
the same concert season, another chamber music society,
the New England Conservatory Music Club, had been formed
comprising Mr. Molé, flute; Oscar Reine, oboe; Eustach
Strasser, clarinet; Frederick Hermann Guenzel, bassoon;
Albert
Hackebarth, 1 horn, Carl Faelten, piano; Emil Mahr
and Charles Mclaughlin, violins; Daniel Kuntz, viola;
Leo Schulz, cello; A. Goldstein, bass;; and Heinrich
Schuecker, harp. This Club gave three concerts with
various combinations of its members in the fall of 1890
at Union Hall. No further mention of that organization
has been found, however.
For the first season of three concerts in the spring of
1891 the Molé Club comprised Mr. Molé, flute; Auguste
Sautet, oboe; Mr. Strasser, clarinet; Mr. Guenzel,
bassoon; and Albert Hackebarth, horn, all except Mr.
Strasser were current principals of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra, and all except Mr. Sautet had been members of
the former New England Conservatory Music Club. Woodwind
quintets were a novelty in the United States at that
time. Chamber music concerts were almost exclusively
limited to string quartets which were fairly numerous
and had extensive literature.
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The Boston Herald, March 6, 1891
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Programs for the First Season (1891)
March 5.
Onslow: Quintet for Flute, Oboe,
Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon, in F, op 81;
Bach: Sonata for Flute and Piano
in B minor (Arthur Nikisch, piano);
Beethoven: Octet for two oboes,
two clarinets, two horns and two bassoons, in E flat,
op. 103.
(L.
Demuth, oboe 2; Schneider, horn 2; P. Metzger clarinet
2; C. Dietzsch, bassoon 2)
In his review,
Boston Daily Advertiser critic Louis C. Elson
wrote:
The new club with Mr. Molé at its head,
gave a concert of novelties at Association Hall last
night. The novelties were by Bach, Beethoven and
Onslow, and dated from the last century and early part
of this, but were not less enjoyable on that account,
since they were absolutely new to Bostonian ears. The
resurrection of Onslow was perhaps the least
pardonable part of the transaction, for the quintette
(for woodwind and horn) which represented him, but was
a sugary and formal affair - merely Spohr-and-water.
The andante was its best movement, and had a fine
theme for oboe and also some florid bassoon work,
which was unexpectedly accompanied by a locomotive
bell from outside, in another key. With this
accidental interruption excepted, the playing of the
quintette was excellent and perfectly balanced.
Messrs. Molé, Sautet, Strasser, Guenzel, and
Hackebarth each deserving praise.
April 2.
Charles Lefevbre: Suite for
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon, in B flat, op.
57
Beethoven: Sonata in A, op. 69,
for piano and cello, (Ernst Perabo and Leo Schulz)
Kulau: Two movements from
Quartet for four flutes, in E minor (F.M. Heindl, P.
Fox, Master John Costello)
Mozart: Quintet for Piano, Oboe,
Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon.
April 17.
J. Sobeck: Quintet for Flute,
Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon, in F, op. 9;
Beethoven: Serenade in D, op. 25
for Flute, Violin and Viola (Mr. Roth and D. Kuntz)
L. von Cromphout: Sextet in G,
for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Piano
(Arthur Foote)
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