Hiram Clarence Eddy (23 June 1851 - 10 January 1937) was a
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...
and
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
Biography
He was born in
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Greenfield is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Greenfield was first settled in 1686. The population was 17,768 at the 2020 census. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Val ...
. He studied under
Dudley Buck
Dudley Buck (March 10, 1839October 6, 1909) was an American composer, organist, and writer on music. He published several books, most notably the ''Dictionary of Musical Terms'' and ''Influence of the Organ in History'', which was published i ...
in
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, counterpoint under
Carl August Haupt
Carl August Haupt (28 August 1810, Kuniów, Silesia – 4 July 1891, Berlin) was a German organist, organ teacher and composer.
Between 1827 and 1830, Haupt was musically trained in Berlin by August Wilhelm Bach, Bernhard Klein and Siegfri ...
, and piano under Carl Albert Loeschhorn in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. In 1874-76 he was organist of the First Congregational Church, Chicago; afterward organist and choirmaster of the First Presbyterian Church for 17 years and from 1875 to 1908 was director of the Hershey School of Musical Art. In 1877-79 he gave a series of 100 organ recitals, with entirely different programs, a memorable achievement in American musical annals. He played at several expositions in America and abroad, and gave recitals in the principal American and European cities. He composed several works for the organ, including one method book for instruction.
Studies in Europe
In the summer of 1871, Eddy went to Berlin to study for a period of more than two years. He studied organ and theory with
Carl August Haupt
Carl August Haupt (28 August 1810, Kuniów, Silesia – 4 July 1891, Berlin) was a German organist, organ teacher and composer.
Between 1827 and 1830, Haupt was musically trained in Berlin by August Wilhelm Bach, Bernhard Klein and Siegfri ...
, and piano with Carl Albert Löschorn. En route to Berlin, Eddy visited England and France, making important connections with distinguished organists such as
Alexandre Guilmant
Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (; 12 March 1837 – 29 March 1911) was a French organist and composer. He was the organist of La Trinité from 1871 until 1901. A noted pedagogue, performer, and improviser, Guilmant helped found the Schola Cantor ...
,
Charles-Marie Widor
Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor (21 February 1844 – 12 March 1937) was a French organist, composer and teacher of the mid-Romantic era, most notable for his ten organ symphonies. His Toccata from the fifth organ symphony has become one of the ...
,
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...
,
César Franck
César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in modern-day Belgium.
He was born in Liège (which at the time of his birth was p ...
,
W.T. Best, and others.
Reportedly practicing from six to ten hours a day, he had lessons weekly, and also participated in chamber music activities, in addition to concertizing. One 1873 review spoke highly of Eddy's performance, stating that “all the excellent qualities of the master showed themselves in the playing of the pupil. Massive technique, clearness and certainty, energy in taking the tones and a wonderfully lovely legato.”
Further concerts allowed Eddy to secure the funds necessary to repay the loan which was taken out to enable his European trip.
Finally, in the spring of 1874, he returned to the United States after an extensive trip through Holland, Belgium, France, and London.
Return to the United States
Returning to the United States with a letter of recommendation from Haupt,
Eddy presided as organist at the First Congregational Church in Chicago. He received praise for his playing of the music he had learned in Europe. In 1879, he took the position of organist at First Presbyterian Church, staying there for 17 years. In 1876, Eddy spent one week in Philadelphia playing recitals three times a day at the
Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...
.
During his time in Chicago, he became involved with the
Hershey School of Music as general director. It was founded in 1875 by
Sara Hershey, and in 1876 the Hershey Music Hall was completed, giving the school the facilities it needed. A three-manual Johnson organ (built to Eddy's specifications) was installed for teaching and concert purposes. Inaugural concerts were performed on January 23 and 25 of 1877.
Continuing to tour and perform extensively, Eddy remained part of the Chicago music scene, including designing and dedicating the
Roosevelt organ in the
Auditorium Theatre
The Auditorium Theatre is a music and performance venue located inside the Auditorium Building at 50 Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building was d ...
. Eddy left Chicago in 1895, spending the rest of his life touring, teaching, and concertizing, dedicating over 1000 organs in his career. He later wrote organ method books, and teaching remained part of his career after leaving the Hershey school.
The 100 Recitals
Between 1877 and 1879, Eddy gave over 100 recitals, all with different programs on Sunday afternoons at the Hershey Music Hall. Each recital featured a piece by Bach and a variety of contemporary organ works, including transcriptions. Each recital also had two pieces of non-organ music, typically a vocalist, or chamber music.
Writings
* ''The Church and Concert Organist'' (3 vols., 1885)
* ''The Organ in Church'' (1887)
* ''Concert Pieces for the Organ'' (1889)
* Carl August Haupt, ''Counterpoint, Fugue, and Double Counterpoint'', translator (1876)
Later life
Eddy moved around between various cites, including New York and Paris. Continuing to concertize up until his death, he also recorded player organ rolls for the
Aeolian Company The Aeolian Company was a musical-instrument making firm whose products included player organs, pianos, sheet music, records and phonographs. Founded in 1887, it was at one point the world's largest such firm. During the mid 20th century, it surpas ...
. He died on January 10, 1937, from heart and kidney complications.
He is interred in his hometown of Greenfield Massachusetts.
Family
In 1879, was married to singer
Sara Hershey who established the
Hershey School of Musical Art
Hershey School of Musical Art was an American school located in Chicago, Illinois.
History
It was established within the Hershey Music Hall in 1875 by Sara Hershey and William Smythe Babcock Mathews, attaining special success in its departments ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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.
Eddy and Hershey divorced in 1905.
Notes
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Eddy, Clarence
1851 births
1937 deaths
American male organists
American male composers
American composers
People from Greenfield, Massachusetts
Musicians from Massachusetts
Musicians from Chicago
American organists