News on the Reading and Music Society in Merano

Appendix.

News on the Reading and Music Society in Merano.

Around the middle of last month, the musical evening entertainments and exercises of our music society resumed. — The lack of an educational institution, in order not to remain entirely foreign to the history of our time, to the progress of sciences and art, and in general to the intellectual and moral culture of man, had long been felt among us all the more harshly and keenly, as small towns naturally offer fewer means for the expansion of the mind and for an education as versatile as possible.

Thus, through the joint efforts of those who felt an urgent need for this nourishment of the mind, it was possible to bring forth a reading society, which enjoyed a very numerous join-up from all classes of our small town and was also approved with praise by the high provincial authority for its noble purpose. — Yet this fine spirit did not stop in its initial surge at this one purpose alone, but set itself the further goal of weaving a lasting, social bond through the enjoyment of art around the more educated part of our town, thus combining the agreeable with the useful. Thus, almost simultaneously with the reading society, a music society was formed. — However weak the abilities of the performing members might be, and though a complete artistic enjoyment may still lie far off in the distance, it was nevertheless quite gratifying and uplifting to observe how all were animated by the same zeal and a noble striving toward ever higher perfection, and how the musical performances indeed approached success more and more. — Yet in the course of this year — is it not a leap year, of which a long-standing superstition of our fathers foretells nothing good at all? — some evil spirit, an enemy of growth and prosperity, shook its iron hand over the young life of these societies and hostilely reached into our joyful hopes. For right at the beginning of this year, the society was deprived of a main pillar through the death of the Royal Bavarian Senior Court of Appeal Councillor Baron von Biesport. This is indeed not the place, nor is it within my powers, to publicly honor the manes of the departed through a detailed mention of his life and virtues as merits and dignity require; yet the small digression will readily be forgiven me if I merely say in general that the mourning for him was just as universal as for a man belonging to the nation. Through quiet charity, he built for himself as indelible a monument in the blessing memory of the poor of our region as in the hearts of all who knew him, through his affectionate demeanor, his fine mind, and his cheerful, instructive intercourse. But this loss struck the social club quite especially, of which the unforgettable gentleman to us all was the most active promoter. It is mainly to his intervention and standing that we owe the fact that ladies have now participated in the evening entertainments of the music society for three years; for his refined sensibility did not miss the observation that delicate women spread a peculiar charm over social pleasures, and without them the enjoyment of the beautiful satisfies the heart only halfway. — Yet this misfortune was not alone, namely that this all-revered member was snatched from us by an all too early death; the reading society, for which a modest subscription is fixed, lost several more members, who were otherwise zealous visitors, even through voluntary resignation! — Although no similar resignation struck the music society — on the contrary, the number of members increased this year by several music lovers — nevertheless, since the resumption last month, the former energy and desire, the former life, was no longer noticeable during musical performances — perhaps merely a result of the sparse attendance on the part of non-performing members; for a large audience has a powerful effect on the joy and disposition of him who speaks to it in words or tones. - Lo and behold! Yesterday, as if by magic, the most brilliant and heartfelt composer of our time, Karl Maria v. Weber, praised throughout educated Europe, succeeded in banishing the hostile spirit that seemed to hover over our social gatherings.

For several pieces from Freischütz were performed very successfully. The enthusiasm and delight by which all were powerfully swept away, and which poured forth in long-resounding bravos, has never reached such heights since the existence of the society, and brought new, fresh life among the members once again.

Oh, surely! They will henceforth nourish and carefully preserve the happy mood that has risen again like a phoenix from the ashes of sluggishness; and should any evil spirit renew its haunting once more, they know the magic with which to banish it. If nature blooms so beautifully among us, the beautiful in social intercourse will also put forth delightful blossoms through the relentless, communal, noble cooperation of all. — My faith holds fast to the fine community spirit of our inhabitants and to their lively receptivity for social associations for the cultivation of the mind and taste. Therefore, we may not only reasonably expect a lasting continued existence of our reading and music society, but also draw the confident hope that all those gentlemen who left the reading society over the course of time will support its strengths once more through their rejoining, thereby contributing patriotically to its greater expansion and better prosperity.

On Dec 18, 1824. ! !