orchestration with George W. Chadwick. Her own
persistent study has been of great advantage to her.
She began composing at the age of twelve, numbering among her early
works several songs and a movement of a piano quintette. Her efforts in
larger forms have been unusually well received. Her "Dramatic Overture"
was given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1893, and in the same year
Theodore Thomas performed her overture, "Witichis." Still another
overture, "Totila," is in manuscript. Among other works are three
orchestral arias, "Sappho's Prayer to Aphrodite," for alto; "Armida,"
for soprano; and the yet unperformed "Ph[oe]bus," for baritone. An
orchestral ballade won much success in Baltimore in 1901. She has also
written an orchestral cantata, a string quartette, and several works for
violin and piano.
Miss Lang has published a number of successful part-songs for men's,
women's, and mixed voices. Of her fifty or more songs, all are more or
less widely known. The favourites among them seem to be "My Lady
Jacqueminot," "Meg Merrilies," "Deserted," "Eros," and the well-known
sets, "Five Norman Songs," "Six Scotch Songs," "Three Songs of the
Night," and "Three Songs of the East." Her piano music is also
excellent, among the best examples being the Rhapsody, the Meditation, a
poetic revery, the charming Spring Idyll, and her early suite, entitled
"Petit Roman."
Clara Kathleen Barnett, now Mrs. Rogers, is also a resident of Boston.
Born in England, she received her earliest musical education from her
parents. They were of a talented family, for her grandfather was the
famous song-writer, Robert Lindley. In 1856 she was sent to the Leipsic
Conservatory, studying piano with Moscheles, ensemble playing with David
and Rietz, and harmony with Richter. Her singing, by which she first
became famous, was begun with Goetze and finished at Berlin under Frau
Zimmermann. Under the name of Clara Doria, she appeared with success in
many Italian cities, and finally came to America, where she married and
settled in Boston. Her present work consists of teaching and composing.
In the former field, her book, "The Philosophy of Singing," contains
much new and valuable material. Among her compositions is first of all a
string quartette of excellent workmanship. There are also sonatas for
violin and for 'cello with piano, and a piano _scherzo_. Her songs are
many in number and excellent in quality. Among them are two sets of
Browning Song
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