Chapter 8

Cleveland O. Luca, the justly celebrated, the wonderful pianist, began to exhibit extraordinary talent at the early age of seven years. It was not, however, the intention of his parents to have him begin to study so early. Indeed, little did they think that the fire of musical genius burned so brightly in the soul of their young boy. But Cleveland, or "Cleve" as he was then called, was not to be restrained. Going often into the room where his aunt was playing on the piano-forte, he listened eagerly and delightedly, his little soul stirred and filled by the sweet sounds of harmony; and, after she had left the instrument, he would go and play the selections even better than his aunt. Of course such striking evidences of genius filled the breasts of his parents with delightful surprise; and it was soon decided to place the gifted boy under the care of a competent instructor. He rapidly developed those remarkable powers for ready reading, facility and brilliancy in execution, that afterwards made him so wonderful and so noted.

When but ten years old, he had become a performer of such excellence as to attract the notice and to receive the unequivocal praise of such good judges as Strakosch, Dodworth, W.V. Wallace, and other noted musicians of New York.

When it was resolved to form as public performers the "Luca family," the decided musical powers possessed by young Cleveland made his services indispensable, and he was of course taken as a member. As the "wonderful boy pianist," he everywhere created quite a _furore_. The ladies in the audiences were especially delighted with him; and forgetting often, in their enthusiasm, that he was black, it seemed that they would certainly carry him away.

Never satisfied to rest alone upon his fine natural endowments, our young artist pushed his studies, entering the classical, the technical domain of the great master-composers, and playing with easy, graceful, magnetic touch, and delightfully winning expression, any of their works. As a reader at sight of compositions the most difficult, it is doubtful whether he had an equal in this country.

The prejudiced or incredulous, before having observed his rare powers for reading and playing, often as a test, and sometimes with a hope to embarrass him, placed before him some technical and very difficult work. But the readiness with which he played the piece changed one who had come to doubt or to scorn into a silent, deeply surprised, and interested listener; and it was most always the case, too, that such a one, yielding to the exquisite charm of the music, as well as to the gentlemanly, graceful manners of the young virtuoso, became from that time forth his warm admirer and friend.

But this brilliant artist did not confine himself to the interpretation of the more difficult compositions for the piano. At the time of which I am writing,--twenty years ago,--his success as a performer before miscellaneous audiences could not have been so great, had he not possessed, in a most pleasing degree, a versatility of talent. His _repertoire_ was an extensive one, and decidedly "taking" in the varied character of its excellent pieces. Many of the latter were simple, yet always purely musical, and of course highly pleasing.

Before the public, Mr. Luca was, in the best sense, a successful performer; while, in those smaller and finer artistic circles where the more delicate and higher musical forms were appreciated, he delighted and even instructed his listeners, receiving their warmest praise.

_True_ art is ever noble and ennobling: in its domain its devotees are known and valued, not by the color of their faces, but by the depth of artistic love that they feel, and by the measure of success to which they attain. And so the subject of this sketch, although of a complexion quite dark, and often suffering from the coldness, if not the insults, of those afflicted with "color-phobia," was yet ever sought after and cordially received upon terms of equality by all the _great_ musicians wherever he journeyed. Nor did the press of the country, nor people of culture generally, fail to pass upon him the highest encomiums. A few of these are elsewhere given.

Besides his ability as a pianist, Cleveland Luca was also a vocalist of fair powers. No especial pains being taken, however, to develop this faculty, he attracted, as a singer, no great attention.

On the 27th of March, 1872, in far-away Africa, whither he had nobly gone to carry the bright, cheering, and refining light of his musical genius, his frail constitution yielding to a fever, he died at the age of forty-five.

It is hard to over-estimate the great good this remarkable artist accomplished for his much-abused race in dissipating, by his wonderful musical qualities, the unjust and cruel prejudice that so generally prevailed against the former at the beginning of his career; for in him was fully and splendidly illustrated the capacity of the dark-hued race for reaching the highest positions in the walks of the art melodious. The example, moreover, of his intelligent parents, who, when they discovered his talents,--avoiding the mistake often made by some, who, alas! but too frequently rest content merely with observing the signs of genius in their children, allowing the at first bright spark to go untended, to burn "with fitful glare," and to finally become, from this neglect, extinguished,--devoted themselves at once to their fullest and most artistic development,--this example, I say, is one to be highly commended, and ever to be followed.

Having thus described the family individually, I now proceed to speak of their combined efforts. Formed as a vocal quartet, the parts were distributed in this wise: Simeon Luca sang first tenor, Alexander second tenor, Cleveland soprano, and John sang bass (or baritone if desired).

Instrumentally they performed as follows: Simeon on first violin, Alexander second violin, John violoncello (or double bass if required), and Cleveland on the piano-forte. The father fulfilled the duties of musical director and business manager; and occasionally he took part in the performances as a vocalist.

Thus excellently equipped musically, each member of the troupe possessed of general intelligence, and being of genteel appearance, they went forth on their mission of music into fields hitherto untrodden by members of their race; and their fine performances everywhere gave delight, refinement, and a new and high impulse, to the many thousands who heard them.

Their services were at first called into requisition at anniversaries and festivals, and they soon acquired an excellent local reputation. The event that most prominently heralded their names before the public was their first appearance at the May anniversary of the Antislavery Society, held in the old Tabernacle on Broadway, New York, in 1853. Over five thousand persons were present. The sensation produced by the performances of this gifted family on this occasion is said to have been indescribable. The wildest enthusiasm was manifested; and many persons in the audience, overcome by the emotions awakened, shed tears. This is, however, not so strange. Gathered as was this immense concourse of people to advance the cause of human freedom, and entertaining and asserting, as they did, a belief of man's equality, we may well imagine the measure of their delight when in witnessing the display of genius by the wonderful pianist, and listening to the sweet strains of classical harmony formed by the tuneful voices and skilfully-played instruments of this troupe of colored artists, they found their claims for the race so fully sustained.

After the performances just mentioned, letters full of praise and congratulation from many sources poured in upon the "Lucas," as they were familiarly called; and Professor Allen, then editing a paper at Troy, N.Y., induced the parents to intrust the children, now so rapidly acquiring fame, to his charge, to make a musical trip through the New-England States in the interest of his paper. This tour resulted in adding to their fame, and confirming them in a belief of their ultimate general success; but, owing to poor management on the part of their business agent, the trip was not a financial success.

I should have mentioned ere this that John and Alexander Luca had been taught by their father the shoemaking trade, and that for some time they applied themselves to this kind of work; using their leisure time, nevertheless, in pushing their musical studies. Occasionally they would drop the awl and hammer, and make excursions into the country towns of Connecticut; sometimes returning with a full exchequer, and sometimes in debt even, but never without having added to their reputations as musicians.

During these times, the family received many valuable testimonials touching their musical abilities; but to none of these do they owe so much as to a highly commendatory letter from the late Rev. Horace Bushnell of Hartford, Conn. Such testimony from one so eminent, and of critical abilities so great, could not fail to arrest public attention in their behalf.

While travelling, the Luca family suffered greatly from the effects of a cruel caste spirit then so much prevailing,--being often debarred from hotels, and often denied decent accommodation in public conveyances. But this barbarous treatment of those whose fine musical qualities and genteel appearance and deportment--albeit they were of dark complexions--gave them title to enter the very best places aroused the sympathy and indignation of many persons. And so, amidst all their disadvantages, the success and reputation of our artists steadily increased, and the critics accorded them high rank as musicians; Mason, Gottschalk, and others among the finest pianists of the country, receiving Cleveland Luca, the pianist, as an equal.

In the year 1854 the family experienced a sad shock in the death of Simeon G. Luca.

As before intimated, he was a vocalist and violinist of remarkable powers; and professionally, as well as otherwise, his loss to the troupe was a great one.

The vacancy occasioned by his death was filled by the engagement of Miss Jennie Allen of New York. She proved to be a very valuable acquisition to the troupe; for she possessed a rich contralto voice, sang with excellent method, had a graceful, winning stage appearance, and was well known in New York as a very fine pianist.

The quartet thus arranged then (in 1857) began to travel more extensively, giving performances in the States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, where their success artistically and financially exceeded any thing before within their experience. Had they so chosen, they might have visited all the free States with assurance of good fortune. Wherever they went, the bitter color-prejudice, the chilling doubtings, or the cold indifference, displayed by those who had not heard these talented musicians, were rapidly dispelled when on the stage they beheld their easy, graceful appearance, and heard the delightful sounds of harmony that proceeded from the voices and instruments of this accomplished quartet. The writer well remembers the emotions of delight and pride that filled his own breast when at this period, in Ohio, he witnessed for the first time their performances. After their first concert, the town became the scene of a most pleasant commotion. No such music had ever before been heard there, and praises of the "Lucas" were on the lips of all. The family were entertained at the residences of the first citizens, who vied with each other in extending to them the most complimentary attentions. In these homes of wealth and culture, where the study and practice of choice music formed a portion of each day's employment, these talented artists, surrounded by a selected company of educated persons, shone even more brightly than when upon the public stage; for here they could confine themselves to a rendition of that higher class of music so suitable to their own tastes and powers, as well as most welcome to their cultivated audience. But what befell the Luca family in this town--the writer has mentioned somewhat particularly this instance, because he happened to be a witness of the same--is but a sample of the treatment they often received in other places while travelling over the country.

As representing the estimate of the musical abilities of the Luca family, held by the general press of the country during their concert tours, and in order that it may be seen that my own praises of the family are none too great, I give the following notice from a fair and disinterested source; viz., "The Niagara Courier" of Lockport, N.Y., of Sept. 2, 1857:--

"THE LUCA FAMILY.

"This company of singers, consisting of four [three] brothers and their mother, gave a concert at Ringueberg Hall last (Monday) evening; and their performance was such as to elicit the enthusiastic approval of all present. Coming among us as strangers, their merits were not generally understood; and we presume that the entire audience were agreeably disappointed in the entertainment presented. We hazard nothing in saying that we have not had in our place for years a concert which combined all the elements that please the musical ear, and satisfy the cultivated taste, as did this. The introductory piece, 'Fantasia,' from Lucia, evinced the highest order of musical culture, the most excellent taste, with that superior power of execution which long practice only gives. The two brothers John and Alexander have superb voices, guided by a correct knowledge of music, and enriched by cultivation. Madame Luca was laboring under indisposition; but she sang well, and gave abundant assurance of superior vocal powers. But the great feature of the entertainment was the performance of C.O. Luca on the piano. With the exception of the celebrated Mason, we have never had his superior as a pianist in Lockport; and even he could not execute the pieces presented with greater effect. There is music in his playing which we seldom hear from the piano. It is not simply the striking of the keys in order, emitting a succession of musical sounds; but it is one continual flow of melody without interruption. From the moment he first strikes the keys, the harmonious melody gushes forth, note melts into note imperceptibly, wave after wave of melody goes forth and mingles into one as do the waves of the sea; and there is no breaking of the majesty of its harmony until the last note is touched.

"The family, as has been before announced, are colored, and consequently labor under some disadvantages; but we predict for them a successful future. Such superior musical powers must win for them a reputation that will bring its recompense. The pieces they sing are selected with good taste, and evince a determination to deserve public favor. And we may here say, that we believe the Luca family, in the quiet and unostentatious display of their musical powers, are doing more to secure position for the colored man than all the theorists and speculators about the right of man have yet accomplished in America. The possession of such talent, and its cultivation, show genius and industry which any man might emulate; and, when the colored men shall be represented in all the arts and sciences by those who are able to occupy front ranks, they will need no moralist to assert their rights: they can then maintain their own position. The human mind is so constituted, that it will always pay homage to genius, let it be exhibited under a white or black surface.

"A large number of the audience joined in a request that the Luca family repeat their concert; and they have consented to do so on Friday evening next, when we hope to see an audience out worthy of their superior merits. In the mean time we commend the Luca family to the press wherever they shall go, as every way worthy of their aid and indorsement."

During their second tour of Ohio, in 1859, the "Lucas" met and joined the famous Hutchinson family, giving many entertainments in conjunction with them. The Hutchinsons thus proved the entire sincerity of their professions that they loved their brother man "for a' that." The press of the country was much excited over this novel union, and the expressions emanating from the former were various. Without, however, minding the pros or cons, these two troupes travelled more than a month together, experiencing a pleasurable and profitable season.

I append below two advertisements of concerts given by these troupes at the time mentioned:--

(I.)

(II.)

As a reflection of the terrible, the foul spirit of caste, then so largely prevailing, I regret that it is my duty to append the following elegant (?) extract from a paper published at Fremont, O., Feb. 25, 1859:--

"The Hutchinsons,--Asa B., Lizzie C., and little Freddy,--accompanied by the Luca family, gave a concert at Birchard Hall on last Wednesday evening. The house was not more than a paying one. When we went to the concert, we anticipated a rare treat; but, alas! how wofully were we disappointed!... We have, perhaps, a stronger feeling of prejudice than we should have felt under other circumstances, had their abolition proclivities been less startling; but to see respectable white persons (we presume they are such) travelling hand in hand with a party of negroes, and eating at the same table with them, is rather too strong a pill to be gulped down by a democratic community."

No doubt the writer of the above, if now living, would be ashamed to utter sentiments so uncharitable and so vile.

But as an evidence of honest criticism, and in pleasing contrast with the foregoing, I give the following.

"The Norwalk (O.) Reflector," March 1, 1859, says,--

"The concert given in this place on Saturday night last by the Hutchinsons and Lucas was among the best musical entertainments ever given here. The audience was large, and the artists sang with spirit.

"Where all sang so well, it is difficult to select the best.... The Lucas are charming musicians, both instrumental and vocal; and, when two such companies unite, there will be superior concerts."

A Sandusky (O.) paper, March 1, 1859, says,--

"The Hutchinsons and Lucas sang to quite a full audience at West's Hall last evening. The performance could not, coming from troupes possessing talent varied and of the higher order, be otherwise than good. These bands, when they united, made a palpable hit. Their combined concerts are almost invariably successes."

A Wooster (O.) paper, February, 1859, says,--

"The Hutchinsons and Lucas--these two celebrated troupes--will give together one of their unrivalled entertainments at Arcadame Hall on Saturday evening next. They are spoken of in the highest terms by the press in different directions. Both troupes have been in Wooster before; so that it is unnecessary for us to speak of them favorably. The hall will undoubtedly be filled."

A Cleveland (O.) paper, Feb. 28, 1859, says,--

"The well-known Luca family are now giving concerts in connection with Asa B., Lizzie C., and little Freddy Hutchinson, of the Hutchinson family; and their performances are highly spoken of by Western exchanges. They perform in Elyria on Tuesday evening; and will soon appear in this city, we understand."

Shortly after the return of the Luca family from the tour with the Hutchinsons, Cleveland the pianist, with a noble aim, resolved to go to Africa. This circumstance caused the disbandment of the troupe.

Their father has resided for a long time at Zanesville, O., where, although quite advanced in years, he is still esteemed as a vocalist, singing in a church choir, and where he enjoys the respect of all for his many good qualities of heart and mind.

His two sons, John and Alexander, are now, as ever, devoted to the art of music; the former being a valuable member of the celebrated Hyer sisters concert and dramatic troupe, while the latter is vocal director of another company.

As a fitting close to this sketch, as a corroboration of my own testimony, and as an evidence of the noble qualities possessed by that rare musician and Christian gentleman, Asa B. Hutchinson, I add the following beautiful tribute from his pen:--

GENEVA, O., Dec. 15, 1875.

In regard to our dear friends the Lucas, I am glad to state that it was our pleasure to associate with them in public concerts "in the cruel days of the prejudiced past;" and this is our testimony: that, in all our concertizing for thirty-five years, we never formed an alliance with any musical people with whom we fraternized so pleasantly, and loved so well, and who evinced so much real genuine talent in their profession, and such courtesy and Christian culture "in their daily walk and conversation." Our dear lamented Cleveland was a thoroughly educated pianist, and won the enthusiastic admiration of the scientific musicians in every city and town we visited. He executed most rapidly, at sight, any and all of the difficult and new compositions that were presented to him by his friends, to their astonishment and our mutual joy; and when the three brothers, "Alex.," John, and Cleveland, united their respective instruments and voices in one grand choral, the effect was intensely thrilling and electrical. In some of our concerted pieces, where they united with us, we carried our reformatory sentiments and songs to a successful termination; and, notwithstanding the then great and bitter prejudice of our audiences against us all for daring thus publicly to associate together, they cheered our combined efforts with loud applause and frequent encores.

And now that each of our bands are broken by death, still believing that the freed spirits of the departed loved ones are re-united in "singing the songs of the redeemed" in that realm of light, liberty, and love beyond, it is a great satisfaction to me, a poor lingering pilgrim, to revert to one of the sweetest experiences of our entire concert-life,--the acquaintance and fellowship of the Luca family.

ASA B. HUTCHINSON.

VII.

HENRY F. WILLIAMS,

COMPOSER, BAND-INSTRUCTOR, ETC.

"Thy purpose firm is equal to the deed."

"His lyre well tuned to rapturous sounds."

A writer in "The Progressive American" for July 17, 1872, said,--