New-York tribune., 1900-04-21
MR.. DAMROSCH'S PLAN.
HE URGES THE FEASIBILITY OF Hra
PROJECT FOR HUGE HALL
FOR THE AMERICAN INsTI-
TTTTE OF MUSIC


pressed that the building OF a large hall ca
pable of seating eight thousand people would not
be conducive to satisfactory musical results
and that a number Of smaller halls would bet
ter subserve the purpose.
At first blush this view appears reasonable
and it is one which I myself held for some
time. until / became convinced that the Diff
culties in carrying II out would be too great 10
permit II 10 be put into practice. and that the
chief ends toward which and those interested
with me striving could not be attained. In
order to make this clear. permit 20 state
the conditions which now exist and the reasons
why believe the project OF the American
Institute Of Music to be the right method OF
solving the problems presented by these con-
ditions.
The progress OF musical culture in America
has been phenomenal during the last twenty
five years. but those who have watched It's de-
velopment carefully viii have noticed that +,
has resulted rather in the high culture q the
few than in the general culture OF the masses
Those who attend the opera. the symphony
and oratorio concerts. chamber music and song
recitals have often been impressed by the fact
that one sees the same faces az one and all ot
them, people whose natural love for music AMI
high general culture attract them To the best
| musical performances. At a rough guess let
assume their number 20 be nifty thousand
and find that these through constant at
tendance at musical performances % high
class have become to a great extent intelligent
auditors capable OF entering into the true
spirit Of music, Meanwhile the bulk or the
population is left in almost total musical dark
! ness-not because there is no love for music
among the masses. but because the opportuni-
| ties for hearing and doing the best music are
| not afforded them
| POPULAR ART CULTURE N EUROPE
! Under the paternal governments of Europe
| the citizens enjoy culture II ali forms with
! out any. at very small. expense Picture
| galleries. fine municipal and ecclesiastical
| architecture with scUIpturaI adcrnment libra
| ries. subsidized theatres. opera houses and con-
| certs are educational factors which are placed
! within the reach OF nearly all citizens and
| they exert strong and benefcent influence In
America We have made great strides in this d.
| rection. not So much through governmental
| support (aIthoUgh school authorities all over
the country are now beginning 10 realize the
| value of art culture N the education of our
| future Citizeusl. hut chiefly through the LIBERAL
| ity Of public spirited private citizens. who have
| donated picture galleries art schools and libra
| ries for the free use Of all
| But nearly everything that has hitherto been
| done for music has been done more for the de-
| velopment of the higher forms for the beneft
of the cultured few. rather than to bring il WITH
| in the reach of the many. This has been an
| excellent thing for music. for +, has raised our
| musical art standard to a very high point hut
| IL has had but little influence upon the general
! musical culture OF the populate and vet il
! seems To that a nations musical culture
| should not be measured by its extremes bur
| by the general average that exists among the
/ people at large.
Believing that this average could only he
raised by interesting the people IN good muzi-
! and that the best way interest them was
to teach them how TO assist in performing it,
! organized the Peoples Singing Classes some
/ eight years ago The results have justified my
! conviction that the love Of good music in
I herent. though perhaps latent in most people
and there thousands Of people TODAY who
| love and crave good music who a few years ago
| neither knew what good music that they
| could ever have the ability TO assist in a per-
! fOrmancc of works ny Handel. Bach. PalestTna.
! Beethoven MeGdejssohu. These people. and
! also the thousands who cannot learn sing
| should now have more opportunities 20 nave
| good music The hearing II good music Is worth
| many lessons by even the best teachers The
| frequent communion with the thoughts Of the
| great composers tends 10 elevate and refine
and so it seems to me that opportunities should
| be presented to the people 10 enjoy this CON-
| muniOn.
| OBJECTIONS To SMALLER HALLS.
| The first thing that suggested itself 70
| was TO institute orchestral concerts in different
parts of the city on looking into the matter
however. I found that suitable halls were few
/ ard far between Leaving out Of sight for the
present the fact that. with the exception OF a
| few halls built for concert purposes and far too
! expensive in rental those which might be avail
| able are ugly inartistic structures unfit
| roundineS for the enjoyment of higher things.
| there scarcely any large enough To support
| even small orchestra at such prices OF ad-
| mission as the poorer classes can afford to pay.
| An audience of one thousand at 10 cents. or
| even at - cents. could not support an Orches-
| ira of forty musicians at the prevailing union
| rates, even with the hall rent free With hall
| rent and managing expenses. admission fee
! OF 80 cents would barely support il. But %
/ Cents-even - cents-is too much for most OF
| those who need these concerts most. Ten cents
| Is all that the majority afford for any
! thing outside Of the necessities of life. and so
| the problem resolves itself into the question.
| Can good music be given 10 the people al 10
/ cents admission. that the concerts VIII be
/ self supporting?
/ The solution seemed tn lie in the econ
| omy which concentration invariably erects
| and the following plan suggested itself:
! In a hall seating eight thousand people con-
certs could be given with orchestra Of LOO
| musicians engaged permanently throughout the
| year. three or four concerts being given every
/ week The possible receipts fey each concert
/ would be follows; 4.Ufp at 10 cents S4tO.
! 1000 at - cents. 5000. and 1000 at - cents
! 81 900: total. $1,000.
| A fairly liberal estimate of expense for or
| chestra. cost Of running the hall. advertising
| etc, would amount v about S1.Io0 concert,
which would leave fair margin of safety.
THE ELEMENT OF SELF HELP.
| 1t is our PLAN of course. 70 raise endow-
| ment fund meet any possible deficit
at the beginning; should il be necessary later
| ON the interest on this fund should be devoted
TO other educational work in the field OF music
! Were this scheme 70 he endowed by some phi
/ lanthropst TO-DAY ] would he sceptical Of its
! success. for comparatively few people among
! those whom this plan is intended 70 benefit re-
| alize what IL would do for them. l have there