The San Francisco call., 1901-10-06

| symphony matters tlaC usually
" " adorns your pages at this sea-
| son?' questions one subscriber
this week among several who concern
! themselves with the same subject, and who
| owns to something like dismay at having
| seen the beginning of the season go by
without anywhere word of protest as
| to this most crying musical need of the
1 town.
| 1t affords me the utmost pleasure, o
most polite and perturbed sir, to make the
| following very sufficient explanation of
! the symphonic silence that has pervaded
| these pages; but prepare yourself before
| hand for the shock of good news. There
| is no grumble coming this year on the
l subject of a symphony orchestra for San
| Francisco, for and because before San
! Francisco is two months older she will
have a symphony society for which 1
think may venture to prophesy perma-
nency, artistic standing and financial SOL
vency. This is a large saying 1 am
aware, particularly as it is based almost
| entirely on the personality of the man
| that has been chosen as director of the
orchestra, and in face of the warning
factions into which former societies have
split, and the generally Emphatic and
intermittent interest that has been taken
in the subject for some time now
But, after all, in a matter of this kind
it is the personality of the director that
counts; witness the highly successful
symphony seasons here under the mag
netic leadership of Fritz Scheel for ex-
ample Since that day the society has
seen only troublous times, with occasional
CLEANS of success. It's leaders have be-
come the most pessimistic of persons and
the public has lost both confidence and in
terast in the matter.
With the coming of the Tivoli grand
opera season, however, with it's introduc-
tion of Mr.. Paul Steindorff as a conduc-
tor of importance, the directors of the
Symphony Society who have still held to-
gether in forlorn hope again took heart,
They watched Mr.. Steindorff's work week
hS week with increasing respect. They
'%5k the measure of the man, noted his
courage, energy, enthusiasm, artistic at
tainment, unlimited capacity for work, a
gift in handling men, and to their own
surprise found themselves considering
anew the possibility of a symphony So
ciety for San Francisco. Last week they
finally decided that Mr.. Steindorff was
the man for the hour, met officially and
took the decisive step of electing him con-
ductor of the society that is to be-
The assets of the society so far are the
faithful and competent board of directors.
composed of Mrs. Phebe A. Hearst presf-
dent; DR.. Edward R. Taylor, vice presi
dent; Mrs. James N. Odel, Mrs ]. NJ
Goewey, Mr.. P. n. Lilienthal and Mr.
Robert Tolmie, directors; Paul Steindorff.
conductor; something like $500 in the
bank, and the list of former symphony
society members. Library there is none
on the other side, without the mortgagel
Scheel library that is in the directors
possession shall, as it legally may, be con-
sidered as the property of the society:
there is the public Indifference to fight
scattered enthusiasm to organize the pnu
sicians to inspire and all the thousand
land one other duties incident to initial
orga nization to be undertaken. But Mr..
Steindorff has said, "It shall be done''.
the directors say, ut shall be done,' and
l think this time the symphony society
may be looked upon as an assured fact
Nothing is to be undertaken in the matter
of concerts until after the Grau grand
opera season in November. when three
trial concerts will be given by Mr.. Stein
dorff Meanwhile those interested are ad
monished to busy themselves in this the
most significant musical movement of the
year.
There has been happy indication that
the audiences of this year at the TivoIi
have been going to hear operas and not
particular singers. Salassa and Collama-
rini are the exceptions, however. and
Salassa's Tonic this week in "I Pasliacci,,
has been the chief attraction of the per