The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-11

day. he is the one which gesticulates the
least at his work Brit through all the
quiet dignity Of his movements, the
slow swinging OF his hands and the al
most impercepubls swaying of his body.
there runs a sense of immense power
and magnetic leadership Some leaders
some good ones too-dehberately pose
for their public when at work; others.
carried away by their own emotions
and needless Of what their audiences
may think distort their arms. heads
and bodies as If by the very violence Of
their movements they might put their
conception OF the music into the instr1-
ments Of their players
But Thomas depends on none Of
these things. He has trained his men
so thoroughly in every composition he
presents publicly and has made them so
used TO his ways that every motion. no
matter how slight. carries its full mean
ing An audience sees his repose, but
no man nor woman among the thOus-
ands he has delighted with his music
has failed TO realize that in his very
quiet there is a wonderful charm and
power
Alr. Thomas knows that there has
been in certain quarters a note OF pro-
est against his leaning toward the high
er forms of musical art However, ne
has no false views concerning the great
NdluE ana lEL8ALA4A tlAaAA---s7 ~ -5+----
music. Indeed. he COn1esses that ne
loves il himself and enjoys it as much
al any other man. But he believes ana
there are thousands OF lovers or music
who agree with him, that II IS all one
man can do in lifetime of hard work
10 prepare himself and his players 50
that they can present the world s mas
terpieces properly In other words, II
is an impossibillty for one man 70 cover
the entire range Of musical literature
Besides, he knows from an experience
Of forty years Of conducting along the
highest and most uplifting ilnes tnals
although lovers Of light music may not
secure the full measure OF Satisfaction
at their first hearing OF a progra rIrfle
such as his orchestra is now playing, Il
is a very little step from the OUTSIDE OF
the breaStworks to the heart OF the
melody. the tone and the WondsrIuI
beauty with which the masterpieces are
filed
Take .Beethoven's music" he said
1t is something more than mere pleas
ure. il is education. thought. emotion,
love and hope. I do not doubt that
when my orchestra plays one OF his
symphonies every soul IN the audience
is stirred in q different way and oy
different suggestion. care not from
what station in life come the thousands
who sit back Of me Beethoven viii
touch each according TO his needs ana
the very same cadence that may watt
the thoughts of one to drowsy delight or
oblivion may stir the heart OF another
TO higher aSpiratiOns-nay give another
hope in his despair, may bring to yet
another a message Of love
The power of good music! Who
among US can tell OF it or measure itl'
He lay back deep in his chair and
closed his ewes WHO shall say how
many hearts il has soothed, how many
tired brains it has rested, how many
sorrows it has taken away It IS ike
the power Of nsclence-nlg i'm
measurable And the worlds standards
in the expression Of it are getting higher
every day
Like all great musicians he is man
Of moods and fmDresSiOnable 10 high
degree. He possesses the art Of divintng
in a moment the character of the audi
euce to which he is playing. as well as
the condition Of the orchestra itself
Before the first note is sounded he
explained, there Is something in the air
that whispers what sort Of a concert We
are going TO have. Sometimes I breathe
it in. and know that the night is going
TO be a triumph. and that every man
waiting to respond to the baton is de-
ter1nined TO find the true meaning ia
every note he plays Then again. there
are times when the music. although
technically correct is unsymSathetic-
an indefinite, Intangible something how
ering over everybody that says as plain
~ as if it had q human voice. You
cannot win hearts tonight Theodore
Thomas. Nature is out OF sorts
The proposed new hall for the housing
of the Chicago orchestra, which is to
cost $3.50, 600 viii seat 2. 800 people. The
size of a hall. no matter how excellent
its acoustic properties may be. has
great deal to do with the proper rem
dering Of classical music, and Mr.. Thorn
as has declared for years that the great
ex0anse OF the Auditorium. though
splendid in acoustic properties, has made
much OF the delicate shading and tone
expression necessary TO a proper rem
dition Of the best work an impossibility.
With a stage and auditorium built ex-
pressiy Tor concert purposes, he believes
that the value OF the orchestra VIII De
doubled.
When Mr.. Thomas went to Chicago
he was at the head of the New York
and Brooklyn Philharmonic, conductor
OF the Sunday night popular concerts III
New York and leader Of the Cincinnati
Festival association. and had besides
more offers for festival leadership each
month than he could have filled in a
years But his orchestras were scratch
es'-thaL is to say. it was in-OssibIe
for him TO work satisfactorily with any
one body Of men for any length of time
He was making a princely income. but
at the expense of his art. 4 could not
help realizing the truth he said. 7
was going backward, not forward"
So. when some of Chicagos leading
business and professional men now on
the board Of trustees Of the association
T suggested to him that he come to thai
city and so into concert work with {,