The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-02

Before the foundation of the Boston
Symphony orchestra by Mr.. HigginsOn
practically all the impulses toward
orchestral culture went out from New
York, and so far as they produced re-
suits they were due to Mr.. Theodore
Thomas. How little was known about
the constitution, character and mission
Of a concert orchestra outside of the
principal cities of the country thirty
years ago is illustrated by an anecdote
which Jacob Gosche, who was Theodore
Thomas business manager in the early
DAYS of his artistic itinerancy. used to
tell. Mr.. Thomas had organized his
symphony orchestra, and desiring to
provide more employment for 1t than
New York offered Gosche was sent out
10 arrange concerts in some Of the cities
of New England The enterprise was
novel, and in one of the first places
visited the manager called upon the
editor of the local newspaper to enlist
his interest and help, laying particular
the orchestra, the high class Of music
which would be performed and the skill
of the conductor. This done he asked
the editor whether or not he deemed it
advisable to make an essay to his city
well" said the editor. forty men is a
pretty big troupe. and I guess it'll 60 If
you've got good end men" And this in
a university town. Within five or six
years of that time Mr.. Thomas was Civ
Ing concerts as far west as the Missis-
sippi river and planting the seed which
has brought forth the culture now en-
1Oyed by such cities as Cincinnati and
Chicago. There were brave men before
Agamemnon conductors before Thomas
and travelling orchestras before his; but
they were all ephemeral. What they left
in the way of. fruit and influence was
ccntered in New York and Boston.
All the noteworthy concert orchestras
in the country today, with the excep-
ton Of the New York Philharmonic so
ciety, are of cOmparat lively recent ORR
gin. and the men who called them into
existence are still actively Interested in
them. Cincinnati began working for
symphony concerts Of the kind which it
now enjoys fully twenty-five years ago
but, except during the brief period of
Mr. Thomas sOjOurn there as musical
director of the College of Music, It's ac-
Invites never reached q higher plane
than those which may now be heard
in d dozen cities in the United States
let US say, Washington, Cleveland, St
Louis. Detroit, San Francisco, New
Haven, Buffalo and Indianapolis. in all
Of which places the orchestral musicians
are brought together annually for the
purpose of giving two or more concerts
Such concerts are given 1T the cost of
large sacrifices on the part of their con-
ductors and their promoters, and in no
single case have they yet acquired a
stable foundation
The six real centers of orchestral mu-
sic are New York, Boston, Chicago, Gin
cinnau, Pittsburg and Philadelphia.
Here are located what. with a variety
of meanings. are called permanent or
chestras. The term is denied to New
York Notwithstanding that its principal
concert institution is siXtv-One wears
old. during which period it has given a
series Of symphony concerts every sea-
son and is organized on the only basis
which guarantees permanency outside
of an endowment. There is no endowed
orchestra in the United States. A popu-
lar belief has 1t that Mr.. EIieginsOn has
set apart S1.0OO,000 to insure the lasting
existence Of the Boston Symphony or
Chestra. but the belief is wholly I'M
founded in fact. The Boston orchestra
IS Mr.. Higginson's private enterprise.
maintained by him for the sake Of the
art which he loves and the people whom
ne wishes to serve. But it has no en-
cowment 1t is easy to believe that he
has secretly made provision for it's con-
tinuance after his death, but he has not
vet publicly endowed it. 1t is kept alive
by his viii from day to day. This sea
son, however, he has consented to the
establishment of a pension fund for its
members, on the lines followed by the
orchestras Of Germany, which is proof
In addition to his known Intentions that
the organization is to be perpetuated.
Ahe chicago orchestra has lived u
years on the public spirited generosity
of body of men which had to be
recruited annually, and its future is
now in the balance. Its guarantors have
cheerIully paid an annual deficit aver
aging $4,000 during this long period.
but have now decided that unless an
endowment fund of $3.50, 900 is raised. it
shall be disbanded. Unfortunately. the
provisions set down BY those who led
the subscription do not appeal to all the
wealthy lovers OF music in Chicago, and
the result Of the effort is still in very
grave doubt. The fund. if raised on the
proposed line, is to be applied, not 10
the endowment of the orchestra, but to
the construction Of new hau, from the