Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-17

XAH and st. Paul supporting two
orchestras, the probability of
- Omaha doing something along
IHA3ENSH that line would appear to be
49, more nearly at hand. Mime
apons has Mr.. Emil ~Oberhoffer as con.
ductor. and his orchestra is so well known
TO Omaha musical people that It is not
necessary to comment upon It. st. Paul
mas also an orchestra which is being highly
praised and st. Paul's conductor is Mr..
waiter Rothwell, whose work Omaha has
seen when he conducted here the Savage
performances of grand opera.
NOW Omaha is not noted for being away
oehind In the procession at any time. or
along any line. There are many business
men In Omaha who believe In keeping
Wei up to the front Of the procession and
they usually succeed in doing It. Omaha
mas a much more metropolitan air about
II than 1t used to have and 1t is growing
aiohg city lines every day. There are A
great many business and professional men
IN Omaha who are fond of good music
ana II Is safe to predict that before long
'he desire for a permanent orchestra Of
whlch Omaha can he proud will develon
INTO concrete results.
Just look at the advertising Minneanolis
las had through it's symphony orcbes,ra
one cannot estimate what the results have
oeen' But Minneapolis business men ara
no more businesslike than those of anv
Nother progressive city of like character
and they would not support, year after
year. a fine orchestra II there were nor
appearing constantly results which Justify
the expense. In other words. It is safe
to say hat Minneapolis feels that it ia
gettlnB something back from the invest
ment or 1t would not continue to furnish
the money. 1t is surely not sentimon,
entirely nor even in large part.
10
Omaha has arrived at the place where IL
cannot get along without orchestral music
II 1t has not its own orchestra II mrst
borrow a neighbor's orchestra. But orcbes-
ira music 1t will and must have. II pavs
Tor 1t, and it would not pay for IL ~ thare
were not enough people here to want II.
The day of the band concert as the nigh
est form of music for the community a
passed and gone. That is nothing against
oand music. But 1t is a step forward In
Omaha's musical ambition and endeavor
mere are, OF course, lots OF peonle IN
omaha who would today prefer a good
Oahd 10 an orchestra. For that, there are
TWO reasons. First Reason-They nave not
heard as much good orchestral music as
they have heard good band music. Second
fteason-The programs Of orchestral music
are inclined to be much more severe thar
the band concerts.
These people, 1t is certain. wouId eniov
good orchestral music IL they heard much
OF 1t and what has happened in other com
munlties' over and over again would han
pen here. The orchestra would do the in
door work, and the band would do most of
the outside work, in parks and public
places.
Inc pendulum swings as far in one direc-
tlon as 1t does in the other, and there has
been such a dearth of good music in an
orchestral or even first-class band direction
nat we are sure to observe, in the near
future a swing to the opposite end.
.
Ihere are many things on which the va
Ilous musical forces of Oman cannot unite.
mat Is natural and 1t is not to be deplored.
The fact hat these forces cannot mite
on some things, does not mean at all. that
there is absolutely nothing on which they
can unite. AS to the absence of unity on
some things, it often happens through sheer
lack OF time, and from occupation In other
directions. There are musical enterprises
which many would like to be identified
with, and to give their support to. but they
nave other plans and aims of their own
which are tending likewise to the general
advancement. Because all the musical peo-
pie do not Jump In and support every
thing musical. is not to be taken as an
indication that there is opposition or even
lukewarmness. Not by any means.
But there is one large, great, big thing
that we can all unite on, and that is the
desire to have an excellent orchestra In
Omaha.
The question as to conductor, and all that,
can be settled later. Mr.. Walter Rothweli
was not always at st. Paul, and yet ST.
Paul has now Mr.. Rothwell. A good con.
ductor OF experience and unquestioned abil-
ity will be found when the time is ripe.
But the sentiment can be stirred up and
aroused. 1t always requires a strong SEN
timent. II we would all talk orchestra
dream orchestra and think orchestra. we
would soon set forces In motion which
would make it possible for us TO read low
fully the placards announcing the first con-
cert Of the first season of the Omaha SYM
phony orchestra!
Doesn't il look we'll In print? Write IL
down, and see how well II seems to appear.
we Will AVE H. Inere 10 not a musician In
Omaha who would oppose it-not a musician
OF any Importance OF consequence. We all
have talked about II in a desultOry way,
we all have sighed, IF we only had an
orchestra here" we all have felt that there
was somewhere In the distant future an
orchestra looming up large and fair. on
Omaha's musical horizon, and Il seems to
be the right time now to start something.
The musical editor OF The Bee need not be
given credit for suggesting the matter. for
he is simply recording what he has heard
from many sources AZ different times.
Once in a while, you know, some person
will not do a thing that he really wants to
do. or to have done, because Of the per-
sonality OF the one who suggests It. In
case there should be such a feeling in any
quarter. on this schene-and the writer
honestly believes that there Is not-The
Bee win waive ali right to have any credit
for the suggestion. AS before stated. the
suggestion seems to be spontaneously In the
air.
Every time the Minneapolis orchestra has
visited here. the matter ,has been discussed
In a general way, and there is one musician
in Omaha. a well known piano teacher. who
has resoluteiy talked "Orchestra" for years.