New-York tribune., 1912-03-19
MUSIC
MINNEAPOLIS ORCHESTRA
A Visit from a Remarkable
Organization.

7, gave 10 the metropolitan public it's fifth
ornortunity since this season began to hear
pestboven's overture, "Leonore No. g.; in
,i,ed the same public to hear Richard
etrauss's symphonic poem, Tod und
,-erl1srung," also for the fifth time, and
,resented Brahms's first symphony to its
rotice for the third time. Under the cir
lrr7st9uces it would be natural enough
~, local reviewer to renew a discussion
.of the oft-mooted proposition II II would
not he well for the orchestras Of the coun-
,rv N establish a concert clearing house, so
,bat at least as much interest as would
folov the presentation of a variety of
con7nositions might he aroused In a sur
f,ted public whenever a foreign organiza-
80, visits the metropolis For, frankly, It
4e NOT rIeasant to have obtruded upon the
,,.orla Of New York Ito say nothing Of the
,ouspsper reviewers the thought that the
,roorammes Of our visitors are arranged
tor the nurpose Of compelling comparisons
t,,neer bands and their leaders. The
,,erities of criticism are sufficiently
,.,ained as It is by the dOings Of loca
lre.nizatIons. which are so many that
their maintenance from year 10 year enlists
-, only the support of the real lovers OF
orcbestral music but also the phil
or,brorv Of many who are Al
s..rt bur slightly interested in it and
.bo romplaisanCe Of others who are
,raciouslv disposed 10 any cause presented
% them with persuasive feminine elo"
a,erce Under such conditions there can
=. reace If mind only in an avoidance Of
.,r,,rarison; for though standards Of criti-
,fs,, are created by the attitude Of those
rbo challenge II. even these may he mod
,rsted in view Of the fact that conditions
,.sr, greatly in different centres or muslcal
,,,lture and what would be highly admlra-
tlo in one place from its point OF view
,,.o,,r5 saer1 less 50 to an observer habitu-
au,. surrounded by conditions Of a dinereht
Lind To give an illustration from INC
oo,rre+e. While the bulk of an orchestra
csD he recruited. as it has been for ueo-
.dse and still is i'm any large city OF the
1-,,,ed States where there are theatres, ire
elements uron which # depends for It's
Nresse. for the excellence emitting II 10
srec,sl comment, are scarce and only 10 oe
had hv long search and at heavy expense.
For the representatives of these elements
We arc still as dependent upon European
reorlss as were the Romans upon the
crasLs long after Rome became the aroiter
ropean peoples. but upon the musicians Who'
having acquired residence in America, are
organized for the chief purpose of keeping
,refr foreign fellows out. Under the cir
c1Imstances il cannot appear strange that
the best of these highly essential artists
remain where they can command eXtraor-
dinary pay for their services. Ihere Is an
oboe nlaver i'm Boston who is receiving the
extraordinary salary Of 5000 year.
French horn player I'm New York who gets
S2nN Some time ago the metropolitan
Onera House was compelled to pay norm
PLAYER So week, with the understanding
that he would play only when wagner
operas we're performed. How often that
was the public knows, and II was
gracious condescension on the part OF the
musical union. And yet the average wage
Of orchestral musicians is about $50 week
during the season Of, say, eight months
Under such circumstances II is not surpris-
Ing that besides the large sum paid by the
ordinary public for orchestral music in
New York IT costs the honest and affected
rhilanthropists $500 a year at least to
maintain our symphony concerts. Whether
or not such q condition is healthy need
not he discussed just now.
Put a truce to this: II is pleasanter 70
contemplate what We have been told about
the history Of the Minneapolis Orchestra
2 history much more remarkable than that
Of our Philharmonic or symphony Society,
or even the Boston Orchestra. II Is now
nine years old SAYS its publicity agent. in
asking a sympathetic hearing from New
York which nobody could have wished 10
DENY IT. 1t began as a band of forty-four
men. which rehearsed once a week. Now
it comprises eighty musicians who rehearse
daily and. supported by a guarantee fund
OF $500 a year. gives forty concerts this
season in Minneapolis alone, which con-
certs are attended by an average audience
Of 25oO persons. It does not confine its
activities 10 it's native city but success
fully meeting the competition of the Chi
osgo Orchestra, it will give this year more
than two hundred concerts outside of Min
neapolis That is To say, that in 36S days
Ohis being a leap year, It will give in the
neighborhood of go concerts. Surely, an
unparalleled record. We are tempted 10
say with Dominic Sampson: "ProdiGtous.
How far Minneapolis is compelled to meet
the extremely trying conditions which pre-
vail in New York, Boston and Philadelphia
We cannot say; entirely aside from the
question, however, ia the fact that, as last
nights concert demonstrated, it has devel-
oped an orchestral organization of which II
may well he proud, and, considering some
Of the elements Of its constitution, II 's
very likely that much credit for this Is due
10 Mr. Oberhoffer. The manner Of this
conductor is extremely distasteful to the
veteran music lovers Of New York, who re-
call that their finest conductors have been
those who challenged the least attention by
their postures and other anucs-rnen
like Theodore Thomas, Anton Seidl
and Felix Weingartner. The initiated DO
not need TO have the dynamic ana
other effects in the music illustrated by
pose and gesture. II such things are neces-
vary 10 stimulate the attention or the play
trs they may be used In the rehearsal room ;
they are disturbing at a performance De
cause they are so frequently unnecessary
and therefore distracting Especially Is thls
the case when they are employed IN mis-
taken readings Of the text 1t may be SAID
In favor Of Mr.. Oberhoffer that as rule
he seeks clarity Of utterance in his music
and does not strive violently to present
bowel conceptions Of the composers Ideas
But when he reels off with too great haste
and too little attention to variations OF
tempo and poetical expression invited by
eontrasted ideas movements like the third
and last Of Brahms's marvellously plastic
hIst symphony his gesticulations only en-
phasize the deplorable defects. And Tor
these there Is no compensation in the fact
mat he compels his men TO follow MIN
with most admirable precision
Ao g.. nit all % e