New-York tribune., 1913-05-25
Anton F. Scibilia, Manager
of New Italian Orches-
trail Society, Talks
of Its Aims.

Into the troubled and already crowded
waters of New Yorks musical life an
other craft launched itself last week un-
der the banner OF "Avant Savoya,
which is the battle cry of modern Italy.
This craft is the New York Italian or
chestral Society 1t was originally chris
tened the Italian Philharmonic Society,
under which title il announced concert
last April. But alas. its management
had been daring enough to engage other
than Italian musicians for the orchestra,
and as a result a number OF Italians
whose places had been taken 10y Ger
mans and Slavs descended upon the first
rehearsal and announced in a dozen dia-
lects that an Italian Philharmonic or
chestra must be composed entirely OF
Italians In vain did. Manager Scibilia
and Conductor Scdero cxpostulate in the
purest Italian that what the society
was for was no: 10 support impecuni-
Gus bad Italian musicians. but was eS-
tahlishcd to present TO the American
public Italian symphonies and tone
poems The invaders shouted loudly that
the society VAS unTatriotic and whis-
pered something about dynamite If a
concert should be attempted.
TROUBLE PILED UP.
In short. trouble came so fast that the
; concert was announced postponed. where
upon the protesting musicians suddenly
found that the society had not been
p!operly incorporated under the name
Philharmonic and at once took advan-
tage of this by themselves founding a
Philharmonic So the word Phhhar-
monic. one OF late 50 little associated
with the thought Of Tranquil peace. has
now broadened its battlefield and the
courts are TO be called upon to decide
whether the society Of which the man
aser IS Mr.. Anton F. Scibilia and the
conductor Ccsare Sodero. is TO be allowed
to resume the name Of the New YORK
Italian Philharmonic Society.
f. is Anton r. Scibhia who IS the
father Of the organization. Mr.. Scibilia
proved 10 a TriDUn- representative VINO
found him last week in mis- Office ia the
krickerbockor Theatre Building that he
is very Young man TO be father of sucn
an enormous ch!ld-there are nearly one
hundred musicians in the orch stra. He
is a violinist himself and has been four
teen yeas i'm this country. speaking Eng
lish with only the slightest noticeable
accent.
PLANS or Mr.. ScIBlllA.
Il 90 hope that the Italian Orchestral
Society 1 trust soon t. be called once
more the Italian Philharmonic Society,
the name / gave IT, will prove welcome TO
the American public. said Mr.. Scioilia.
"As n patriotic Italian and American /
have long wished that my adopted coun-
try should become familiar with the great
mass of purely symphonic music which
Italian composers have produced. IN
fortunately. such music has received lit
tic announcement in its native land
either from the public or the publishers.
Much Of IT is still in manuscript and II
is exceedingly difficult to obtain. Italian
symphonic music is. in fact. far better
known in Germany and in France than
in Italy II is only recently that sym
phonic concerts have been given at all in
Italy and even now the compositions are
almost all German. French or Russian.
Italy is the land par excellence OF
opera. and TO opera all has been subordi-
mated The public is brought up on ii
from childhood the music publishers en-