Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-28
Yesterdays Concert

- OAASSAN
There are a great many things to be
said about the concert given by the Phila-
delphla Orchestra yesterday afternoon
II was a Wagner program done in ac-
cordance with that tradition obtaining in
every great symphony organization, that
Of all the composers, Wagner and Beet
hoven. are entitled to programs Of their
own. 1t was, moreover. we'll done, with
such reservations as shall hereinafter APP
pear. II was we'll received.
Mr.. stokowskl spared neither himself.
his orchestra nor the audience In the ar
rangement of the works. The result
should be gratifying to him. For a mo-
ment after the end OF the last but one
number It looked as II the "Star-spangled
Banner was being played-so many peo-
pie were standing UP. But II turned out
that the prospect of the "TSaisermarsch, ,"
after fve other numbers and at 4:30 of
bright afternoon was too much for
them. Those who stayed were justified
in their trust
Friedrich Nietzsche was for time the
only man who understood the later wag-
ner. When he cried out scornfully of
Parsifal, "Ist das Deutsch?" he meant
is this Wagner; is this religion: is this
honest? All those questions he answered
StOkOw-
ski and his orchestra played the Parsl-
fal numbers 30 as to bring the questions
UP again To play the music of an opera
In an orchestra program is undoubtedly
unwlse. One never forgives the curtain
for not going UP after the Tristan
overture To play "Parsifal" Is doubly
dangerous. There Is the concentrated
strength Of the opera, without the dis
fractions necessary to It, That is why
yesterdays performance was so terrible
Mr Stokowskl chose to play Wagner ex-
cellently; he did nothing with the Par
sifal' beyond what its author had done
And all the pallid strength OF It came out
the rellglosity which surpasses religion,
the faith which is not strong, the over
powerlng. unmanly consciousness of sin
III 1t comes In the end to determining
why DIE Meistersinger' is right and
Tristan" is right and "Parslfal' is
wrong, the answer will be that Wagner
was Infinitely superior to "Parslfal." He
was man whose life was apart from
the things which "Parslfal" expresses.
If he suffered, he did not blanche" he
did not know fearful rue for sin gnaw-
ing at his heart" as he expresses the
theme of the Vorspiel. What on earth
had he do with these things2
Except possibly this. There are in
music and In the other arts a group of
joy-worshlpers. they who made popular
the phrase, ia joie de vivre," in its
original French. They are usually the
saddest people In the world. Wagner, in |
Parsifal," Is reverse case It is not
faith, but false will-to-faith that he
expresses. The ancient wisdom and
austere control of true religion are NOT
here. They are, incidentally, In the folk
melodies of the "Kaisermarsch." "Parsl- |
fal." music and all, is the melodrama of
religion.
Did Mr.. stokowski intend this? Prob |
ably not. For. as has been said. he
played the music as 1t was. It's mo-
ments OF heroism he played heroicaly;
It's herolcs he played as heroics The |
seduction OF life and the seduction of
religlon-the Parslfal type hence dp- |
posed to liCe-he made equally moving.
There was Wagner, fortunately at the |
end. Fortunately because Wagner alone |
can be antidote to Wagner, There was
the Faust Overture" in which every
passion is for life and every desire for
something tangible. And here, surpris-
ingly, occurred a disastrous moment, in
which either Mr.. stokowski took liber-
ties with his music. or his men took lib
critics with Mr.. Stokowski. The slack
was rapidly taken up, however, and AL
though the piece Is far more interesting
than appeared yesterday II was sufficiently
good after what went before. Following
II was the direct, honest human senti-
ment OF the "Siegfrled Idyl" For the
longing and the passion of the ''Parsifal'
this had dance and contentment and
good cheer And finally there was the
''Kalsermarsch."
If the idyl had dance. the "Kaiser-
had what is far superior: II had
war. And beyond that, 1t had religion.
Not Wagnerlan religion, but the religion
OF the people. It had a tremendous beat.
a rhythm OF life, blessed relief from ali
sentiment and sickness and Intellectual
desire. 1t had even nobility. II this be
nolse-and 1t was played Justify and
grandly as noise-then thank Heaven for
noise. If this be vulgarlty and "Parsifal"
the refinement OF life, thank Heaven for
vulgarity. For outside the Academy yes
terday afternoon the crowds were gay and
the lights were bright, and llfe in spite
Of all, was 'wanton and wondrous and
forever we'll"