Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-16

i EVENING LEDGER has the pleasure Of
reviewing, began yesterday with the first
concert Of Philadelphia's greatest musical
institution - the Orchestra. Announce
ments which have been sent to the music
editor and which have appeared in the
newspapers and musical journals indi-
cate year Of splendid activity fol Phila-
delpha. Last year the Orchestra alone
fulfilled itself. The opera was curtailed
and the concert season was a disgrace
This year, beside the Orchestra and the
Boston Symphony and Mr.. Damrosch's
New York organization, all of which were
heard last year, we shall have two series
Of operate performances, and at least one
series Of afternoon concerts. Two new
organizations for chamber music have
been formed and the plans of local musi-
clans and of amateurs are full of promise.
The reviewer of music would be some-
thing less than human IL he did not take
a vast deal OF pleasure in this prospect.
He can feel, in the first place, that his
work justifies itself more thoroughly
when music is being heard frequently and
by great numbers. Mere numbers, of
course. mean nothing. II 10 times the
population OF Philadelphia heard all the
bad music written since Jean-JacQues
Rousseau - a terrible thought! - there
would be very little gain But II all the
citizens OF Philadelphia had a chance to
hear a great deal OF good music every
year, and took advantage OF the chance
eagerly and with deepening appreciation
of what music means, that would be a far
better thing than for thousand Phila-
oelphians to progress to the point where
they could honestly say that they pre-
ferred Stravinsky to Beethoven.
That inf l.
reviews of music in the EVENING LEDGER
are written not for the trained musician
nor yet for the man with trained musi-
cal ear. When a technical question is
vitality important 1t is given due consid-
GRAFTON. But in the main the criticism Is
written for those who go to hear music
because they like II and not because they
are exceedingly intrigued by a succession
OF exploding thirteenths. The purpose
OF the reviewer Is always to interpret
the music in Ineligible human terms
not particularly in literary terms, al
though that is often the easiest way to
make a meaning clear.
Letters are frequently written to critics
of plays and books and statues and syrn-
phonies, asking how it is that another re-
viewer of the same object said precisely
the opposite thing. Sometimes by plac-
ing the opinions of critics in parallel col
umns a noteworthy satiric result is OBJ
tained She was in exceptional voice"
says critic A. of Nine. Highnote. mime.
Highnote was seldom heard to so little
advantage" says critic b. A puzzled au-
ditor who rather enjoyed Nine High
notes recital finds in the first place that
he didn't half appreciate his opportuni-
ties, and in the second that he is a
stupid fellow for having enjoyed the per-
formance at ALL So he wants to know.
now concerning certain number of
Things
there is room for difference of opinion.
IN iact, opinion itself has no room in dis
cussing the structure of given symphony
nor in determining the accuracy of the
bass drum in the second movement. These
are matters of pure fact. Opinion, or bet
ter still, taste. has its proper place in
criticism. 1t is the critics bounden duty
TO say so II he thinks Tschaikowsky Is
shoddy-which hope no critic really be-
heVes in the depths of his heart-and II
Is his duty to tell why. But that critic
is not at liberty to deny that Mr.. Blanks
oboe playing In the Tschaikowsky number
was perfect. The reader too. has n GER
tain duty here. He must be at least as
liberal as the critic. He must not re-
fuse to give him hearing because the
critic disagrees concerning a favorite
composer or favorite performer So
long as prejudices are frankly stated
there is no objection to their Intrusion
The reader can always discount Mr.
Finck on Wagner or Mr.. Huneker on
next years success de scandale, because
he knows just where these critics stand
on the questions at ISSUE
One OF the lesser-known Whistler sto-
ries concerns an unhappy fool who bored
the painter for three hours and as he rose
to leave, said: Jimmy. don't you think
that that panel ought to hang a little
higher on the wall. But suppose that's n
matter of taste, after ALL"
Whistler flung around at him. Great
heavensl That's the first sensible re-
mark you've made today-and you had
to spoil 1t. 1t isn't a matter of taste. it's
matter OF judgment. OF course. II
ought to hang higherl"
The matters Of judgment are the cruz
OF musical criticism, and they are its
salvation. Musical criticism too ofen CON
sists or calling things no one cares about
by names no one understands II Ia only
when judgment is exercised that criticism
becomes self-respecting. The meaning OF
music and its Interpretation, its signia-
and its value. fhasa 49, tho -.