Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-10
CAN PHILADELPHIA
PAY ITS ORCHESTRA?
Good Music Is Not Profitable Busi-
ness, But 1t Is Good
Public Enterprise, None
the Less
By GILBERT V. sELpEs

"A LITTLE more than n month iTom INV
"a the Philadelphia Orchestra will begin it's
18th season Of concerts in the Academy Of
Music. From the six performances given to
total OF 14176 auditors in 19oO-19ol, to
the ninety-odd given in and out OF the city
last year is a progress which can hardly be
measured in the terms Of numbers itself.
The regular concerts in this city alone were
heard by $4,000 persons; the specials and
popular concerts will run the total into six
figures with that progress the standing OF
the orchestra has gone steadily upward until
now It ranks as one of the best two or three
organizations in the country. This year, un-
der the direction of its inspired conductor,
It will perform for the first time in America
a symphony which makes the very last de-
mand on the abilities Of an orchestra. In
every way the orchestra is a great instltu-
tion; certainly 1t gives more pleasure, of
higher order, and with a nearer approach
to perfection, than any other cultural in
stitution in the city.
And yet, in spite Of all this, the Phiadel-
phia Orchestra does not pay expenses. To
run the orchestra for year costs about
10000; its receipts are only three quarters
of that amount The rest would be silence
were it not for the devotion of a group of
men and women who guarantee the expenses
and pay about $4,000 year so that the
people of Philadelphia may hear good music.
This is not local condition. There are
only two great orchestras in this country
which pay running expenses. The Boston
Symphony. after "a musical seasons crowned
by deficits, is at last elf-supporting. The
Chicago Orchestra was put on a paying
basis after is years. In other cities orches-
tras have failed have suspended, or have
been supported by Just the sort of guar
antee which makes the Philadelphia Orches-
ira possibility.
Now the surprising thing is that II the
Academy of Music were sold out every Fri
day afternoon (Which is practically the case)
and every Saturday (Which ought to be the
easel, the orchestra couldn't, at it's present
scale of prices, pay the necessary expense
of production. 1t would still have to make
a great deal of money on road tours, or call
again on its supporters.
The Riddle in the Orchestra
All in all, the plight of an orchestra looks
like a riddle. It looks like bad business
proposition, and there are many economists
and efficiency experts who would say at once
that an organization which serves the peo-
pie and cannot make its expenses is not
serving the people properly and ought to be
abandoned. Which may be very good
economies but is very bad human nature
Listening to the Orchestra is a growth.
One must begin with casual interest and an
open mind, preferably in youth. There may
be sharp struggle when Bruckner is put
on, or a positive rebellion when Schoenberg
Is played. But one must go on. In the end
the Orchestra will repay. To evolve music
loving, and particularly a symphony-loving
populace, the Orchestra is now playing popu.
lar concerts. OF which there will be three
weeks this year against two last year. The
Orchestra must also play when the people
can come to hear it; and here it is sadly
hampered by the Sunday law A third con-
cert at reduced rate, played on Sunday
afternoon would be a blessing to the city
In many ways, If it could be played without
offense to public decency. It would intro
duce beautiful music to those who under
present circumstances have no opportunity
to hear it, and 1t would go far to putting the
Orchestra on a saner financial basis
1t is a great question whether the satur-
day night audiences actually exhaust the
number of music lovers in the city. The
rush" seats, in the famous amphitheatre of
the Academy, are frequently sold out but
number of seats in the lower divisions are
vacant They should be filled by those who
can afford to go, but simply haven't got into
the habit of listening to good music
Unless an Orchestra speaks directly to
great numbers 1t is virtually wasted. I'm
like the opera, the orchestra Is not primarily
a society institution: it is a social institu-
ton. Its message is not for the musically
learned nor for the socially elect 1t has a
function in the civic life of the nation,
Abroad that function is fulfilled in many
ways; here 1t is hampered.
The Endowment Question
Ought the Orchestra to have a State en-
dowment? Quite apart from political consid-
erations there are grave objections to the
plan The Orchestra must be free to ernbody
the highest artistic ideals without petty in
trigue and bureaucratic interference. No
great conductor would accept a position with
the understanding that he was to play only
such compositions as recommend themselves
10 the musical Judgment Of the State Legis-
iature' Private endowments are, to be sure,
eXceheht things when they are given freely
ana "ithout reservations. Almost any or
chestra in the country would accept a be-
quest. Yet in the largest sense the principle
OF an endowed orchestra is wrong unless the
endowment comes from the people directly
II $4,000 men and women of this city, sub
scribed one dollar each to the Philadelphia
Orchestra to make up the deficit and then
devoted every effort to make the PhiIadel-
phia Orchestra force even more compelling
than It now is in the city, that would be a
truly great truly democratic thing to do. II
$1,000 men and women subscribed half a dol
lar each, that would be better still. II is
not OF course. merely a question OF how
many people are interested In the Orchestra.
but how deeply, and how sincerely they are
interested. The fact that more people read
and write nowadays than read and wrote