Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-20

standing near him, who remarked to her
companion. "oh, but they never open the
doors at the old Academy When they
once start" Late comers prolonged the
brief rests between numbers until the first
half Of the concert was over. At that
time the 200 standees were allowed to
! take what seats they could find. There
| we're a number Of vacancies downstairs,
! the tickets being, apparently, held by
| spectators.
Private detectives were strung about the
! Metropolitan and reported that speCula-
| tors were seen. but that they had not
dared to offer tickets The management
Of the Orchestra. which had taken all pos
slbe steps against seat-selling. expressed
Itself as being intensely pleased. II was
| clear that the method OF distribution had
been successful In placing tickets every
where Men and women and children
drove up In motorCars, taXicabs, came Tn
the street cars and thanks to the weather
walked to the house. So thorough and
impartial was the distribution that there
could be no separation of individuals into
social classes by their position in the au-
dtorium.
The orchestra was seated precisely a Is
tt customarily is at the a Academy. but in
stead OF the neutral background IL was
NlN'n N EOTBeOOS ana rather rOCOrO set
from Lucia di Lammermoor, without
tounentors and with "A false ceiling. This
set had been especially Communicated |
from New York. and mistake I'm ship /
mont caused it to be delayed, so il was /
not until II o'clock Saturday night that (
the stage was prepared. ne heraldic |
OF the background was not ex- /
actly In keeping with the Nibelungen /
but II served. The main |
thing, for everybody, was the music.
From the first raising of Mr.. StokowksHs
baton the audience settled itself into in
tense quct Occasional ripples of cough
ing disturbed various parts Of the house,
but there was no Whispering no rattling
of programs nothing but attention which
Sergcd on ndoratou The orchestra and
is conductor had a double Inspiration
the new audience and the new Circum-
stances which they desire to make per-
mancnt They played perfectly. and the
Metropolitan, which has long stood as
70 great enterprise. returned
Is the home OF music II proved an ideal
place for the orchestra. Inquiries made
If persons sitting In gallery under the
boxes. IN all parts Of the house, ana i'm
'estigation Sy interested individuals, all
pointed to the same declsion-that aCousti-
ally the Metropolitan is perfect The
'Waldwobeu." almost every note of
which Is soft and low, was heard per-
eCtly in the topmost seats The brass
llways prominent i'm this uru-rdm. had an /
Unusual shotgun effect at times, but the
nsemble playing of the orchestra was not
u all affected by the new conditions
Tho audience heard wisely and we'll Be
wcen parts a great deal of reading of
Programs was done probably accounting
or the stiffness which prevailed II
at first glance that to take music
Which demanded a thorough knowledge of
he whole ring for a first popular concert
VAS unwise. Wagner proved, however.
hat when properly played his appeal has
othing to do with the story he was try
NJ to tell. ,
There were only two disappointments
n the whole afternoon. First. those who
expected n comIc-opera attempt to stop :
Ir Stokowsk in the midst of the "Fu- .
eral March" had to be satisfied with tho /,
lusic without drama. Second. there
iere no professional "low-brows" and
0 professional "high-brows" to give =
ontrast to the occasion. Both classes IL
'orc represented but the members of >
ach were swallowed up in the vast mum v
er who came merely to hear, not caring =
ne way or the other about discussions =
nd desiring only to take advantage of
,e new opportunity \ novel method of
ltertainng guests from out of town was
lpplicd to hustesses, and was accepted ST
new delight was added to 1000 lives c,
he audience commented frequently on al
lie fact that there Is no concert scheduled in
nti January @, 1916. and on the addi- W
onal fact that but two more concerts q
re- promised The great enthusiasm with 81
hich the concert was accepted could pi
,sily be translated into desire for tc
ore. and yet more, rcpctitions. ne
@. V. $. tc