The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10

of the week which has just passed and
will be played again this afternoon by
the Symphony Soclety's orchestra under
Walter Damrosch. II was given last
Sunday by the Philharmonic Society
and on Monday by the Philadelphia
Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski. Mr..
Damrosch and his men performed il
on Friday afternoon.
George Engels, manager Of the local
symphony orchestra. wrote letter to
newspapers complaining that NJ. Dam
rosch had announced the work ST. 6ng
ago that Mr.. StokowsN ought to have
known that he was going to play 1t
this week and should not have done
the same thing himself. Whereupon
Ralph Edmunds, manager of the Phila-
delphia Orchestra, wrote an answer and
said that Mr.. Stokowski had announced
his programme for last Monday in this
city twenty days before Mr.. Damrosch
had Informed the public that he was
going to give this symphony.
Meanwhile Br'er Stransky. like Br'er
Rabbit. "he lay low" As all music low
ers land readers OF the Ercnmg POSD
know, Mr.. Stransky Is the conductor
OF the Philharmonic Society. lie put
this particular TschailIowsky compost
ton on his programme for last Sunday
and thus preceded both the warning
directors. No one has accused Mr..
Stransky OF anything. except ndeh-
nitely, up to the present time.
The musical reviewer of THE Sun is
not called upon to express any opinion
as to the merits of this particular case.
although he may remark in passing
that II looks more like an unintcntional
muddle than such things customarily
do The records OF past seasons for
years back go to show that II certain
important composition has been idle
for time and some one of the numerous
conductors who appear in this town
puts it on a programme the others
or at least some OF them-promptiy do
the same thing.
And then they always declare that
they did it quite in the ordinary course
Uf events. One will assert that his
programmes were all arranged in the
previous spring and coul1 not possibly
he changed Just because some other
musician was trying to steal his thun-
der. Another will declare that the
performance of this particular work
is part of a carefully organized artistic
plan which cannot now he disturbed
Mr.. Chase has presistently said in
THE EVENING Sun that there oughs to
be enough music lovers in New York
TO hear four performances of any i'm
por,ant symphony in one week This is
incontestably true; but it is also I'M
deniable that there are not. The con-
ductors say. and with reason that the
same people do not go to the concerts
OF the different orchestrds. This Is per-
fectly true as far as 1t goes. The whole
audience at the Boston Symphony con-
cert is not composed of persons who at
tend the entertainments of the Phil
harmonic Society or Mr.. Damrosch :
organization.
But the fact is that con siderable
number of them are the same because
the inner circle of true music lovers in
this city is comparatively small and
most OF these lovers try to hear all the
great performances. The nucleus OF
the audience at the kneisel Quartet con-
certs, for example, consists of people
who go to the important orchestral con-
certs and to the opera
The vast majority OF the people who
support the Metropolitan do not go to
any other musical entertainments than
those provided by that institution.
These people regard themselves as
music lovers; but the general music
lovers do not agree with them. With a
real music lover love for the art must
embrace the highest. which means the
most independent forms. But these real
music lovers all 90 to the opera. be-
cause that Is an art form and they get
JOY from that also.
II than a knJ,. ,,,,,,i1
lovers go from one musical performance
to another the conductors cannot with
wisdom leave them out Of account in
making their plans. On the contrary. II
any musical enterprise outside the
opera, which is perhaps social more
than a musical institution. Is to have a
permanent prosperity in this town II
must rely largely for il on the interest
OF the most cultivated lovers OF music.
Therefore, to use the language OF
commerce, IT Is not a good business
proposition" for any conductor tc
hasten TO put on his programme the
symphony which some other conductor
IL about 10 give, THE Suns reviewer
has noted with interest and with some
amusement that local conductors. wht
invariably arrange their plans in tn,
spring, are so farsighted that they fire..
quently just escape playing the sym,
phony on the Boston Orchcstrd's New
York programme OF the same week.
Or is it possible that Or. Muck, sail,
ing for Europe (ss an foreign musician,
do) the morning after his last concert
has all the New York announcement,
sent after him that in the seclusion OF
mis- summer home he may plan his mex
winters programme so that he vii
challenge the local New York or
chestras?
6or years and years these marvellous
condolences have been happening, ant
the explanations have never varied. S,
perhaps none Of the conductors can b,
offended II this writer tells Just how (
looks to the man in the seat. II an,
one Of them is offended. il may as wei
he added, this ohronicler of musica
doings will be sorry; but the appear
anoo of things viii De the same; an