Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-04
IM&S1

@---H~N and played 10 more vacant
seats than people. hat Is easy enough
in the Auditorium, wnen one stops to
think, for the Auditorium is an enor-
nous building which seats at least
5000 people and which has been
known to accommodate as many as
5000 Gabrilowitsch was gracious
and played many extra numbers. Go
dowsky seemed most perfunctory, and
went through his program as rapidly
as possible, granting only one short
encore Every one present thought
lie was yexed al the small house,
which he probably was, but il was
learned altcrward that the Sunday
following the Friday OF his appear
ancc here was his tWenty-fifth we'd
ding anniversary which he was anxi-
Gus TO celebrate IN New York City
with bis vile, SO he was really play
ing against time in order 10 finish
aud catch the train which would get
him to New York for the anniversary
day, Perhaps If he had had his wife
with him as had Gabrilowitsch he
would also have been as gracious.
even though his audience was not
large
However. this incident turned the
writer's attention 10 the comparative
size Of the Omaha auditorium with
halls where similar concerts are held
IN New York City, which is known as
the musical center Of this county, and
the result OF little inquiry was quite
surprising. With the exception Of the
Madison Square Garden arena, which
holds l2,243, the Omaha Auditorium is
larger than any Of the important halls
ia New York inquired about. The
greater number Of New York recitals
are given in Aeolian hall and Carne
gle hall Aeollan hall is well situated,
beautifully appointed, and can accom-
modate between 100 and 800, Car
neRie hall Is considered in the metro
polls as an immense building, yet its
seating capacity is 900 or 100, ac-
cording to different reliable authori-
ties. The Metropolitan Opera house
holds $500, the Century Opera house
5000, and even the great New York
Hippodrome, which 10 known all over
for rs size, only seats 4.678. Outside
Of the New York Hippodrome, the
Omaha Auditorium has one Of the
largest stages III the country, and il
is known to have unusually good
acoustics for a hall OF its size. How
ever, in hall Of 5000 seats an audi
enec Of 200 looks five times as small
as in a hall Of 1000 capacity But
an artist will take much more salts
faction out Of playing IN hall Of 500
10 a packed house than he will in
playing 10 the same number IN a
larger hall where they are scattered
about in II There is an inspiration
and undefcurrent OF interest when
people are en- massc that is lost when
they are more widely separated IN
New York City great many Of the
smaller concerts are held in the Little
theater, which only holds about 200
or 500 This lends an air OF intimacy
which could not be obtained else
where. There arc halls in the country
which hold 10000, but Il is only upon
rare occasions that they are filled for
musical events.
YET il is seldom that we hear a Wis
ting artist in the Young Women's
Christian association auditorium,
which is the only small hall we have
available for concerts, although some
one recently remarked that il would
be nice II real first-elass small audi.
forum would be included in the plans
OF the new athletic club building
which could be used for smaller mu-
steal events The musical public av-
erages up about the same IN proper
ton 10 the population IN most Amer.
can cities. II anything il is probably
larger and more cosmopolitan IN the
smaller cities than il is in the larger
ones in direct ratio 70 the number OF
inhabitants In the larger cities a
different body OF people are devotees
OF different branches OF music some
Of the orehestras, some Of the opera
others OF pianists, etc. In the smaller
ones such as Omaha TO a great eN.
tent it is the same body OF people who
support every kind of musical event
which appears
New York with its millions of peo-
pic does not always furnish full
house for the great musicians, even
IN It's houses smaller than the Omaha
Auditorium aud about the size Of the
Boyd and Brandeis theaters, OF
course, there are other attractions OF
the same kind az the same time and
the really great ones give more than
one recital there during the season
But that allows many on the same
-.....E.fa t...Hfs "a L..
lpcaters rather than drawing "a new
audience for each recital la both the
large and small cities there are the
genuine music lovers and the cough.
FER" audiences. A "coughier" audi
rnee n a title Wholly new and origi-
nal with the musical editor. being d
/ little private name coined foe an eN.
Ira large audience which fills the cot
| Tiers ui the box office. bnl az she same
lume iilla thc hall Wiih MANY who are
mot very good listeners, Wha are ln
irrespective rather Than attentive and
who indulge Va considerable unneees
safN coughing during musiE Whiet
dives NOT appeal ia them
! THE wenutar music tower an3isnct'
iiN Omaha have EtHWu Efcaliy n ths
hst iow seasons aHa ga NWite nf th1
Iistt lNat WWt ni che Huif wnfIhy
iffgnah have nal been AZ sell pat
INnmrd AZ ihFy deserved e. ~. ibr
tWauftg have shown sHfF aud
tg88N growth hoth M ste avis bN
ItEHWnaIlNH a hah ri ttu in a tift
Amf AatMM a Fnnth lMMH tkMm Ia hat