The sun., 1916-04-16
BY W. J. HENDERSON.

morning after Philade phia
had successfully invaded New
York and discharged the fulncss of
Gustave Mahler's eighth symphony
upon il. a younger and more alert !
person sat beside him thouphtfu!.y
reading the advertising signs under
the roof OF the car. Suddenly she
said:
How foolish 10 write such long
criticisms OF the Mahler symphony"
why. 1t was an important event
In the activities of music in this town
and II called for extended
"Oh. yes. | know all about that !
But the whole thing could have heen
put in one line DoG't YOU remember
what Beethoven inscribed on the score
Of the Pastoral symphony
"of course, but what on earth has
that to do with it,
"Oh. | Just thought that one might
say OF this eighth symphony that it
was Mehr Mahcrei ais Ausdruck
der Emptindung.
Whereupon the heavy eyed man sub
sided
Some Of the comments made on the
symphony OF MAILER were interesting
because Of their suggestions one
newspaper was moved TO wrath be-
cause more excitment was caused by
the symphony than had been caused
By the conducting of Maher when he
was at the head of the Philharmonic
Society. But as this paper correct,
noted. there was no campaign of ad-
vertising in favor OF Mr.. Mahler.
Nothing whatever was done except
n ,h
the greatest conductor in Europe had
, been secured at an extraordinary
price and that in fact he could not
have been engaged at all had not the
Metropolitan Opera House agreed to
take part of the burden. OF course IL
was admitted that he had ALREADY been
conducting AT the Metropolitan and
that he had been brought to this
country by that effete institution then
directed by one Conried. But memory
Insists that no small fuss was made
about the engagement, OF Mailer.
Memory also recalls with great dis.
tnctness the energy OF the campaign
or slander. public and private. which
was carried on against those few
newspaper writer's who declined 10
praise everything done by Mah.er
withou, consideration OF its actual
merit. However, let us grant what
Is quite true The production Of the
eighth symphony was advertised much
more skilfully than the conducting OF
Mailer.
AS this observer of musical doings
sat in his familiar seat surveying the
historic scene there came to him slowly
but Overwhelmingly perception OF
the true centre of the event Some
800 chorlsters clad in black and white
hlled the big stage and faced the great
audience. In front OF them the val.
liable Philadelphia Orchestra sat
stretched across the extension OF the
stage into the auditorium
racing tn" stage. in seats and boxes
IN serried rows rising from the "a
Quet floor To the topmost gallery. n
remarkable audience sat absorbed In
II were the leading representatives OF
the musical life Of this city. Pader-
ewski and Frank Damrosch sat in the
Morgan box. DE Coppet, father Of the
flonZaleys. and Guillaume Stengol
were in another box. Rubin GoldmarI;.
Reginald de koven and Paolo Bal
leo represented the musical club life
or the town. Pianists. composers
-e'', ''o"i'Is's ana ceiiists were
'e's"here' ANA among them were
'"' nv" ana 'he women VINO support
sueh institutions as Inc New York
s"pi'o'is Socie'y' the fhi!narmonic,
"' N'e'se' quartet the MUSICAL Art
'o.",',
And in the very centre with his face
10 the great chorus and his back 20
'n' """iehce was the real pivot upon
m",cn 'he "hoie thihS huns. Leopold
'.'N""shi' conductor OF the Phlladel-
P'"' 'rc"eS'r"' Wh'm ih,ladelphia ad-
'''' H'r'''"lN ana Oh whofn she
""' "''H'""sIE "hiis the suress
'"., ''"o 10 Se' r'd'
,'.' Guy i've VIII hot ieaVe he
S' ,s JUST yet hnt II fhi'a-
"e'p''' 'e,'eNes 'hat Mr' Stokowski
'sS','''"i 'o h'r h'usicai develop
i"'"'' '' her oecHhe 10 permit MN
W c"h'uc' great concerts IN New York.
Inns ~ piece OF perfectly disinter-
esteo auNlce The SUNS musical
chrohicler would he delighted to see
'hr' olokoWskl New YORK condnc-
tor' II" mas personality, force. author
ity' temperament scholarship AMI
lniasiiatioh his conducting OF the
Mahler symphony was mastery lie
would I've valuable FACTOR In the musi-