New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-06

~
York Symphony Orchestra to the fa-
cifc Coast and Of the Philharmonic DO
cietv az far Southwest as Texas are
dosperate adventures undertaken IN tn'
hope of profit, or to give occupation 70
musicians through the full season for
which they must be paid. They are sell
dom successful financially, and their
artistic value is confined to the mis-
sionarv labor which they may accom-
nlish in creating fields of usefulness for
J local centres hereafter. The question
I remains, then, whether it would not be
wiser for each orchestra to cultivate us
home field a little more intensively and
make less extensive excursions. Jersey
City. Newark, Paterson, Poughkeepsie'
Albany. the cities Of Central and South
ern New York are quite as much IN
need of orchestral culture as Houston
Tex, and quite as much entitled 10
/ the attention of the institutions whlch
have their home here in the metropolis
| OF course, this is all talk from a hu-
nnanitarian, an ideal, point OF view,
based on the theory that the orchestras
are cultural agencies from which bit
of the spirit of philanthropy may be
expected rather than enterprises con-
Quoted for a few beneficiaries (of
whom the conductors are frst). 'FRONT.'
{ able from a financial point Of view they
are notslikely to become so long as our
SOCIAL and economic conditions remain
as they are at present.
/ Orchestras are tremendously expen-
sive when conducted on the plan which
has come to be looked upon as essen
tial to permanency-that is, the plan
of engaging the players by the season
of eight months or so, in order to con-
troll all Of their time. AS matter or
fact, an orchestra organized on this
plan is no more permanent than one
the members of which are hired to play
at a number of concerts and left to
their own devices during the rest OF
the season. The finest illustration OF
permanency in the history of American
music was presented by the Philnar-
monte Society of New York during the
sixty-fve years or so when it was a
communistic, or cooperative, body OF
artists. The players gave the concerts
on their own account, enforcing the
4 discipline which is now sought TO De
bought with wages by system OF fines,
and taking their remuneration by shar-
ING the net receipts at the end of the
season. The distribution was pro rata
and the conductor shared the risk witt.
the players, his salary being number
of shares, of which the men could nave
but one each. In those days, whether the
share of profits amounted to S25 or slOO
for the series of concerts and pubic
rehearsals. there was never a thought
of dissolving the society or abandoning
the concerts. There are greater num-
her of concerts now, but no greater
amount of preparation for each pro-
gramme, and if the programmes and
performances of last season marked an
Improvement on those of the last ten
years of Theodore Thomas's regime, or
those of Anton Seidps, the fact has
escaped the notice of veteran patrons
of the society.
The way to permanency which looks
most obvious is an endowment; but as
10 how large an endowment ought TO be
to insure its purpose seems to be one
Of the things which experience has not
vet taught. The Boston Orchestra
endowment is Major Higginson himself
his mind. his heart. his taste, his
nbilanthrophy. 1t would be a great
privilege to search in the soul of Major
Hieginson for the answers TO the per-
plexing orchestral questions. The Bos-
ton Orchestra, if report which Is OF
GOOD repute be correct, would be a pay
ING institution if its activities were
confined to the Boston concerts. Hig-
ginson the fnancier would have no
trouble in calculating the size OF the
endowment which would be required TO
establish it on a permanent footing SO
far as Boston is concerned, and If he
were to lay away every year the sum
which the concerts in other cities cost
him it is not unlikely that he would
soon have g sinking fund equivalent to
the required endowment. But Major
Hioinson has had large notions Of ar
tis..c philanthropy ever since ne
founded the orchestra, and the con
certs which his orchestra gives outside
of Boston are an expression Of these
notions-a beautiful and pious express
sion, am convinced.
The Philharmonic Society Of New
York has an endowment which to ordi'
nary thinking might appear more sub
I