Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-02
DIR. KARL MUCK
AND u. S. ANTHEM
Boston Symphony Leaders Atti-
tude Revives Question of
Musical Prussianism

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spangled Banner" is played have hitherto
been innocent OF the fact that they were
suffering an embarrassment of their artistic
sensibllitles. Nationals of other countries
who have stood during the playing OF the
! anthem, paying courtesy to the land In
which they were staying, and following the
! conventional code Of International amenities,
were not aware that the performance was
insulting to them. Musicians of whatever
nationality in the personnel of bands or
orchestras have played the American ma
tlonal hymn at concerts without the mem
acing consciousness that they were doing
something destructive of musical art. Con-
ductors have placed THE Star Spangled
Banner" on their concert schedules minus
the sense that they wer -'inlng the har-
monte contour and studied integral char
acter of their programs.
DR.. Karl Muck, conductor Of the Boston
Symphony Orchestra, has discovered-and
uncovered--all these items He refused to
put "Tho Star Spangled Banner" on his
program earlier I'm the week at Providence,
r. l. He has indicated that he will not
put It on his opening program for the New
York season. His initial Philadelphia con-
cert is too far in the future to make the
performance Of the American anthem on
the program a momentous issue, although
its inspiring strains would be highly ap-
propriate in the city of the Declaration Of
independence The precedents of his re-
fusals indicate that he will maintain the
harmonic values and artistic unity of his
program by a palpable omisson-and dis
regard Of the legitimately patriotic feel
ings Of the people among which he is a
guest.
Doctor Muck's Standpoint
Here is Doctor Mucks standpoint--and
his defense;
why will people be so silly? Art is a
thing by itself and not related to any par
ticular nation or groups. Therefore 1t
would be a gross mistake-a violation of
the artistic taste and principles-for such
an organization as ours to play patriotic
airs
Does the public think that the Sym
phony Orchestra is a military band? Or
ballroom orchestra? No! The symphony
Orchestra is a classical musical organiza-
tion, composed of the finest musicians, with
varying temperaments and cultivated tastes.
To ask them to play some compositions
would be almost an insult.
"Art is international. All the nations at
war are represented in my orchestra.
we want no consciousness of national
differences in the orchestra. To Introduce
such thing would disrupt an organization
which has been thirty-six years in the
making.
'"To ask us to play The Star spangled
Banner is embarrassing. 1t is almost an
insult Such an attempt would be destruc-
tive of the very thing the Symphony stands
for-musical art. The public has no right
to demand it,"
In Difficult Position
Doctor Muck's attitude and defense OF 1t
revive the question of Prusslanism In music
during the period of the war He is al
legged to be pronouncedly pro-German in his
svmpathy, His private views he has
right to have and hold. He is, however,
a nublic character by virtue of his direc-
tion of one of the oldest and greatest Amer
lean orchestras. His private views need
try in which he is placed, but certainly
his opinions as an individual should not
contravene the public opinion of that ma
ton stubbornly and gratutously, He owes
both responsibility and courtesy to those
who make possible both the existence of
the orchestra which he heads and his own
opportunity for artistic expression of his
musical soul.
The Boston Symphony chiefs position is
a difficult one Certain sedate Hub citizens
awake each morning fearful that during the
night he has blown up the Harvard bridge
or twddled his thumbs to his nose at the
Sacred Goldfish AT time of going to press
the bridge still spanned the Charles River.
But Doctor Muck is metaphorically in the
position of twiddling his thumb. Even
though his policy is countenanced by Major
Henry L. Higginson, founder and Maecenas
of the Boston symphony, apparently 1t has
not occurred to either that his refusal to
comply with an established custom is in
sulting to the American audiences for which
the band plays, that II is embarrassing to
their patriotic sensibites to patronize con-
Certs in the consciousness that their national
hymn is tabooed and that good manners
and the sense of decency should surmount
a personal objection, no matter how deep
seated no matter though it is oloaked in
the guise of art.
Good Breeding and Good Art
Art camouhages many abuses In this
case II apparently is the last defense for a
pure antipathy and Teutonic will to domi-
neer. Doctor Muck rightly says that art
Is international 1t really should be super
national. Did he so regard IL broadly and
widely his artistic sensibilties would not
be outraged by inclusion of THE Star
Spangled Banner" on any program, however
symphonically perfected, Despite Doctor
Muck. the public has a right to demand its
performance 1t has a right to dictate to
its artistic servants, of whom Doctor Muck
is one-with the choice of returning TO Ber-
lin If he does not care to abide by its
wishes. There were conductors before Doc
tor Muck-bpth broad-mlnded and good
hammered, and Germans at that.
Even now Mr. Damrosch, of the New
York Symphony Society; Mr.. Stock, of the
Chicago symphony; Mr.. Stranslky, of the
Philharmonc-all Teutonic racially by birth
or derlvation-manage to play the Ameri-
can anthem without embarrassment TO their
artistic sensibilties or destruction of the
harmonic ideals of their program making
Here Mr. Stokowsk abdes by a venerable
custom, yet neither the spirit nor substance
of his program has been impaired by due
respect to the patriotism of his public.
The American people have no quarrel with
German music; the war has not lessened
their appreciation or enjoyment of Rec.