Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-02
ORCHESTRA OPENS
SEASON BRILLIANTLY
Enormous Crowd Hears Good
Concert, With the Tragedian,
Carlo Liten, as ''Soloist''

The Philadelphia Orchestra opened its sea-
son at the Academy of Music yesterday after
noon before audience that filed the build
ing to overlowing. Mr. Stokowski and the
members of the orchestra were received with
much enthusiasm. and showed their apprcca-
ton by giving a splendid concert. The three
weeks rehearsal which the orchestra has had
without being able to give their concerts on
account of the epidemic of influenza had a
marked effect upon the playing and the
balance and tone control was better by far
than it usually is at the first concert Of the
season.
The program, after the star Spangled
Banner" began with the Prelude and Angels
Farewell from Elgar's Dream of Gerontius. =
The work. which is relatively unfamiliar here
as revealed in the numbers performed, is in
teresting rather than of surprising tonal or
meodic beauty. but carries out accurately
the theme of the poem and is scored with a
keen sense of orchestral values
The '"soloist." IL he may properly be called
such. was the Belgian tragedan. Carlo
liten. who rected two poems of Cammaert' =
to an orchestral setting by Egar He re-
cited i'm French, but SO drama tically that
even those unfamiliar with the language We're
able to grasp easily the emotions set forth in
the verses The stage presence of Monsieur
Liten Is. of course. admirable, and he liter
ally acted the stanzas instead of merely re-
citing them. The musical settings are some
what unusual in the fact that much of the
verses are given without musical accompani-
ment. There is little attempt at thematic
development. the music consisting principally
OF the repetition of the theme with varying
orchestral color. In the first poem a Caril-
lon. Sing. Belgians, Sing" there is clever
though legitimate orchestral imitation of
bells and an artistic discretion In not over
doing the effect is shown. The second, THE
Belgian Flag" was decidedly martial both
In words and music and clearly portrayed
the heroism Belgium has shown in the last
four years. Monsieur Liten was recalled
many times at the c.ose OF the number
The chief number of the program was the
Fourth Symphony lin + minor) by Tschai-
kowsky. This is the symphony in which
Tschaikowsky first took his rightful position
a symphonic composer and harmonically.
melodically and In orchestral treatment 1t
clearly forecasts the fifth and the sixth, the
other . >eat members of this trlogy of sor-
row. Perhaps not so profound as the fifth
and lacking some of the intense emotionalsm
(not to say morbdity) of the sixth. it still
has In II the germ OF both Of the others~
The themes are In stronger contrast To each
other. and there Is often more than sug-
gestion of brightness. especially in the finale.
Mr.. Stokowski Is at his best in Tschaikow-
sky. and the orchestra responded elastically
long pizzicato passages for the strings and
the lovely trio for the reeds, especially
we'll played as well received.
When the audience assembled the stage
curtain was down. Before II was raised Mrs.
L. Howard Weatheriy. president of the West
Philadelphia womens committee. accom-
panied by Mr. Alexander Van Rensselaer,,
president Of the orchestra came on the stage.
The curtain then rose. showing a beautiful
new stage setting. the gift to the orchestra
OF the West Philadelphia women's committee.
Mr.. stokowski then Joined them ard was
greeted with generous applause. Mrs.
Weatherly presented the setting TO the
orchestra and il was accepted by Mr.. Van
Rensselaer,. Mr. Stokowski then led the star
Spangled Banner" after which he received
tremendous ovation and the concert season
was thus launched. The new setting is IN
excellent taste and greatly improves the ap-
pearance of the stage.
Another interesting feature of the decora-
tions was the first appearance of the service
nag of the orchestra. which hung at the
right Of the stage. II has eight stars. each
representing a member of the orchestra who
IL row at the front or In some branch OF
war work.