New-York tribune., 1919-03-30
BY n. T.. krehbicl


end tho scvcnty-seventh year of It's con
tinuous activity and bring what may be
called the official symphonic year to a
close. II will not mark the conclusion
OF orchestral activity in New York, but
we are obliged to make an arbitrary
terminal date IL we wish to attempt
summary Of results, and the date is
obviously suggested by the conclusion of
the subscription concerts by tho cstab-
lishcd orchestral organizations. AS a
sonal beginnings and ends to the musical
activities OF New York, though there are
points at which tho professional re-
viewer knows that things of artistic pith
and moment start and stop. We shall
have another visit from the Philadelphia
Orchestra, the Sunday night concerts Of
the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (Which
is symphonic in structure and capacity
even if it does not include symphonies
in its programmes), will continue till
the end of the opera season, there are
some sporadic meetings of lesser bands
still to be heard and a new Symphony
Society which purports to be based
partly on the plan on which the Phil
seven years ago, has announced its pur-
pose to give four concerts in April and
two in May. Then the summer concerts
will begin. All these things must be
left out of this hurried review, Of course.
If there were some means of discov-
ering how much orchestral music of the
highest class a community can assimilate
TO its own good and that of the art it
find standard for the musical culture
of New York in the records before us.
But unfortunately no such standard
exists. We cannot find it in the num-
ber of concerts given, nor in the esti
mated statistics of attendance, nor in
the financial outcome. The first item
can be arrived Mt with reasonable
accuracy. Since the first week of Oc-
tober the people of New York have had
opportunity to attend about 175 concerts
which. since only 172 days were com
passed by the period, is An average of
one concert day. The stupendous fig
ure which would result from All esti-
mate of only 1000 at each concert,
speaks for itself concerning the second
item. AS for the third, that is locked
up In the secret chambers of the mind
to which the managers only hold the
keys. From the experiences of the past
few years, however, it is safe TO con
elude that the financial results have
beeh gratifying only to one class Of
persons concerned, that is, the per
formers who have received the money
paid by the public. plus the eentfbu-
tuhs Of the generous patrons whose
hehefsetiehs have made the concerts
possible, tr wa estimate this patriotic
iaFgess at 100000, wa Trims We are
safely within the minimum, The indl=
cations Of d larger material patronage
than last year or the year before that
have not been obvious to the observers
familiar with the physlognomy of the
paying audiences of the city, but the
evidences of a larger free attendance
have been many. Concerning that phase
of local concert life we INDUCED in some
observations short time ago. 1t is a
gratifying reflection only to one who
can see growth of popular appreciation
OF high class music in the increasing
number Of persons who can be per-
suaded to give it hearing which costs
them nothing, or at best, only the war
tax on the price of tickets. We are in
no better position to judge Of the Or
chestral situation in New York from
this point of view than in any of the
other cities which maintain such organi-
zations - Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia
and Cincinnati, for instance-but the
impression derived from inquiries, made
without pessimstic aims in the least,
have forced upon US the conclusion
that financially the results have been
moro discouraging than ever before.
For this, two causes present themselves
to even moments reflection. One is,
the epidemic of sickness; the other, the
increasing burdens laid upon the pub
lie by the war. The latter cause might
have been modified in degree had the
multitude that were benefited by the in
crease in wages been of the concert
going class. But the prodigality which
attended the increase in earnings of
handicraftsmen and others did not dis
close itself in the encouragement of art
IN any Of its loftier phases. To drive
TO work in ones own car was more
desirable than to hear hundred sym
phonies. There is considerable stability
in human nature. We question if
angelic wings have put forth pin feath-
ers even in the chambers of the Paris
peace ommission--despite the length Of
the breeding process.
When Dir. Wilson has completed the
regeneration Of the world it may be
possible TO think in terms of pure art
in considering the activities OF our or
chcstras. AS yet, ideal considerations
are cIoggcd with those that are mate
rialistic, gross and earthly. We ought TO
eat 70 live and not live TO eat and or
ehestrss ought 70 give concerts TO make
music, not make music in order to give