New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-09

IL
Wha- value to artists have concerts
given before audiences composed wholly
or almost wholly Of deadheads? The
phenomena OF such audiences are grow
ing enormously in number and dimen-
sions. Singers, pianists and violinists
who come unheralded to New York from
other cities or from the studios of the
metropolis nave of late taken to hiring
the biggest concert rooms in town and
filling them by the device of distribut-
ing orders which are redecmable in
tickets with seat coupons on the pay
ment of the war tax. At recital in
Carnegie Hall recently the outer doors
of the building had to be closed for
while to give the men in the box office
time to empty the lobby into the audi
torium.
The persons who bought tickets
would probably not have half filled the
smallest concert room in town, yet the
artist played before at least $500 per-
sons. many of whom had evidently
never been inside Of Carnegie Hall be
ton from their conduct and appear
ance. The spectacle made a habitue Of
the place want to go away because he
could not feel at home among so many
strangers. And the audience gave
rouse to the artist as soon as he
stepped out on the stage and applaudcd
frantically at every stopping place in
the music. it was all very puzzling to
the veteran observers and chronclcrs
of musical incidents, for it has been
one OF their traditional beliefs that the
people who pay nothing for an enter
tainment are the most ungrac ously
ohary in the bestowal of the signs of
appreciation. Perhaps the war tax of
ten or fifteen cents on each ticket has
wrought the change. Then, if indis-
criminate applause has measurable
value for the artist (it certainly has
none in art) he may have felt justified
in paying for the privilege of hiring
the hall and playing for nothing before
so many people. The money given in
exchanging the ticket orders for tickets
went to the government, of course, and
there could be nothing left for hall
rent. managers commission ard artists
compensation.
Of the artists who have given con-
ccrts of the kind generally described
as recitals this season, about a dozen,
we should say, have profited by them
financially. All the affairs, however,
81
mcnt. which might lead some persons
to think that patriotic promptings
we're sometimes behind them. But we
can scarcely believe that unselfsh
altruism is q strong ingredient in
the compound of artistic nature. Be-
sides, if the desire were purely one to
prl money into the NAV OF q govern
mort made ravenously hungry by war
l. could have been much more cheaply
and oiiicaciously fulfilled if instead Of
paying. say, 5000 (Which is about the
smallest sum for which q metropolitan
concert can be given), for the privi-
lege of playing or singing in public,
every one of the two or three score
artists who have given recitas this
season had contributed one-half, or
even ne-quartcr of that sum to the
government, its receipts would have
been much larger than they can pos
sibly have been from the 10 per cent
on the face value Of the tickets taken
a. the doors. Which reflection reminds
Us of true story.
good many years ago there dwelt
in New York pianoforte teacher
whose genial disposition won him
many friends, among them the late
William Steinway, about whose ware
rooms in East Fourteenth Street the
teacher had his lesson room-or in
professional cant, his studio The
teacher fell sick, and on his recovery
some kind friend, or his own fertile
mind, suggested that a benefit concert
might replenish a depleted pocket
book. He went to his friend Steinway
and laid the proposition before him.
"Vs~y well, Charley" said Mr.. Stein
way, You can have the hall for
nothing" and the teacher went away
to give IAN hour" Gas the Germans
term a lesson), in fifteen minutes. 1t
was one Of his favorite expressions:
Wait for me, I've an hour to give;
I'll be back in fifteen minutes" Then
no returned to the room in which Mr..
Steinway's many pensioners we're wont
TO receive their largesses.