Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-01
THE CRITIC TALKS
TO MUSIC LOVERS
Weekly Comment on Things
Musical in Discriminating
Philadelphia
A N audience which filled virtual,

A N audience which filed virtually
every seat in the Academy of
Music on Saturday night two weeks ago.
besides overfowing into the chairs in
the orchestra pit. to near a concert OF
the Philadelphia Orchestra without
soloist, Is one of the best auguries which
the present season has afforded for the
future Of the art in this city. The time
was, and not so long ago at that. when
the attraction of a soloist and a promi-
nent one as well, would have been neces-
sary to insure an audience Of that size.
The concert seemed to be as much en-
Joyed by the audience as any which has
been given this season. Naturally, the
great Fifth Symphony OF Beethoven was
an attraction. The two modern works
played did not make any exorbitant de-
mands upon the Technique of hearing"
to coin a phrase. and the wall-balanced
program was OF just about the right
length. But there was more than this,
because, for some reason, the attitude
of the audience seemed to be more inti-
mate than at most of the concerts. They
were there to hear the music and not
because they were attracted by the play
ing or personality of any one person,
as Is the case when great soloist per-
forms. Therein lies the encouragement
which the evening must have given not
only to Mr.. Stokowski and the members
of the orchestra, but to every one in
the city who has the welfare OF the art
at heart.
This is by no means a diatribe against
the art of the soloist; 1t Ia just as es-
sential for us to hear the great solo
players as well as to hear purely
orchestral numbers, and they are always
listened to with pleasure and musical
profit But the main point Is that such
audiences as that OF the last Saturday
tDdirata qfrCrQlv that
pie are now assuming higher attitude
toward the music itself which no longer
requires the attraction of n soloist to fill
the house.
TNHANKS to this changed attitude Of
i the music lovers Of the country. the
day of the player who seeks merely to
dazzle by display Of technical ability.
or to use the music as vehicle by
which his own musical personality may
be exploited, has gone forever Not that
a great technician cannot fill the con-
cert hall for a season or two; the Amer
ican public still retains its desire TO be
thrilled and probably we shall never out
grow II, even IL this were to be wished
for, which II is not because this would
indicate a mental slowing UP which is
not desirable either from a national or
a musical standpoint.
But the soloist who has nothing but
this to offer will not last. He may be
successful for a season or two, but after
that the experience of the last few
years has shown that he will fall upon
evil days. Ole Bull and Remenyi were
types of this style Of playing, and 1t
is doubtful IL they could long maintain
today the popularity which was theirs
half a century ago. and maintained by
both for many years. even with the in
tense personalities which both men un-
questionably possessed.
Remenyi, incidentally, has one unique
claim to permanent fame, for it was
while he was on a concert tour in Ger
many, with no less person than
Johannes Brahms (then a young mani
acting as his accompanist. that Joachim
attended one of the concerts. Appar-
entity, he didn't pay much attention TO
Remenyi, but with an unerring ear, he
spotted" the possibilities of the young
accompanist and after the concert,
sought him out and introduced himself.
Then began that friendship which ended.
only with the death Of Brahms and
which was to play 30 prominent a part
in the life of the great composer. and
do SO much to make his path smoother.
Joachim gave him letter to Schu-
mann. who, with characteristic kindness,
gave him another letter to his own pub
fishers, and with the help of one of
the greatest composers and one of the
greatest violnists of all time. Brahms
was enabled to get his compositions be-
fore the public without that weary wait
and struggle which has been the lot of
SO many great composers. And in pass
ing. IL may be mentioned that that pub
lie. although the most musical in the
world, was not yet ready either music
ally or temperamentally, to receive
them.
yNHE idea of going to a musical per-
i formance to hear the performer
more than to hear the work doubtless
had its origin In the opera, which is
many years older than the symphony.
, The first opera was given in Florence
in 1900, while the first real SYM
phony can hardly be said to have
been composed until after Haydn had
perfected the idea Of two contrasted
themes and worked out the details OF
sonata form as we know them today,
which must have been somewhere
around 1850 to 1850.
There was then and still Is much
more excuse for going to the opera to
hear the singers than to go to an or
chestral concert to hear soloist, Re-
member, now, we are speaking only OF
that body of concert-goers who used TO
20 TO every performance with soloist
and Skip the purely orchestral con-
certs. That body. formerly large. is now
small and from present indications Will
soon be negligible in size, at least In
Philadelphia,
The relation Of the audience to the
opera singers and why 1t differs from
those Of the audience to a symphony
orchestra Is a large subject and cannot
he discussed in the limits of this article,
an tha vary interesting interrela-