The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-09
National Symphony
Orchestra Gives Its
Opening Concert
Ossip Gabril0witsch IL Sol0ist
and Artur Bodanzky Condue-
tor as Season Starts.

At Carnegie Hall last evening tir Ma
tonal Symphony Orchestra gave the
tirst Of series OF concerts which can
APPLY be described as little short OF
overwhelming In number and beyond
conjecture in possibilities. Among the
possibilities. indeed. Is the extinction
OF less vigorously supported orchestral
! activities Performance OF orchestral
| music is not self-sustaining industry
| ana the unimpassoned observer must
1 wonder how a demand for something
IKE loo entertainments by local organi-
| cations, TO say nothing OF those by
visitors from Philadelphia. Boston, Chi
cago, Detroit, the ;agoons OF the sea
ana the mountains of the moon, was
| discovered
| Happily the reviewer OF musical doings
need not concern himself with these
matters. If there are public spirited
men and women who enjoy paying the
dencits of orchestras let every one
reJoice and hasten to benefit by the
numerous opportunities 10 hear beautiful
music Well played
The National Symphony Orchestra
came into existence last season and,
! though laboring under disadvantage.
won respect and admiration chiefly
through the interest of Artur Bodan-
zkys conducting. This season finds the
orchestra reorganized, its personnel
1 significantly changed and its field en-
idrged not only by the increased number
OF concerts but by the engagement of a
second conductor, william Mengelberg
OF Amsterdam. Holland.
GabriIowitsch SoIoist.
The programme offered at the first
! concert was one of romantic character,
yet disclosing a conservatism sufficient
20 sansiy the elders among the listen
ers. Weber's "Freischuetz" overture.
the 3 flat piano concerto Of Brahms
and Death and TRANSPORTATION" by
Elchard Strauss We're the numbers.
Ossip Gabrilowitsch was the solost.
Inc music OF Richard Strauss had en-
Joyed Well earned rest. The last re-
corded performance of one of his work.
was that of the burlesque for piano
with orchestra at the New York SYM
phony Society's concert of October y.
Isi'' with Harold Bauer as the soloist
Inc unqualified Germanism of Mr.
Bodanzky's programme last evening and
the reintroduction of the art of the
llving embodiment of Prussian greed
ana materialism proved that for the
conductor at any rate. the war Is n
the audience appeared to share his
view. ''
Inc reorganized orchestra preserves
I'd some measure the qualities of las.
seasons body. The tone especially that
OF the strings. is vigorous, heavy and
opaque The brass wants refinement in
souha, but the wood wind as a whole |
IS or respectable merit The STYLE OF
the organization is, Of course, that of
us conductor. There Is little of thac |
luminous transparency which should be |
iotnd In orchestral playing of the high /
est order and the middle ranges of the |
dynamic scale are seldom held before
the auditor
Playing of Great yisor.
But in vigor, splendor of sweeping |
ilights' IN crashing boldness OF attack |
ana In burly mass effects this orchestra !
shines refulgent. 1t is not an instru |
inent OF the sunny morning but rather !
voice of the thunderstorm, suggesting
grand piles OF portentous clouds rent by |
dazzling flashes OF lightning. Such !
thoughts must have obtruded themselves !
upon some minds in the course of the |
performance OF the concerto II was the !
loudest delivery of this work within the |
memory OF ancient concert goers.
1t must. however. be borne in mind !
Bodanzky may perhaps find It more Judi
cious to present tho broader effects. such
as the stunning climax of the Strauss |
work. while the orchestra is raw and 10
defer the elegancies and deicacies till 7
time and custom have polished his in
strument. But there Is room for s,ls-
picion that the heavy artillery appeals
powerfully to the conductor His emo
tons seem to clamor for an expressive ,
idiom not unlike that OF James Mac
pherson. who always rode I'm the heart
OF the storm. like the Valkyrs In Act III.
Seen I'm the Audience.
With Mr. Clarence f. Mackay. presi-
dent of the orchestra, in a box were
Mr.. and Mrs Charles Dana Gibson and
the Misses Katherine and Ellin Maclay.
Jonkheer DR.. w II. de Beaufort. coun-
seHor or the Legation OF the Neither
lanus IN washington, heard the concert
"th Dr. Louis Keller and some members
~ ~ legation staff from another box
r'S and Mrs. Otto H. Kahn were mem
GERS OF o party in an adjoining box.
me guests OF Mrs. Charles s. Guggen-
heiiner. vice president OF the orchestra.
and Mr.. Guggenheimr were Mr. and
Mrs william u. Dinsmore and Mrs
Henry Martyr Alexander.
Others In the audience were Mrs Sam
uel Untermyer, whose guests were Mr..
and Mrs. James +. ID. Lanier. Mrs.
Imre dc Josika Herczeg and Mr.. Alvin
Untermyer, Mr.. and Mrs George II.
Andrews, Mr.. and Mrs Walter T. Sal
mon Mr.. Lloyd Warren. Mr.. and Mrs.
Zlegler. Mr. Daniel Frohrnan.
Miss Marion Rockford and Mrs. Arthur
Sachs, whose guests included Messrs
Kurt SCHNEIDER and PAM poir,ore