Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-20
THE CRITIC Talks B
TO MUSIC LOVERS
Weekly Comment on Things Musi.
cal In Discriminating
Phitudelphia
.R. THADDEUs RICH,

giving an attack Of heart foiluro :.
those regulars" Of the audience 10 A.,
Philadelphia Orchestra who have tooa
following the recent troubles of ~.
Boston Symphony Orchestra. After tho
Cesar Franck symphony had been a.
ished and Mr.. Stokowski had left ~.
stage before the appearance of Katb..
rine Goodson, the soloist, the aud;ono.
was amazed to see the concertmastos
calmly leave his place in the orchost,.
and walk off the stage.
No other member of the orchestra ,,,,
his position and visions Of "ruction,!
similar to that which the Boston Orcbe,.
ira has just been experiencing passed
wildly through the heads Of those in tbo
audience who are familiar with ths
troubles OF that organization. However
the excitement was short lived. for a,
the entrance to the stage Doctor R;ch
met Harry Wiegand, who does NAM
things very well for the Philadelnh,s
Orchestra other than take care OF tha
music-no small job by the way-Snd
arrange the scores for Mr.. Stokowsp,
when the conductor desires them. Mr.
W iNbohu w NlT. Nlcn TINT M
intermission that evening came after tho
concerto and not after the symphony ,s
the concertmaster thought and as in
fact 1t usually does. Mr.. Rich returned
to the first violin desk amid applousa
and what promised to be Sensation
met speedy death.
1t was Immediately apparent to ,bo
audience what had happened and more
than one person thought it strange that
Mr.. Rich did not notice that none of tIs
other musicians left their chairs. These
| persons, however. are not familiar with
the branch of orchestra routine which
relates to the conduct of the PLAYERS
outside of their musical performance
WHBN the conductor of well disc.
w plined orchestra leaves the stage
| after the completion of q number tbe
members of the orchestra are under tbs
tacit direction of the concertmaster and
no player may leave his seat until the
concertmaster rises. Therefore when the
applause had ceased and Mr.. Rich arose
to leave for what he thought was the
| intermission, 1t was only natural tha,
he should pay no attention to the ac.
tions of the other members of the or.
chestra, supposing them to be following
him out at their convenience. The
humorous part of the amusing little
incident was that Mr.. Rich was the
only member of the orchestra who could
! do this, as no other player could make
a move to leave until he rose.
incidentally, the question Of the
stage manners of a great orchestra is a
rather important one and no othCg or
chestra which plays in Philadclphla
is the equal of our own in this matter,
in the conduct of the conductor and the
members toward both the sooist and
the audience. For example, all the
members of the Philadelphia Orchestra
remain on the stage from the time they
enter until the concert is over, whether
they all have parts to play in the nun
bers on the program or not.
This may seem like small matter.
but it certainly looks much better than
to have a dozen or more men leave the
stage after a Wagner, Strauss or some
other heavily scored number because
| they have no part to play in the sue
ceeding number or numbers. Not only
does il seem to be lacking in rcspect
for the sOloist or audience as the case
may be, but the empty seats do not oos
well from the floor of the auditorium
( A CASE in point occurred at a concert
/ n given this season by a visiting or
chestra. The conductor had placed the
soloist last on the program and. as Il
happens, the concerto chosen by the
solOist was scored rather lightly after
the preceding part of the concert. No
sooner had the number preceding the
concerto been completed. than fully
dozen men leaped to their feet and
"beat it"--no other words Adequately
describe their celebrity of action
This has happened many times with
visiting orchestras and there was
time, and not so many years ago either,
when it was customary for the non
performing members of all orchestras 10
leave the stage when the composition
to be performed was not scored for the
instrument which those men played, 1t
is not vital matter and it most as
suredly does not affect the playing Of an
orchestra, but it certainly does not look
well and tacitly argues against the dis
cipline of an organization in which 1t is
permitted.
THE troubles Of the Boston Orchestra
l. evidently are due if great measur"
TO the relaxation Of the strict discipline
which prevailed there for so many year.
under Gcricke. one of the most severe oil
drillmastcrs and diSciplinarians; Paur:
Nikisch, Gericke again, Fielder and
Muck. This was apparent at the frst
concert conducted here by Mr.. MonteuI
year ago last fall and at the second
concert, conducted by Mr.. Rabaud'
though not at his first, and grew stead
lily more fragrant as the season pro-
greSsed
The French leaders are notoriously
lax in their discipline and the change ID
the Boston Orchestra due to this inter
nal condition was noted in the columns
of the EVENING PUBLIC Ledger re-
peatedly after the concerts of the OF.
Chestra. 1t is earnestly to be hoped ina,
some solution of the present trouble VIII
be discovered. but If it Is. return 10
the s.id discipline of the earlier days
of t.e organization will probably pe
T, found to be one of the main elements
There are too few great Orchestras 10
the United States to have one OF Iue
finest, an organization which IN itS uas
under real conductors had no rival iu
this country and but few in the wGt'a,
lose its high artistic position. But u
going to take clear thinking and u
definite understanding OF the rra,
trouble in order to make things rlS"'
again.
WHY did not the management oi 'us
w Philadelphia Orchestra carry 0us
again this season the excellent pau
adopted last season, and for some reason
abandoned, of putting the time rcquF.S
to perform each concert AZ the ioS' ~
the page containing the program
took up practically no room ana was W
, value to a large number OF persons
For example, there are many cohcrih ho
Of InNNn