Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-21
DR.. LEOPOLD SToKoWsKi
On IAN Open.MInded Audience"

A MORE tolerant and open minded atti-
n tude on the part of the music loving
public is asked for both modern Ind so called
old fashioned orchestral music by Leopold
Stokowski, conductor Of the Philadelphia
Orchestra. In an interiew, Mr.. Stokowski
stated that to secure this attitude IS almost
as important as to play the music itself.
among music lovers one finds two
classes of people, said Mr.. Stokowski,
"neithcr of whom represents the class that
I would like to see. The first holds that all
modern music is freakish and worthless, the
work of charlatans and poseurs, that 1t mas
no grateful melodies and that the ideas and
feelings which 1t expresses are oi 'ne A"u
dist variety.
The other class processes to admire the
work of the composers of the last decade or
so, whether it be impressionistic, cuolst or
simply intellectual. At the same time II
wants to throw into the discard all the
music of the past, holding that IL Is passe
and behind the times and not worthy OF the
serious attention of sophisticated persons.
Both classes are wrong, both are mar
row and both in their separate ways work
harm to the future development OF music.
II must be remembered, on the one hand,
that the music of the past, the so-called
classics, is judged by the work of the great
masters. of Beethoven, Bach. Mozart ialeS.
trina, But it must also be understood that
there we're many little men at that time and
that their work. even If it was not rewarded
with the laurel of greatness and did not
achieve immortality yet had its virtue IN
blazing the trail, in h.aking experiments that
provided the material on which the musical
giants of that time were able to puild their
noble and enduring structures.
Build Greatness on Less Gifted
"Msny composers Of whom we do not
even hear led to Palestrina, just as he led to
Beethoven, Bach and Mozart, and as still
others have led to Wagner or Debussy. These
men we're super -geniuses, 1t is true, but
they might never have reached the heights
Il they had not had the experience OF those
less gifted who went before them.
Similarly, our contemporary composers
ore not only expressing the spirit, the
thought, the feeling and the life OF the pres
ent time, but they are doing the expert
mental work which will make it possible for
ntbcr great masters to arise, the masters Of
the future, who, it is quite possible. may
equal the immortals of the past.
"But in order that they may play their
mart in the destinies of music, 1t Is neces-
sary that they be given a hearing; fair,
broad minded. appreciative hearing.
"The music lover attending an orchestral
concert should bear this in mind. When he
goes to a concert he should not only want
70 be edited and entertained, but he should
realize that he. too, has certain response
bility. In making up program try to
| please the lover Of the older music as well as
| the one who fancies our more modern crea-
tions. So I make provision for the former,
say in 50 per cent Of the program. Now
think it no more than fair that, having
| done that. the audience should be willing to
devote IS per cent of the evening to giving
their time and earnest and appreciative at
tention to enable new composers to get q
fair hearing.
"I ask that because it means that I have
| had to devote time that ] might otherwise
| use for my own recreation to the work oi
studying and analyzing and preparing for O
| performance these new works. / have beer
| in this city quite some time and will likely
remain for some time to come. / am prob.
ably at my highest point of development al
| far as musical experience goes, and still
have. youth and the enthusiasm that goes
with Il. So may fairly say am devotinI
the best years of my life to Philadelphia.
ITO give the older works exclusivel,
would make things very easy for me, but 1
would advance the city musically, nothing
First Judgment Not Best
''It does not follow that my choice Of pro
grams represents the works that / admir-,
and. love the most That would be an un
fair and selfish position to take, because
there are many other choices to consider
But II Is our duty to our contemporary com
! posers as well as to ourselves to insure thei