New-York tribune., 1920-02-15
By H. E. Krehbiel

There Is at least one cause for graf
ifcation in the announcement made last
Thursday of the engagement of Mr..
Willem Mengelberg as coadjutor to Mr..
Bodanzky in the conductorship of the
New Symphony Society. BY implica-
ton it means that Mr.. Bodanzky is not
to be lost to the opera. There was some
apprehension of such a misfortune
and it would be distinctly mis- sfortune
when it became known that he had ac-
cepted the dictatorship of the organi
zation after the artistic failure of it's
first pair of concerts. Operate tram
mels are irksome to men born to lead
ership in music the world over. For
them the goal lies in the symphonic
: field. Opera means drudgery, compro-
mise with ideals and intellectual stag
when the tendency in the lyric theater,
wrought by the decay in the art Of song
and the degradation of public taste, is
toward invitation to the eye and licen-
toward an appeal to the higher facul-
ties Of the mind and emotions. The
downward trend seems to be irresistible
and the longer it continues the more
rapid and powerful it will become.
The poison has been injected into
the repertory Of the Metropolitan
Opera House, where in respect Of a
display of vulgar animalism Miss
Farrar has revealed at least willing
ness to meet Miss Garden upon what
had been an undisputed field for more
than a decade and to strive to outdo
her. BY the side Of this pandering ia
prurient appetites has been placed an
effort to lift pictures over perform
ance, to substitute decoration for
drama, show for song, upholstery fol-
uplift, integument for intelligence, trap
pings for taste, meretriciousness for
merit. Under such circumstances 1t 1.
not to be wondered at that musicians
Of high aim should long for enfran-
chtsement from what they look upon
as a slavery to which opera condemns
them and whose fetters singers, di-
rectors and the public have combined
to make heavier and more CALLING from
year to year. They see no release save
IN reform of the repertory, and tt
such a reform they see an obstacle il
the degradation Of popular taste which
managers must follow if they wish t<
continue opera on its feet.
MIR. Bodanzky's Labors Here
A year ago 1t seemed likely that 1,
the New Symphony Orchestra becam.
firmly established organization
through the efficient labors of Mr.. Bo
danzky the inevitable result would be
his departure from the metropolitan
Opera Company. That, we felt, woule
be deplorable, for since his coming, ii
the season Of 1s15-re, he has bee,
associated with the most dignihed por
tion of the institutions activities. H,
came to take the place Of Mr.. ALFRED
Hertz, in command Of the German list
which was not@disturbed until tn
United States entered into the Worl,
War. When the war broke out he wa
conducting the opera at Mannheim
and he being an Austrian diploma
help had to be invoked to get the con
sent Of the British and French govern
ments to his departure from Germany
In his first season his natural sym
pathies and political affiliations wer
subjected to a severe strain, for h
was in his chair at the metropolitan
Opera House when the announcement
was made from the stage that Presi
Asnt Wilson had asked the Congress t
declare that a state of war existe,
between the United States and Ger
many. He had already made up hi.
mind, however. to make America hi.
homo, and did not finch in the face OF
ths populsr demonstration which
xrsstsd the announcement. Instead he
directed the orchestra In an i'm
4seUptu performance Of "Ths Star
10an11s6 1anns1S Throughout that