New-York tribune., 1921-05-22
BY RI. E. Krehbiel

We have recently devoted consider
able time and space to discussion
Of some of the evils from which or
chestral music is suffering. Our OBJ
servations were confined to New York,
but they might have been extended and
found applicable, some Of them at
least, to the other cities of the United
States in which efforts are making to
maintain what are called permanent"
orchestras. This term, at best, is but
euphuism, for the constituent ele-
ments of the bands change from year
to year. The permsnency of the or
ganizations, moreover, Is like that of q
reed--iiable to be destroyed by any
errant blast of wind 1t rests upon the
philanthropy, good will, complacency
OF, whim of score or so of men and
women of wealth whose wish and will
ingness to preserve the organizations
are kept on q strain by the continually
increasing exactions of the musicians
conductors and players) who are
their chief beneficiaries.
The conditions which prevail in New
York prevail also in other cities. From
an article by Mr.. Richard Aldrich,
printed in The Times newspaper a few
weeks ago, we learn that the unselfish
promoters of the orchestras in Mime
apolis, San Francisco and st. Louis
are confronted by the same obstacles
which are giving Mr.. Flagler and the
directors of the Symphony Society
pause here. The citizens of Philadel-
phia have raised superb endowment
fund for the orchestra conducted by
Mr.. Stokowski (Which also draws on
New York for support) and have been
met by increased demands for re-
muneration by the musicians.
s<"Boston and Chicago have not been
heard from in the general chorus of
complaint" says Mr.. Aldrich. "The
Boston Orchestra is still outside the
union and the dissensions over the
question of tunionizing' that came near
disrupting the organization last season
are not yet wholly forgotten. The Chi
cago players are less insistent than
those in other cities; the conditions OF
their work and the provisions of the
we'll. developed pension fund apparently
being considered a compensation to
some extent for higher pay. The Los
Angeles Orchestra is backed by o man
who views a financial drain without
dismay."
Since this was printed the trustees
of the Boston Orchestra have an
nounced a curtailment of the annual
itinerary of the organization without
however, removing New York from the
list of cities to be visited next season.
We have heard, also, that the deficit
for the year juc4 ended will be about
s6oo0o-a sum which the trustees
Drobably do not consider an exorbitant
price for independence, devotion to
which still fingers among the descend
ants of the participants in the his
torical tea party. Mr.. Aldrich suggests
as a possible remedy for disastrous
financial outcome of the concerts in
New York that the price Of admission
to them be increased, as had been done
by the managers of the opera, theaters
and moving picture shows, but ex'
presses doubt of the efficacy of such
action.
How Musical Taste Is Being Degraded
We are weary of the commercial as
pect of the problem and shall add noth
ing more to the discussion. There ar'
artistic questions which crowd upol
our attention quite as urgently as d'
the financial. How the two phases ar
intertwined we leave to the dlscernmen
nf thoughtful persons with one expires
zion of conviction: the effort to "popu
larize" (also to "democratize") orches
tral music is bringing about stead
degradation of musical taste In Tn
community.
~ How so? Where is the evidence an
what the stature Of the proof? W
eonfess we are somewhat at los
for a forum to which we can presen
our case We cannot ask declslo
favorable to our contention from tn
conductors, for to great extent sne
are TO blame for t. aesthetic de
,yeneracy which we are deploring. W
cannot accept the verdict which hnd
expression in the behavior
audiences, because the expression
some cases is not an impartial Judf
,ment and in others betrays the deca
(which we are lamenting.
We say the judgment has not bee
Impartial because the vicious elemer
e. the claque--a professional claque-
has entered into the concert room. "
do not consider this large factor 6
an influence; but it is significant, d
plorably significant, as symptom to
considered in the diagnosis of the case.
We say that there have been e.
pressions in the behavior of audience
which have betrayed the popular d.
cay in the appreciation and taste ft
good music. Such an expressio
: PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINERS