The New York herald., 1921-05-01


Orchestral concerts have undoubl
The National symphony Orchestra al
formances and three special concerts.
three, Erno Dohnanyi two and Artu
the season of this organization ends W
of the organization. The figure quo
with confidence that the Boston SYM
phony Orchestra has a deficit Of
S131 900, no one need be astonished
at the balance on the wrong side OF
the ledger OF the National Symphony.
Too many concerts. That Is the eX-
planation Of the unfortunate outcome.
For the National symphony was one
OF three organizations offering orehes-
tYal pleasures to New Workers. Next
winter there will he two orchestras,
and IL they content themselves with
so per cent. of the number of enter
1ainments given this season. the loss
ought to be at least something like 30
per cent. less. Orchestral concerts, as
we all know, do not pay their own
way They are an expensive luxury,
and music lovers who enjoy their de-
lights have to thank the generous
patrons Of art who sign the checks
for the deficits.
IL any one is asked 10 tell without
reference to records what was the out
standing element of this series or
orchestral concerts he will probably
answer without much hesitation.
Conductors" Does any one recall the
production of new composition of
great worth? Does any one remember
the name of a newly discovered COM
poser? II is hardly likely. But every
one can speak spontaneously of Men
gelberg. Coates, Bodanzky, Gabrilo-
witsch, Stokawski and Toscanini. These
virtuosi Of the baton have held the in
terest Of the public, some with much
reason, some with less
But no thoughtful lover of musical
art will believe that in the glorifca-
tion of pictorial interpreters of mas
terpieces the greatest good has been
accomplished. How many will remem-
ber that the season brought with il
the one hundred and fftieth ami
yersary of the birth of Beethoven?
1t is true that many performances
OF Beethoven symphonies took place
and that Nine. Olga Samaroff played
all his piano forte sonatas. But never
theless If you ask the casual music
lover WfldL WdS LH6 SillIllHB SpleLuoi
of the season, he win repeat Con
ductors."
But in the recital field the celebra-
tion Of the interpreter has been as
brilliant in way as in that of the
orchestra. No important new compo-
sitlon or group of songs has been
heard. Song recital programmes have
been almost all conventional and. ac-
cording to a time honored custom, the
songs Of Americans have been placed
at the end of programmes. Will not
some enterprising singer venture to
depart from this custom2
1t is not helpful TO the native COM
poser to have his lyrics heard after a
group Of little masterpieces by Brahms
or Schubert or Schumann. Nor is he
aided when his compositions are
brought before an audience whose
emotions have been probed by the
most searching magicians of the song
form. The listener is assuredly some
what weakened in receptive power by
the time the fourth group is reached.
why not let Brahms or Schubert face
the test Of closing the list?
Returning TO the general drift OF
these cursory remarks on season. we
must agree that the field of the recital
has been the exercising ground of in
terpreters, and that composers have
offered us very little that compelled
either a readjustment Of values or the
formation Of new opinions. Nor have
we been confronted with any new in
terpreter OF commanding powers. We
have heard some young singers who
may become important in the course
of time, and we have heard altogether
too many who were not equipped with
the technical skill required for the
duties OF lyric Interpretation. Youth
IS impatient and ambition Is unwise.
Too few are ready to serve art with
humility and devotion. To those who
do so serve her she is a bountiful mis-
tress. But she has little to bestow
upon mere audacity.
II is unfortunate that 50 much
should be done to obscure the merits
OF the promising young performers
70 whom reference has been made.
In the midst OF carefully prepared
demonstrations IN favor Of conductors
these beginners I'm art are hidden be-
hind the dust raised by the leaps OF
excited thousands stirred thereto by
the systematic operations or trained
claqueurs. The elaque has been much
IN evidence IN the concert WOItu III Lht
past season. II IS q pity.
The plain truth IS that the concert
field IS largely IN the hands OF COM
merciaI spectators, or 70 put It more
plainly. mere showmen. who regard
artists precisely as they would regard
trained dogs. acrobats or variety
specialists To these enrepeneurs the
whole thing IL a game 10 be played
for stakes held by the public. II the
public can be bamboozled into 1eiiev-
ing that a pretentious mediocity is
genius. then by All means let the bam
boozling proceed and The winner
pocket the gate receipts.
The conditions were not formerly
such as these, nor need they be now.
The public is eager for musical delight
and Is willing to pay fair price for y.
And IL It's attention were continually
directed to the beautiful and the
elevated in art, It would gladly accept
this instead Of the exciting. the sensa-
tlonal and the vulgar.
II IS indeed discouragng TO the am
bilious young artist 60 find that there
must be ceaseless struggle for recog