Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-26
THE CRITIC TALKS TO MUSIC LOVERS

day night concerts, and its one object
is to hear music.
In other words, the Saturday evening
audience Is one of trained listeners, and
this is no unimportant thing in the
success of symphonic program. The
orchestra and the leader are more
krenly sensitive to the attitude of the
audience than most Of that audience
would believe. The delicate musical
temperament rarely responds to cen
sure; it thrives best on approval--that
IL, from an audience. Perhaps at re-
hearsal things are different.
NOTWITHSTANDING Mr.. Sto-
kowski's plant, the manners OF
the average American audience have
improved immensely during the last
twenty years. No longer do sudden
silences in the music fnd entertaining
bits Of personal conversation floating
through the house. IT has been many
wears since the famous episode Of the
early days Of the Boston symphony
Orchestra, when in an unexpected
pause. the words. II always mix mine
with butter" delivered in shrill Bos-
tOnese, resounded through the hall, has
been duplicated In any large city.
1t is said that Mr.. Gerickc. then
eral vicinity of the interruption with
q prolonged stare Of exceeding coldness
before the audience responded with an
| audible expression Of an emotion not
inspired by the classic composition to
which 1t was listening.
Examples of this kind go a long
ways toward improving the manners
of musical audience. In the first
place. the person who makes such n
break is cured for life Of the habit
of talking during musical performance,
ana in the second place, he or she
serves as terrible example" to every
body in the building. After the first
involuntary expression of amusement
comes the thought: Suppose that hal
been "I'-or me e'--nccording to
whether the self-searcher Is from Bos-
ton or New York.
Conversation during the performance
of any orchestral work Is always at
tended with risk. 1t is usually car
ried on during the time when the whole
orchestra is playing loudly. and herein
lies the danger The essence of nu-
! sical dynamics is contrast, and there
are but two ways in which this may
be attained. The first is by a sudden
pause and the second by n gradual dim
! mutton Of the volume of tone.
TN COMPOSITIONS of the dramatic
l. type. and pretty nearly all modern
works are OF this kind, the sudden
pause is used. In the olden days it
! frequently caused the abrupt abandon
ment of what was apparently, n~mo-
mPnt before. most absorbing personal
conversation. But with the adde,l In
tereSt and kpowledge of music Of later
years, this rarely happens now.
| Tht chamber music audience is the
best behaved of all: il any doubt this.
| let him go to the Bellevue any Sunday
afternoon when the Chamber Music As
! NOciatiOn meets and see and hear for
! himself. Virtually the whole big audi =
/ cnce is there on time, they remain n
the end and there IS rarely Il sound OF
any kind during the playing. 1t simply
bears out what has been said many
times in this cOlumn--that 1t Is music
of the highest type and. therefore. ut
tracts the same kind of an audience.
There iH only one safe rule for an
! audience and strange. as it may SEEM
this rule had it's most surcinct Pxposi =
tiOn in famous political message,
although the import of that telegram
had nothing to do with music. except
| possibly with the thought in mini of
avoiding facing" some Of it little
| later. This pithy message was sent by
| Americas most brilliant political
strategist. Pennsylvania. to former
Governor of this State and read rs fol =
lows: Dear p. Don't talk" A good
rule to follow whether in politics or
in the concert hall.