The New York herald., 1921-04-10
C0ncertgoers Are Now Being
Trained to Demand Inces-
SAINT Excitement.
HI W. j. HENDERSON.

T~ HE Philadelphia Orchestra COM
pleted It's series Of eight con
certs on Tuesday evening. The
audience was not quite as large nor
by any means as enthusiastic n its
demonstrations Of approval as some
of its predecessors had been. There
seems to have been some defective
connection somewhere. The current
did not flow. There could be no doubt
in the mind OF any experienced OBJ
server of musical doings that Mr.. Sto-
kowski the virtuoso conductor of the
organization had arranged his pro-
gramme in the expectation that he
would make brilliant conclusion to
his season, a 'grandstand finish" as
we used to say years ago at Monmouth
Park
The programme was entirely Of
Tschaikowsky music. 1t used To be a
rule among conductors that when in
doubt one should play Wagner. He
was always a safe drawing card" In
recent years the rival of great Rich
ard has been Peter Ilyitsch. James
Huneker declared that thirty years
ago or thereabout Dean krehbiel
wrote: Beware Of the Muscovite."
The dean says he never wrote it.
Huneker used to laugh and say Its
no use for him to deny il. I've fastened
II on him for the rest Of his life"
But the orchestral conductors cher
ished some idea similar TO that indicated
by the supposed warning of the dean I
De
sical world, at any rate in this coun-
try. Mr. Stransky has seen the light
and his trump card has been the
gner-Tschaikowsky programme"
But why did not things foam up for
Mr.. Stokowskis au revoir? Why did
not the people rejoice and shout when
the perennial Pathetic was per
formed?
Made Considerable Noise.
They made a considerable noise over
the third movement. but they always do.
The movement is noise itself and it has
an aggressive character and strongly
marked rhythm which invariably string
up the public nerves. But no effort OF
the imag agination could transform that
final concert into a tumultuous triumph.
The real event OF that sort was the de-
parture OF the Holander, of whom let
no more be said this season. The air Is
still heavy with the repetitions of his
name.
Can il be possible that the music low
Ing community grows weary of bewarng
of the Muscovite? Dare any one hint
that we have had enough of the long
professions OF Saschas and Jaschas and
Mi schas and Itkies and Offs? Have we
been fddled into a state of coma?
Let us hope that no such danger
threatens us. 1t is true that we have
listened to a remarkable series Of young
violinists. all of whom play in the same
manner and most OF whom are Russians. |
They came trooping TO us evidently 70
escape the unspeakable blessings Of the
81 Wet rule which so lovingly protects
the interests Of art in their native land.
They even brought their teacher along
with them. He has settled here and
now we shall have an opportunity TO
consider the old question VIII they
stpdv in America with a famous EURO
nean teacher or would they rather go
over there to study with one not quite
SO good? \
But it was not Of the young school oi
Russian violinists that we started 70
sneak The killing Of the goose that
laid the golden egg might be the theme.
How many times has the Patheuc
svnphony been played in the present /
season. How much Tschaikowsky mu- |
sic have we heard? IT Is futile 70 re-
peat the old argument that these nu-
merous performances are not oHerea 70
the same audiences That view mas
only superficial value
Music Loving Body small.
The solid body OF substantial music
lovers in this town Is not large, ana
those VINO frequent concerts as much a.
the newspaper reviewers do know Wen
that you see the same people over ana
over again At the Philadelphia Orches-
ira the Flonzaley Quartet. the sym
nhonv society. the Beethoven Associa-
lion YOU see scores OF people whom you
recognize as the constant supporters or
musical art. Now. X these grow weary
OF Tschaikowsky what are the conduc-
tors going to do? They cannot always
Gall back on Brahms II is not I'M
possible to make concert goers tired q
him too, although he VIII last Hluch
longer than Tschaikowsky
The fundamental fault with this
-Tschaikowsky system - that u
trains the concert going puDnc " ue-
nand incessant excitement Ihls eN-
citement Is 10 be obtained from riotous
performances OF tempestuous music al
ready known to the hearers whose at
tention is directed entirely 70 the ex-
rloits OF the conductors. The result Is
an increasing unhealthiness Of the pubic
mind. In other cities where the pubic
rs not In this condition the symphonic
programmes show far WIDER range
than ours Symphonies are performed
10 which our concert goers would not
listen. But il Is much better for the arr
Of music that the music lovers of these
cities should be considering novelues'
compositions by Kallinikoy. and even I
wholly unknown Scandinavian writers
than listening over and over again 70
music which in itself no longer stimu-
lates their curiosity but which must
serve only as a medium for the glori-
fcation Of virtuoso performer with the
little baton.
Annie Louise Cary.
Doubtless most of those who read Of
lnnaA 1 NM L.