Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-07
AS ONE WOMAN SEES 1T
Plea for the Lovers Of Music Who
Have to Catch Trains and Who,
Perhaps, Should Not Be
Lectured Therefor
BY SARAH ID. LOwRIE

without interruptions either on the part of
the soloist or the conductor, and being
rehenrsal 1t was considered to be shade
under the full perfection of the Saturday
evening performance.
But owing to the fact that most of Phila-
delphin lives out in the suburbs and also
to the fact that the Woman's Committee OF
the Philadelphia Orchestra concentrated on
having the suburban patrons Of the concerts
subscribe to that series of afternoon perform
anccs as being best suited to an out town
audience, the Friday rehearsals were even
tually over subscribed. To meet the situa-
tion. the prices were raised to equal the
Saturday evening concerts, and when they
were still over. subscribed. the prices were
further raised to exceed the Saturday
evening concerts. To give this raise a further
appearance of rcasonableness, the word
rehearsal was dropped and that of Friday
concert substituted.
As A matter of fact the Friday concert
~ is performance worth all the money
and more that the subscribers pay for 1t,
although in point OF perfection IL Is not
always so highly finished n performance as
tho Saturday evening concert. am told
that the time of day and the character of
the audience have something to do with this
fact but undoubtedly the Friday concert
does make for the added glory Of the Satur-
day night effect.
Last year. owing to the fact that the
Saturday evening concerts were almost COM
plctely subscribed for the season, the man.
agement raised the price to that of the
Friday afternoons. Possibly at some future
date the evening prices may be raised above
them, as they were originally.
Meanwhile the Friday afternoon concerts
benefit the Saturday evening concerts in two
ways: First, they make for the perfection of
the second performance and. second, they
absorb the ma ajority of the suburbantcs. who
are dependent for getting home on trains, or
on family motors. or on street cars, or on
jitneys that run on schedule time.
THE Saturday evening audiences are at
L once more lcisurcly and more musical,
because the men that go go for music--no
man can be caught and held for series Of
concerts who does not like music-and the
women are either there because their hus-
bands are musical or because they themselves
are musical.
II Is not n fashionable concert or n drop
In concert or a fashionable or n drop in
audience. From the gallery to the orchestra
chairs. so that though n few persons come
late from late dinners and go early to carly
trains. the audience is for the most part a
more satisfactory one from musical point
Of view to the artists who play to it.
But the point is. neither the audience nor
the musicians would be so satisfactory If it
were not for the Friday afternoons. And SO
long as the Friday audiences do not murmur
against the slight inequalities Of the musical
performance of the musicians and demand for
their money the same finished perfection of
the Saturday evening concerts. possibly the
musicians, led by their somewhat tcmpera-
mentally eXigcnt conductor. might also make
slight allowances for the inequalities In the
perfection Of the audience.
A FTER all, to be musically somewhat
a unnwakcned and yet to support and even
guarantee great orchestra is, on the whole
step in the right direction. n longer step in
the direction of art than artists would be
willing to take in the direction of. let us
say. political efficiency. And il you love
music enough to sacrifice some necessity or
only some luxury to go a long distance to
hear it. even though your train will not
allow YOU to hear all that is provided, II Is
better for you and better for your community
that you hear part, rather than miss the
whole.
A ND l have one more thing to say on this
n subject that. as n sincere musical
admrer of the conductor of the orchestra |
think needs to be said, for il voices the
belief of more than few of his friends and
intelligent admirers.
There is something in his attitude toward
his orchestra 4 great audiences that il at
moments slightly vcrging on the discipline
rian. slightly school -mRrmiSh. 1t is as
though he were trying to be policeman as
we'll aS musician, monitor ns well as an
artist. And this lesser part does NOT sir
gracefully or grnciousIy upon him. The
futility of trying to be both makes him look
Il little sulky. lie and his predecessors have
won for the orchestra n great place also in
the hearts and minds of the citizens of Phila-
dclnhia.
The big, cordial audiences are there
because they want to be there with all their
hearts; their applause is genuine: their
coming and going are genuine, too-cven
their colds are genuine.
So are the few mistakes in the programs
genuine and the few slips Of the Instruments
genuine. One takes slight dcviations from
perfection with a good grace and cheerful
philosophy. and lives the longer and works
the better for the lenicncy.
T AM not responsible for the parody that
L follows, but it voices the mixed fcelinrs
of amusement and slight misgiving with ,vhi"h
one Of the Friday astronomers listened 70 n
recent lecture on 'latc- -comcrs" and "onr1,
goerS'' and annoying nOsps' from, ~
| greatly admired and sincerely valued orcbcs.
ira conductors
"Not snec2c was heard
Not n laryngcnl note,
As lnte-com"rs by uShcrS were harricd;
| Not n mortal discharged n farewell shot
Into the hNnky' she carried.
''No useless coughing escaped our breasts
No outsiders permitted to slide in.
| Yet he stood like n sentinel taking his rest
With his idle baton beside him.
Few and short were the words that he
said '
As he voiced his Scorn and his sorrow:
| While we thought MS we gazed
| On his spun gold head
or the way II would print on the morrow -
| --------------
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