The New York herald., 1921-03-13
Fate of the 0rchestras Now
Appears to Hang in
the Balance.
ny W. j. HENDERSON.


- world Perhaps the most i'm
woresnt OF all the subjects discussed
is the orchestral situation. The ac-
rions of many men are past under
standing and those Of the union mu-
sician surely cannot be explained by
any power, human or divine. Here are
the plain facts. The National SYM
phony Orchestra will cease to exist at
he close of the present season. This
will throw about ninety orchestral
players out of employment. Do they
accept the lesson? Not at all.
The National Symphony Orchestra
might have lived through another sea-
son, or perhaps more than one. II its
supporters could have seen their way
10 meet the demands OF the musicians.
But the union laid down terms which
literally drove the hackers of the or
ehestra out of the field. The enter
prise could not be conducted on the
terms made by its employees.
The same situation confrcnts the
Philharmonic and Symphony societies.
The musicians have laid down their
terms and their demands are such
that neither of these orchestral enter
prises can be successfully carried on
if the terms are granted. The mem
bers of the union of musicians are
sitting calmly back in their chairs
awaiting the surrender OF the guaran-
tors of the two orchestras.
The musicians must be paid 50 and 50
much. They must determine just how
often, how long and when and where
and how they will rehearse. The part
ing of the ways comes at the point or the
rehearsals. The matter of salaries can
probably be adjusted. Orchestras never
pay their own expenses The hackers
expect to go down into their pockets to
make good the deficits. or course there
is a limit even TO this. But public spir-
tied men and women have time and time
again shown a wonderful readiness TO
meet increased demands.
But when the musicians seek to con-
troll the enterprises and take the artistic
direction out of the hands of the con-
ductors, they are going to meet their
Waterloo. The writer Of these lines does
not know what Harry Harkness Flagler
win do, but he knows what he would do
if he We're in Mr.. F'lagler's place. Be
fore yielding UP control TO the musicians
he would put the New York Symphony
Society out Of existence Then an
other eighty-five or ninety artists
would be without employment. Whether
that would convince the union that Its
intolerable tyranny ought 10 come to an
end is problematical. But il might lead
to the organization OF orchestral enter
prises on a commonwealth basis
Nothing could be more beneficial 70
the business of music. 1t would not take
the union musician long 10 discover that
he could not exist without the backer
An orchestra aiming to pay its own way
from its receipts would not get through
rhe first month Of a musical season.
The logical outcome of the present
conditions in the orchestral world Is the
abolition of both Philharmonic and Sym
phony societies. They cannot exist on
the terms proposed by their musicians.
Now the supporters of these orchestras
do not wish TO see them go out of ex-
tstence. They are all music lovers.
Their chief pleasure in the form of pub
lie entertainment is orchestral concerts
They are willing TO pay very literally,
indeed royalty for their pleasure which
they share with the general public at a
reasonable price
But they Will not stand being imposed
upon season after season by 4 system
of progress which betrays a deternlina-
ton to get the last penny without con-
sideration for musical art or the well
rare or the organization, When the
union musician refuses to rehearse ade-
quately unless he IS paid extra for all
rehearsals over four in a week he is
doing just what the labor unions are
doing in the matter OF overtime.
The Tabor system is known to almost
every one. II is very simple. A day
must be so many hours and a days pay
% much The day must be so short that
the work Of the business cannot be car
NTaG fbn
time every day. The pay for overtime
- double that calculated on the day
rate What the laboring man most
wants Is plenty of overtime work When
no says that seven hours is enough for
. days work he means enough at the
day rate He has not the faintest inten-
ton OF stopping at the end OF the day.
overtime.
The union musician. who calls him
self an artist" has taken precisely the
same position. He wants to be paid for
much overtime. Some Of US might feel
slight sympathy with him IL he would
demand overtime for playing IN any
concert lasting more than an hour and
three-quarters. But he is concerning
himself chiefly about rehearsals and he
does so because the demand for finish
IN orchestral performance Is now so
general that conductors hesitate about
going before an audience. with any per-
formance likely to be rough.
The fate of the National Symphony
Orchestra ought to teach him something,
but there is reason to doubt that 1, will.
The line of thought in the entire world
Of labor at this moment seems to be
this: We must make the capitalist pay
as Just as much as we choose to ask. no
matter what the business earns IL he
refuses we must take the business away
from hun" In other words. the final
resort is always to be Bolshevlsm.
The writer OF this department can
not wish any worse fate TO befall the
orchestral musicians OF this town than
success In driving the capitalists out OF
their field. They then will have the op-
portunity to form Communist orchestras
and starve in company.
One incident OF the week at the Net
ropoiltan Opera House should furnish a
lesson to all those ambitious young per-
sons who are demanding that their vocal
teachers shall tit them IN six months
to sing on that stage. Monday evening
Mr.. Gigii in Andrea Chenier." sang the
long solo in the first scene In manner
calling for warm praise. He used the
volume of his voice, which is not large.
with uncommon Judgment, singing much
Of the number mezza voce and more OF
IL moderate.
His treatment Of dynamics was very