New-York tribune., 1921-02-06
The Latest Development i'm
The Orchestral Situation
Triumph of the Philharmonic Society; Vicissitudes
in History of the National Symphony; The Per-
sonal Equation in the Founding of Orchestras

were Influenced by considerations of
art a few incidents of recent occur
renee may serve to show. The coming
dissolution Of the National Symphony
Orchestra threw it's shadow before the
vision of its managers and hackers as
well as other observers many weeks
ago. A thing that deepened the
shadow was the requirement. advanced
by Mr. Mengelberg immediately after
his arrival from across seas for extra
rehearsals. The players had no objec-
tions to these rehearsals because the
regulations of their union provided
that they should be handsomely re-
munerated for them. But with their
cost there loomed ever larger the
deficit which the guarantors of the or
chestra would have to face at the end
Of the season. Had that deficit been
anything like that reckoned as normal
in the case of the Philharmonic or
Symphony Society it would unques-
tionably have been faced with equa-
nlmity blythe guarantors. But it was
so abnormal as to threaten the dissol1-S
ton which has now come. Recognizing
the extremity, the president of the
local musicians union addressed the
members of the National Symphony
Orchestra on the stage of Carnegie
Hall after rehearsal few weeks ago
and urged them, as measure for keep
ing the organization alive, to vote for
the repeal of the rule, or bylaw
(adopted last spring, we believe) con-
cerning the duration and pay for re-
hearsals. For this action he was sus-
pended from Office by the directors Of
the union. He appealed to the presi-
dent of the National Federation of
Musicians and asked for his support.
He got it, for Mr.. Weber, the president,
! reinstated him in his Office, and in turn
suspended the directors who had
sought to discipline him. The artistic
spirit displayed in all this was on 8
par with that which might have been
expected from hod-carriers' union,
and little less than that which would
have graced bricklayers'. The con-
troversy thus opened is now pending
and Is chiefly interesting as g feature
| of the situation with which organized
"labor' has been brought face to face
in this period Of general economic ad-
iustment.
This is one illustration of how the
effort to advance orchestral music by
the adoption of means inevitably bound
| to degrade it has worked out in results.
| 1t is also fact that it was only a
threat by Mr.. Harry Harkness Flagler
income from subscriptions and box
Office sales, maintains the New York
! Symphony Orchestra, that he would
| abandon the enterprise which made the
members of that band abide by con-
tract entered into year ago.
Financial Condition of Symphonic En-
terprises
The members of the National Sym
/ phony Orchestra are now brought face
to face with realization of the fact
that they have helped to kill the goose
which was laying their golden eggs
How the opera and the other orches-
tras of the city have been affected OF
will be affected by the regulations OF
the union adopted toward the end OF
last season, remains to be learned
Meanwhile it is interesting to contem
plate the financial condition Of ths
symphonic enterprises. To judge b!
the attendance (by which we do no
mean simply the number of people II
the room at given performance o.