New-York tribune., 1921-05-29
An Odd Mixture of
Art and Commercialism

Art and Commercialism
Shortly after his return to Berlin
Herr Strauss gave public expression to
some of his views concerning America.
One of his observations afforded CON
siderable amusement and called into
notice incidents which had occurred
in the course of his visit 70 the United
States, He declared that he had found
higher order of artistic life in Boston
and Chicago than in New York.
There was too mucn commercialisn,
he said, in the artistic atmosphere of
the metropolis, and its people were too
eager for sensations. In THIS utter.
ance the people who had come into
contact with the composer and his bus
ness methods found the breeziness of
Western cyclone. In one month Herr
Strauss had injected more commercial
ism into artistic activities than New
York, Boston and Chicago had dreamed
OF III all the days of their existence.
, Here are few OF the evidences:
Herr Strauss said farewell to New
Workers in two concerts given in
Wanamaker's department stores. Not
only that, he arranged to give these
free concerts just before farewell
concert which Steinway & Sons, who
had paid large deficit created by the
Strauss Festival had agreed to finance.
Steinway & Sons were, of course, con-
cerned In the enterprise chiefly. if not
solely, for the purpose Of advertising
their pianoforte-a fact of which Herr
Strauss was fully aware, but this
knowledge did not prevent him from
selling his services to house engaged
IN the sale Of a rival instrument. The
farewell concert was announced for
April 27, the invitation to the free
concerts were issued by Mr.. Wanamaker
under date of April 7 for April l6
and Is
1t is needless to say that Steinway
Sons promptly withdrew their sup
port from the farewell concert and it
vas not given. They had paid all that
they were willing to pay for the
Strauss advertisement For the honor
OF producing the "Symphonia Domes-
tica" at the last festival concert thew
paid for the score, the instrumental
parts, at least ten rehearsals. fee for
the right of performance and fee to
the composer for conducting it.
1t was a fact entirely obvious to all
persons familiar with the large musi
cal enterprises of the country that the
opportunity to exploit DR.. Strauss as
conductor of his own works could be
found only in the cities which main
tanned permanent orchestras-New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
Chicago and Cincinnati. In New York
the Philharmonic Society engaged him
as one of the group of foreign conduc-
tors then directing its artistic actiyi-
ties. For the festival Mr.. Wetzler's
organization was engaged. In the other
cities his coming appealed to the direc-
tors of the orchestras only through
the sentiment which he invited as
composer, for in no case was it even
remotely possible that his engagement
could be made financially profitable for
the reason that the fee demanded for
his services was beyond all precedent
excessive. Nevertheless he was en-
gagged in all the cities except Boston,
There the privilege Of seeing him at
the head of the orchestra for one
afternoon and evening would have cost
Major Hisginson at least $1,000 more
than he could have resolved from the
sale Of all the sests not subscribed for.
DR.. Strauss went to Boston on a sort Of
half punitive, half exploratory expedi.
tion with this Philadelphia Orchestra
and shared tho conductors desk at two
concerts with Mr. Frlts schssi, eendue,
tor OF the organization, The concerts
were received with much favor bv the
Boston public,
After the subacEsstisa saasez OF ths