Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-06
PH|LA, ORCHESTRA
OPENS SEASON
First Concert Given This After
noon at Academy Under
StokoWski
NEW SETTING FOR STAGE

| IHC inllnUeinnla 'rCHeStru 'PV"'"
its twenty. third season at the Academy
Of Music at 2 80 o'clock this afternoon
and the eleventh season in which Mr..
Stokowski has been the conductor. All
indications point to the most successful
season the organization has ever had.
The hour of the Friday afternoon
concerts has been changed. and this
season they begin ut 40 instead
Of 3 o'clock. ns heretofore. This Is eN-
pected to he an improvement and make
for tho convenience of both the orchcs-
ira and patrons. The hour OF the Sat
urday evening concerts Is unchanged.
There have been few changes in the
personnel Of the orchestra and. perhaps,
the most important of these are the
substitution Of Georges Grissez for
Daniel Bonnde as first clarinet. and that
of Walter Gurttcr for Richard Kruger
rs first bassoon. Mr.. Guctter is a Phil
adelph!an. the son of Julius Guettrr,
and he has been the first bnssoon of the
Chicago Orchestra for number of
seasons. Mr.. Grisscz was formerly first
clarinet of the Boston symphony Or
chcstra and lat.crly clnrinetist Of the
Chamber Music Art Society, of New
York.
New Stage Setting
One of the most interesting features
Of the opening concert was that II Is
tho first time that the new stage setting
and platform designed by Mr.. Stokowski
and erected during the summer. was
used. The angles Mt which the tones
of the orchestra are projected into the
auditorium have been so changed as to
render the softer tones NOR" clearly
heard without any loss in color and to
add briliancy to thc louder tones.
Mr.. Stokowski is greatly pleased with
the results Of the now setting. The set.
ting is considerably higher than the for.
mor one and the platform upon which
the mImbers Of the orchestra sit has
been rebuilt in accordance with the
plans Of the whole stage. The orCh"s-
ira has been moved further back. and
there has been n consequent gain of
about seventy five seats In the pit.
These seats will now he regular chnirs
and more comfortable than the former
ones.
Classics and the Modcrns
At the opening concert Mr.. Sto-
kowski blended the classics and the
modrrns. lie began with the "Mristcr-
singer ovcrtur" Of Wagner and fol-
lowed this with the Bach suite in
u minor for flute and strings, one Of
the great pieces of the orchestral roper
toire for solo flute. The symphony was
the Beethoven fourth in Il fiat.
Mr.. Stokowski made a late change
in the program, substituting Debussy's
noon Of a FNun' by the same CONF
pnSnr Tho uort &c ,ulop frn,,,
the incidental music which Dcbussy
wrote for n mystery play OF D'Annun-
zio. and the composition was new to
Philadelphians. The last number on the
program VAS also by modern French
composer. RNvel. whose music il less
definitely placed aS Yet than that of his
famous confrere. D"hussy. II Is in
waltz form. Following the custom Of
the orchestra for good many years
now, there was no SOloist at the open.
ing concerts.
Many Novelties Provided
The season. which opened this
afternoon. Will hav" large number Of
novelties by composers both Amori-
can and foreign Mr.. Stokowski has
examined many new scores during the
last summer and out Of this rather
thanklcss task has selected what he
considers the public should hear IN
order 70 keep abreast of the musical
times, both in this city and in other
countries.
As has been the case for n number Of
s"asons, the house l. entirely sold out
for the Friday afternoon concerts and
practically so for those on Saturday
evening. The number of New York
concerts has been increa 'cd. although
there will h" one tour fewer by the
orchestra than in the past. The New
Orchestra is now by far the strongest
and most popular OF any of the visiting
organizations. has been sold ont about
~ c"mplotely as the Friday afternoon
concerts ar home. and the sale in the
ether cities has been equally gratifying.