Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-11

NNHE Philharmonic Society iast sun
i day performed one Of its most i'm
portant functions In the musical life
Of Philadelphia. when 1t introduced to
the public the two young soloists who
won the piano and violin medals OF the
organization at It's contest last year.
Now, II these young men simply rep
resented q standard Of performance
which might fairly be termed even nrst
class amateur playing, the phiihar
monte would NOT. be 5ustihed IN pre-
senting them to the public, In the per-
tion. But both, like oil the other
local soloists which the Philharmonic
has presented, showed a high standard
of professional performance and there-
fore the organization was fully 1ustl-
fed In placing them as soloists upon an
important concert program.
1t is true that neither Of the youths
Is yet q finished soioist. This is only
natural and IL would be impossible to
expect anything else. Their youth and
their lack Of experience initiate against
original or striking Interpretation. but
it Is doubtful IL even the greatest III.
terpretntiye geniuses at the age OF
seventeen or so were able to show
much more than a clear technique and
a facility and adaptability for public
playing, both of which elements were
possessed by last Sunday evenings
young soloists.
A s HAS been explained before, 1t is
~ impossible for Mr.. Stokowski to
give young artists the soloists' position
at the concerts of the Philadelphia
Orchestra. The extremely critical ma
ture, especially of the Saturday night
audience, and the standing of the or
chestra among the great musical or
ganizations Of the world demand that
the most finished artists on the concert
stage be the soloists ut its concerts.
This, however, Is no reflection on the
ability of the young men who played
last Sunday evening. There have been
many artists who have performed with
the Philadelphia Orchestra who did not
reach the technical standard OF the
philharmonic soloists of Sunday and rev
have played with the sincerity, the seri-
BUSINESS and the submergence Of their
own personality into the music, which
characterized both Of them.
In this respect the Philharmonic may
perform valuable work for both the
music of the city and for the young
artists who show sufficient talent to be
adjudged by Mr. Pasternack and the
directors of the Philharmonic as worthy
of a public appearance.
Sr,t,E cr.,t.st difficulty tbat n young
az, .,...,. noe
- artist. IKE touhs co"ip"srit, i,oari,,, nv" os
to overcome ID optui,ius ho",r, If
soiolst W'tn s.n. sen.p,,et, Co... " rorformnnccs
his reputation is virtually made. but
the getting. Of those first few oppor-.
tunities is n task which has almost
broken the heart Of many u sensitive
and ambitious young man.
| In composition the same problem
exists, except that perhaps the work
is harder even than for the soloist. Ihe
rublic is less interested in the composer
than in the soloist perhaps because the
personal element enters with the soioiSt
and does not in the case OF the com
poser. The personality OF many
young soloist has carried him 1arthIr
with an audience than a far more tai-
ented performer without SO slrohs
personality.
There Is little incentive Tor con-
ductor to put the work OF an UNKNOWN
composer on his orchestral programs.
He must furnlsn programs wiz"
attractive to his puollc OF MS om u
reputation or the nttehdahc", ht hiS
; concerts suners. "A hanle sun ,".,, so.' q
good way with the average "u"i.r.I
| although 1t does NOT now carr! so IllicI' %
weight as It did rev Years nso' WIZ Ha'