Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27

subjects OF discussion In
music circles generally
last Winter was the reac-
ton of Leopold Stokowski, leader
of the Philadelphia Symphony
Orchestra. to applause and hiss
sng. Both in the Quaker City and
IN New York, when audiences
showed an antagoniStic attitude
toward some of the ultra modern
music that his orchestra played,
MIR. Stokowski chose to turn and
address some Christening remarks
toward portions Of his audiences.
Later he gave out the opinion
1'1at he thoug.-. theaters ought
70 be built in such fashion that
c2cf auditor at concert could
be shut into separate i:1c.o-lre,
where he would be entirely alone
and not influenced by any other
individuals reaction; also, no APP
plause or other audible demon
stration would be allowed.
On the contrary, when OsSip
Gabrilowitsch took the baton over
the PhiladelphianS for the second
half of the season, the Detroit
leader said that he felt audible
demonstrations should be encour-
aged. He recalled to the audi
ences' attention the fact that in
Europe there is always definite
demonstration. Sometimes there
also is the vicious accompaniment
of decayed vegetables and other
missiles.
At last the audiences, especial
ly in Philadelphia, got sufficiently
aroused to fill out a QUESTIONABLE
sent to 1000 orchestra concert
subscribers. The result defeated
Mr.. StokowSki's idea, with 700 in
favor of applause and definite
demonstration and only 200 in
favor of the ban proposed by the
blonde conductor.
1t all makes one wonder when
attending the "talkies" that IL
the sound film becomes SUFFICIENT
ly established to dominate the
stages of the amusement world,
will that fact in itself give Mr..
Stokowski the benefit of the au-
denceS' approval. Certain it is
that one no longer hears the
spontaneous outbursts of applause
that greeted the earliest efforts in
this newest development ,of pho
toplayS. But it will take more
than Mr.. Stokowski to keep Amer
lean audiences from laughing
heartily or shrieking if the story
of the Aim and its. Interpretation
by the actors exacts such noise as
normal reaction,
y
THE latest comments on the
subject of applause and hiss
ing come from quite another
quarter. Arnold Schoenberg, the
viennese modernist whose COM
positions have certainly aroused
probably more kissing per square
inch in concert halls all over the
world than the works of any other
one composer, recently came forth
in an article published in the Ger
man magazine Querschnitt, and
translated into English for the
New York Times. by saying:
tIrnumerable times ] have seen that
Il was not the public which had Kissed.
but an agile specialist minority. The
public reacts in either a friendly or an
apathetic manner. or 1t is intimidated
when its intellectual leaders protest. 1t
is. on the whole, more inclined to ind
pleasure in something upon which 1t
has spent time and money. 1t comes
less to Judge than to enjoy, and GER
tain feeling tells it whether the person
appearing before it is entitled to its
approval But IL has no interest in
placing itself In a better light through
passing a more or less correct judy
ment partly because no individual wins
/ or loses thereby, partly because there
are people among 1t who count for
something without having to shine by
reason of verdict on matters artistic
and who. without being compelled to
sacrifice the esteem in which they are
held, can keep their impressions to
themselves without attempting TO value
them. One is permitted to keep any,
thing TO ones self but authority"
Later on the composer adds, in
the same article, that he knows
the public from still another side"
He says:
To conclude, I will relate few cheer
ing experiences. During the war, hav-
ing Just been sent to replacement
company, /, private, whose lot was
often pretty hard. was remarkably well
treated by newly arrived corporal.
When he spoke to me after training, !
hoped for recognition of my military
achievements. But to my surprise, 1t
was for my music The corporal, in
civil life. tailor's cutter, had recog-
nized me, knew my life, many of my
works, and caused me still greater Joy
thereby than with praise for my exer-
cising (about which at the time ] was
not q little proud Two similar meet
ings occurred likewise In Vienna, once
when because Of a missed train I had
TO spend the night in a hotel. and the
other time when taxi was bringing me
to a hotel. On the first occasion, it
was the porter; on the second, the
chauffeur who recognized me through
the name card on my baggage. Both
assured me enthusiastically that they
had heard the "Gurrelieder." Again, in
Amsterdam hotel porter spoke to me
as an old admirer OF my music. He
had sung in the choruses Of the Cur
relieder" under my direction in Leipzig.
But the most charming anecdote for
the last. Recently again in a hotel, the
elevator runner asked me If it was
who had written "Pierrot LunAire." He
had heard the first performance before
the war about 1912. and still had the
sound of 1t in his ears; in particular
a part which told of red stones. ("Rote
fuerstliche Rubine'D. He had heard al
that time that musicians did not know
what to make of the piece, and today
1t was so easily understandable!
~
THERE always is special interest
attached to attending a pro-
gram which includes an innova-
ton to a particular audience and
to watch the reaction of the peo-
pie as well as the entertainment
itself Wednesday of the past
week, the United States Army