Evening star., 1947-04-06
San Francisco
Orchestra Here
For P Program
~ Alice Eyersmon

In this city where the building up
Of the National Symphony Orchestra
has been the great accomplishment
of local musical history, 1t Is pleas
ure to welcome another orchestra
which also has triumphed over vicis-
situdes and won national recognition
Tomorrow the San Francisco SYM
phony stops here on Its tour to give
Ia concert in Constitution Hall. Its
internationally known conductor,
Pierre Monteux, has included one Of
the choice numbers from q modern
Frenchman, Olivier Messiaen's
|sL'Ascension," In his program, .
mystical bit Of writing among the
other sturdy symphonic works ne
will play. d
The San Francisco Symphony is
36 years old. True, there was an
orchestra In existence under that
name as carly at 1854. but the pres
ent organization dates from the time
the celebrated composer Henry
Hadley took charge and proceeded
to build It up. He had 65 men and
was sponsored by the Musical Asso-
citation Of San Francisco. During
his four years as conductor, the
seasons usually included 20 concerts,
well patronized by the local public.
Stirred by Boston Group.
A visit from the Boston Symphony
during the Panama Pacific EXPOSE
ton shocked civic pride into action
Its IA concerts In 10 days were sold
out. For the first time the public
potentiality for sustaining an or
chestra was realized and it was de-
cided to augment the local or
chestra to 80 men and to extend the
20 concerts to 10 with tours to
other communities in the neighbor-
hood. This ambitious program was
carried out under the direction of
Alfred Hertz, who directed the or
chestra for the next is years.
Like other ventures, the orchestra
hit hard times during the depres-
sion when there was trouble within
the association leading to Hertzs
resignation and the dividing OF con-
ductorial responsibilities between
Essay Dobrowen and Basil Cameron.
Things got 10 bad that the orches-
ira personnel was reduced to the
conductor, John Pennington. con-
certmaster, and Horace Britt. first
cellist. The only performance in
the rock bottom season Of 1934-5
was given by this trio. 1t was called
Farewell to Dobrowen."
Music by Taxation.
But the municipality of San Fran
cisco is not one to see its cultural
assets perish. When things were
at their worse, a subsidy Of $45 900
annually was made by q half
cent increase in the tax rate,
voted by the people through ratifi-
cation at the polls. Thus San Fran
cisco actually fathers the symphony
through the Music Committee OF
the City Art Commission. It has
been q practice of the city govern
ment for several years to buy a
iluIilb(I Va NOA1SSAto 4OA INV PAiSSa
presentation : to the public. The
regular season and the young peo-
pies concerts prosper together with
the popular priced events.
Monteux took over the conductor
ship in 1885 after a brilliant career
that included long association with
the most prominent orchestras Of
Europe, the five years he spent as
leader of the Boston Orchestra and
his opera experiences at the Opera
CONTINUE and the Metropol olitan
Opera. Born In Paris he stndted
violin and viola at the Conserva-
toire. During World War I, he
was on the battle front for two
years, being recalled from that pa
triotic duty to conduct in the United
States. Time Magazine gave him
the name OF "Frisco's Frenchman"
and to his intimates he is known
affectionately as "Chummy," .
nickname used by his wife.