The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-12-20
III Tie
Background
civ Tk~ ~ancsafed f'reSHt
ARTHUR Fielder

On Tuesday Of This Week, the
worlds faneiest phonograpn rec
ord was presented as special
honor TO Arthur Fielder. the vastly
popular conductor oi he Boston
Pop" orchestra. The record is
gold. no less. Aud ii is the one
miliionth copy Of The imperishable
tango Jealousy, as recorded by
the Pops. RCA,Victor had the
golden disk struck off especially
for Mr.. Fiedler-beeause it is the
first time . so-called Red Seal
record has sold q million
This is just tie latest of many
awards for Fielder But it is also
conclusive evidence of FEEDERS
triumph in his chosen field. He has
not only sold a million Red Seal
records; he has also sold several
million Americans on the meaning
Of good music. beautifully per.
formed.
That is his real pride
Much of the music played by the
Boston Pops orchestra is frankly
popular-hke Jealousy Some of
it is tricky and a lot Of il is hack
neyed. But its aim is entertain /,
ment, not preachment. And it is
performed with unfailing brilliance, f,
The Pops orchestra is now BoS-
ton Institution which in the public .
mind falls somewhere between the
old north church and the baked
bean. And via records and radio, :
il has become internationally
famous. II is really just the great
Boston symphony in white flannels
lacking only six or eight players.
This is largely the work Of Ar
thur Fielder, who is now, age 81,
something of an institution him
self. Incidentally, his birthday
was also this week. Monday He
holds honorary memberships in the
Boston police and fire depart
mentS-chiefly because he is fire.
buff-what they call spark" inI
Boston.
You'll find Fielder supervising
almost any fire of respectable pro
portions. il he is not actually con.
Quoting the orchestra when it
breaks out
Fielder is short and stocky, but
he keeps trim with the peculiarly
violent exercise of the orchestra
leader. He has grey hair which he
wears in pompadour And he wears
a neat guardsman'S mouStache--
also grey. He likes rweedy sports
clothes OF flawlesS tailoring. and
he achieves high style without
formality,
This is not the appearance or
the manner of man of the people, +
and indeed there is no pretense of
phony democracy Fielder likes
his good food and his good living, !
and he is not a man to ride the
bus TO work.
But in music, he deVotes him. /
self TO snti.snobherY. He says 81
have no sympfhy with people /
who look down their noses .. |
anything but the most hishbrow |
nusic--which they often don't !
understand anyhow.
Fielder has spent his lifetime in
music, and so did his father be-
fore him--as wen as several other
members of the family. And his
connection with the Boston Sym
phony itself is equally firm.
FEEDERS father. Emmanuel, was
born in Austria and there began
career as vocalist. When the late
Henry Lee Higginson secured Eu-
rope for musicians for a Boston
orchestra. Emmanuel Fielder was
one Of his discoveries. The Paps
orchestra was launched in 1885,
simply to extend the season and
50 make il worthwhile for Euro
pean players TO make the trip.
Emmanuel Fielder and his wife
eapse over IN that year, 1885. and
assoc inSiie arshestra until 1910.
4 Arthur As TINS born in Boston
and lived there until he was Is.
Az that point the family went
back to Europe And thus Arthur's
musical career began there-withI
study a, the Royal Academy in
Berlin.
They all moved back TO Boston
IN 1916, and Arthur played the
violin and later the viola in the
symphony until 1880. It was in that
year that he began directing the
popular concerts.
These nov begin in May, Just
after the regular season. Tables
are set about the hall, and the
audience enjoys itself with beer,
, light wines or soda pop while the
music plays In July the orchestra
moves out to the Big Shell on the
ESplanade beside the Charles
river, and the audience moves
with II, to picnic on the green. As
many as 20.Nl0 people have at
tended those outdoor concerts.
Fielder IS now husiiy establish
ing q similar tradition in san
Francisco, between seasons IN
Boston
Thus the campaign of bringing
good music to everybody is ex