LETTERS - AND - ART

THE PHILHARMONIC'S BIRTHDAY T WAS DURING THE GATHERING of war-clouds in The ensuing history of the Philharmonic is reviewed in an 1842 that a society of musicians banded themselves to­ article in the New York Sun that both Musical Courier and I gether into what has since lived in the metropolis as the Musical America certify to by reproduction. A glimpse of the New York Philharmonic. The original "lovers of harmony" social amenities of New York in that earlier day is given in have all passed away, but their successors find themselves cele- the writer's account of the audience: brating their seventy-fifth anniversary contemporaneously with "The first concerts of the society were held in the Apollo a greater clash of arms than was thought humanly possible in rooms, the same fashionable haU in which the society was 1842. The "lovers of harmony" of to-day, who began their founded. At these concerts chairs were unknown. The audi­ celebrations on the 17th, inaugurating a series of concerts, would ence sat on benches. Members of the'orchestra received the seem to their forebears to tolerate "a musical fare too highly pep­ subscribers at the door of the concert-hall and escorted them to their seats. These ushers were selected" by the society because pered with discords and spiced with noise." It would scarcely of their appearance and demeanor, and wore white gloves which suit the tastes of the precursors, thinks Mr. Clarence Lucas, of were paid for by the society. They carried long, thin batons of The Musical Courier (New York), who speculates further on the wood painted white. These were the symbols of their oiHce. change of tastes evinced by the society's history: Their perhaps too formal appearance caused considerable amuse­ ment among the younger members of the audience, so that the "No doubt the old lovers of music of two hundred years ago custom was finally discontinued. As a result, the fourth annual would scoff at the word [Philharmonic], and say that those who report of the societi^ declares that four dollars and seventy-five call themselves lovers of harmony hear nothing but discords in cents was saved, omng to the fact that ushers' gloves were no modern music. What would they say could they have returned longer paid for by the society. to their strangely metamorphosed New York City to hear "The society rapidly became a leader not only in musical Strauss's 'Macbeth' symphonic poem at a Philharmonic concert circles but as an attraction for New York society. Early in its last November and learn that 'Macbeth' was entirely out of life a class of associate members who were privileged to attend date in the harmonic experiments of Strauss? What would the rehearsals was established. In the sixth season of its existence, 1842 group of Americans, Bohemians, Englishmen, Germans, the Philharmonic saw the admission of ladies to its associate Frenchmen, who founded the society, say of a 1917 program? membership. In the twenty-fifth year of the society, when Dr. "The first program of the New York Philharmonic Society Doremus was its president, the orchestra was increased to was as follows: ninety members, then to one hundred, and every endeavor was made to make the programs more attractive. Society and the Symphony No. 5, C minor Beethoven world of fashion were enlisted into the service of the Philharmonic. (Conducted by Ureli Corelli Hill.) Edwin Booth, the famous actor, was persuaded to read Byron's Scena from "Oberon" Weber 'Manfred' to the accompaniment of Schumann's music. These Mme. Otto. (Conducted by H. C. Timm.) new progressive methods resulted in a tremendous financial Quintet in D minor. -. .Hummel success." Pianoforte, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass. Overture, "Oberon" Weber The New York Philharmonic is the third oldest organization (Conducted by D. G. Etienne.) of its kind, the London and Vienna societies only having pre­ Duet from "Armida" Rossini Mme. Otto and C. E. Horn. (Conducted by H. C. Timm.) ceded it. The New York organization, says Mr. Lucas, "has Scena from "Fidelio" Beethoven grown with the great city itself, which can not be said of the O. E. Horn. (Conducted by H. C. Timm.) Philharmonic Society of London." Further: Aria di Bravura from "II Seraglio" Mozart Mme. Otto. (Conducted by H. C. Timm.) "It is noted also for having perhaps the longest list of famous Overture in D (new) KaUiwoda conductors of any orchestra. On its record pages are names (Conducted by H. C. Timm.) that stand out in the musical development of Europe and "How old-fashioned that program already seems! No broad America^names that read like a roll of fame in musical history. and powerful last movement of Beethoven's fifth symphony. Its first conductor of international fame was Carl Bergmann, Still, there may have been many worthies present who shook who was a pioneer in introducing the music of Wagner to sym­ their heads dubiously over Beethoven's wild extravagances and phony audiences in this country. Theodore Thomas, whom all welcomed with nodding approval a return to the sane and bal­ Americans revere as the man who did more to spread the love anced melody of Hummel. Was not the young Beethoven en­ of good music in this land than any other one person, was con­ raged when the infiuential Hummel laughed at certain passages ductor of the Philharmonic for many years. After Theodore in the new mass in C? The hum of Hummel's honey-bee har­ Thomas came Anton Seidl, for four years Wagner's private sec­ monies is heard no more in concerts where Beethoven is now a retary. At the time of Seidl's death he had been conductor, of deified old master. the Philharmonic for eight years. Among other famous con­ "The Philharmonic audience of 1842 could stand an exces­ ductors who have wielded the baton over this famous institu­ sive amount of operatic arias. Look at than!—^four in succes­ tion are Colonne, the French orchestral genius; Vassily Safonov, sion: Weber, Rossini, Beethoven, Mozart. And the German, the most noted of Russian conductors; Richard Strauss, the H. C. Timm, as a reward for conducting aU the vocal accom­ great composer of modern scores; Henry Wood, the famous paniments, was allowed to play the audience out with a KaUiwoda EngHsh conductor; Felix Weingartner, of the Vienna Philhar­ novelty. He also probably wanted to get even with the French monic and Royal Opera; Gustav Mahler, and now, of course, Etienne, who conducted Weber's overture, and the American Josef Stransky. Hill, who directed the symphony. And what has become of "The Philharmonic in its seventy-five years has gradually the new overture conducted by Timm? The name of its com­ extended its activities until now the members of its orchestra poser sounds obsolete to-day. The 'Oberon' overture, having devote practically all their time to the work of the organization. been composed by a German in London, had to be conducted by Rehearsals are held daily during the season and about fifty a Frenchman in New York. That kept the international bal­ concerts are given by the society in New York and Brooklyn, ance perfectly adjusted and prevented diplomatic jealousies. in addition to which tours, including more than thirty cities, Presumably C. E. Horn did not Hke to play second fiddle, so are made each season to speak, to Madame Otto, who appears to have dominated the "From time to time the New York Philharmonic Society vocal section. Ten to one, he refused to help the lady out in has invited a number of eminent musical artists to become the Rossini duet unless he was allowed to sing a solo. That honorary members. The first one was the violinist Henri may account for the scena from 'Fidelio.' Such things have Vieuxtemps, who was elected as long ago as 1843, Shortly happened in the song world before and since 1842."

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED The Literary Digest for January 27, 1917 191

roinfcisvof "The Musical ( on New York. CARi, Bli^l,M^-^^' THEODORE THOMAS. ANTON SEIDL. EARLY CONDUCTORS OF THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY. Brrgmauu was the first conductor, while Thomas led from 1879 to 1891, and Seidl from the latter date to his death in 1898. before his death, Mendelssohn accepted. Spohr, Sontag, and organization that would be ridiculous in comparatively pug­ Alboni, Jenny Lind, Wallace, Thalberg, Liszt, Raff, Wagner, nacious peoples like the British and the Trench, can stand a Rubinstein, and Dvorak are also on the list strain on discipline better than the rest of us." Then to en­ "Volumes might be written about the programs, the con­ force this contention, which might perchance be taken lightly as ductors, composers, performers, and the influence for good of all this music on the general public, but space forbids." no more than a Shavian inversion of the ordinary man's mode of thinking, he brings forward a new solution of the failure of the advance on Paris, laying the matter squarely at REWRITING THE WAR'S HISTORY the Germans' own door, while he plucks a feather from the Entente cap: HE REWRITING OF HISTORY is one of the favorite occupations of the leisured, but Mr. G. Bernard Shaw "'The Germans guessed, and as it proved, rightly, that mod­ T pauses in the midst of the fevered occupations of the ern fortifications could not stand against modern siege-artiUery,' says Mr. Cecil Chesterton. Precisely; and it follows that they war to be beforehand in this respect. He tacldes one of the best knew that the whole success of their dash to Paris and, conse­ entrenched of Allied prepossessions—that Germany is a milita,r- quently, the fate of the whole campaign, depended on their istio nation. The "Wittenberg horror," for instance, which is obliterating the forts of Liege at the first shot. Yet they ar­ the phrase used to represent the conditions in the typhus prison- rived before Leige without siege-guns; were held up before it by Leman for many days; and finally had to wait for Austrian camp for British at that place, exposed to the world "that the guns. It was that delay, not the battle of the Marne, that left German Army disgraced itself professionally, and the German Germany without a chance of ultimate victory. She should medical service turned tail in the face of its enemy, typhus." have been in Paris before she reached Brussels; and her famous '' It was important to expose the Wittenberg horror thoroughly,'' intelligence department, with its fabulous network of spies, ended declares Mr. Shaw in The New Republic (New York), "because it in her spending more days hesitating before Antwerp than she needed have taken minutes had she only known the truth as to effectually disposed of the notion that the Germans, who are a the defense. Mr. Cecil Chesterton knows the Prussian pro­ very unmilitary people, and have to be kept in fighting order by gram; but he has been so pacifistioally preoccupied with its an exaggeration and ostentation and idealization of military duty warlike wiolvedness that he has failed to notice that it was a r

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^^ kv-ii 1 - ,1 ,i\(.iv GTJST.AV MAHLEK. JOSEF STR.<,NSKY. LATER LEADERS OF THE PHILHARMONIC. Safonov and Jlahler were recent conductors, the latter being the immediate predecessor of Stransliy, who now holds the position.

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