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MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TIMELY TALKS ON TIMELY TOPICS.
It is difficult to realize that the music season
in New York is practically over. But such is
the case, as the next couple of weeks will tell.
And a remarkable season it has been. Not alone
in point of the fact that there have been so many
concerts and that these concerts have been so
important, but the size of the audiences have
been such that no one interested in the musical
life of this country could fail to see the signifi-
cance of this fact. Let not the exploiters of great
concerts take upon themselves the credit of
attracting these audiences, for the cause is much
deeper and very much more vital. It must be
admitted that the work done by F. X. Arens
with the People's Symphony Orchestra, and the
labors of Frank Damrosch with the Young Peo-
ple's Symphony Concerts, the People's Choral
Union, and in his capacity as Superintendent of
Music in the public schools of New York City,
have borne the fruit which so long has been in
blossom.
This growth we are privileged to note from the
size of the audiences at all of the large orchestral
concerts, but we are not privileged to see that
which is very much broader and very much
deeper, and which, after all, is the true aim of
all who are working along musical lines in this
city. This is the influence of music in the
home, a real estimate of which no one can
gauge exactly. But the sheet music clerk can
be of considerable assistance in this direction
and the story which he tells sounds incredible.
Part of the story is also told by noting the over-
whelming number of young girls on the streets
of the city whose errand is betrayed by the
roll of music tucked away under the arm and
that look of fearful energy lest she be late.
To return, however, to audiences of the season
just past, a cursory glance over the situation
may be interesting. Eliminating the opera which
drew crowded houses at almost every one of the
ninety-six performances given during the winter,
as irrelevant to the point in fact, we may begin
with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which has
had the satisfaction of seeing houses crowded to
the full capacity of Carnegie Hall at every one
of its ^n concerts of the season. The Philhar-
monic Society, which within a few years has in-
creased its concerts from twelve to sixteen, had
the satisfaction of the same condition of affairs,
in addition to two extra concerts given under
direction of Weingartner, which were, if such a
thing could be, still more crowded than the rest.
At each of the People's Symphony Concerts, six
in number, of which one is yet to occur, at least
two hundred people each night have been turned
away, and six concerts of the Young People's
Symphony have attracted the full capacity of the
house. T-he series of six concerts given by the
New York Symphony Orchestra, under Walter
Damrosch, drew in each case large audiences,
and several times people were turned away. The
Sunday night concerts at the Metropolitan Opera
House and also Victor Herbert's series were filled
to overflowing. The Russian Symphony Orches-
tra has not had such large audiences, but per-
haps, like caviar, it is an acquired taste.
It is certain, however, that the taste will be
acquired in a very short period of time, since
the concerts have been delightful. Sam Franko's
Concerts of Old Music are gaining larger
clienteles with every season, but since these can
hardly be appreciated by any except music lovers
dyed in the wool, it is scarcely surprising that
the houses are not what we would like to see,
and especially not what they deserve. In addi-
tion to these concerts given by regular orchestral
organizations, there have been a great many
extra orchestral concerts by Walter Damrosch
and his musicians, who have been called upon in
nearly every case where a great debut has been
made, or when soloists have needed the assjst-
emce of orchestra,
The story is told, although we have not yet
touched upon the audiences of the Kneisel Quar-
tette, the Oratorio Society, the Musical Art So-
ciety, or the People's Choral Union, every one of
which filled Mendelssohn Hall (Kneisel) and
Carnegie Hall to their fullest capacity. Nor have
we included in this the audiences accorded
Paderewski, Hofmann, DePachmann, d'Albert,
Ysaye, Kreisler, Sembrich, Gadski—in fact, the
innumerable artists who have, for the greater
part enjoyed a very large following.
Consternation was upon a good many of those
interested in the musical life of New York, when
it was learned that Carnegie Hall is to raise its
prices next season, and every time the house is
opened it will mean $400 rent. The rates in the
past have been $400 for single engagements and
less on each concert thereafter. This will fall
especially hard upon such organizations as the
Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic,
to whom it will mean $1,500 advance in the first
instance, and $2,400 extra for the latter. These
organizations may be able to meet this demand,
although it is not easy to see, with the expenses
they already have, where they will make this
extra, unless they raise the prices for their
concerts.
But what of the People's Symphony Concerts,
whose rate of admission are 20, 30 and 50 cents
for the best seats in the house? How can these
struggling organizations, and especially they who
have done so m'uch educational drudgery, meet
an advance of this kind? Under these conditions
Mr. Carnegie would be justified in asking the
lessees of the house to change the name of the
hall, since, as matters stand, he certainly
appears under false colors. There are few peo-
ple not under the belief that Carnegie Music
Hall belongs to Andrew Carnegie, and that this
represents his tribute to music in New York City,
the rates being just enough to cover the running
expenses. Such would not seem to be the case,
however. From the above we might suppose that
Carnegie Hall is a speculation, out for the al-
mighty dollar, just the same as any other com-
merce in quest of "filthy lucre."
If Carnegie Hall was the gift of Andrew Car-
negie to New York City, with the understanding
that it should be a home for music at just enough
rental to cover the running expenses, how can
this sudden raising of rent be justified? As the
matter stood, the rents at Carnegie Hall were ex-
orbitant, and now they are tyrannical. It is
not difficult to understand the reason for all this,
since Carnegie Hall stands alone. Not only that,
but there is nothing between Mendelssohn Hall
and Carnegie in size, and this is quite as great
a necessity as is a hall as large or larger than
Carnegie. Many concerts have been taken to
Carnegie because Mendelssohn Hall was not
large enough, and although the former was too
large, it was the only alternative.
Viewed from any standpoint, it is brutal that
after all the work that has been done to build up
a musical atmosphere and good followings for
concert-givers, stumbling blocks of such a nature
should be put in the paths of those who have
worked so hard and so long. Comment is entire-
ly unnecessary. It is another case of "grasp" if
not of "graft."
If James Loeb, of Kuhn, Loeb & Co., were not
so engrossed with the most colossal musical
enterprise that has come upon New York perhaps
within its history, we might doubtless look to
him for a solution of this problem, since the only
thing that will avail to rectify an abuse of this
sort must come through the avenue of competi-
tion. But Mr. Loeb has made clear his plans in
conection with the Betty Loeb Endowment Fund
of $500,000, which he offered last spring to estab-
lish a musical conservatory which should be
devoid of business interests, except to such an
extent as to prevent it from being a charitable
institution. The New York School of Musical
Art, of which the details will be found in another
column, will mean much more for the music of
this country than even the most optimistic is
able to anticipate. In the first place, the very
fact that Dr. Frank Damrosch will be at the head
is alone a guarantee of its seriousness, as well
as of its attitude to the people en masse. When u
in addition to the engagement of Dr. Damrosch,
the enterprise is of sufficient importance to in-
duce the Kneisel Quartette to move from Boston
to New York, where Mr. Kneisel will have under
his control the Department of Stringed Instru-
ments, assisted by his notable associates,
Messrs. Schroeder, Theodorowicz and Svscensk',
we need no further assurance that these gentle-
men know the foundation and the scope of the
new enterprise. We also know that this institu-
tion will not be built merely upon foreign names,
but in addition to the most distinguished names
available in America or in Europe, the work will
be carried on in the most rigid manner, inde-
pendent of all financial considerations, even to
the limiting of the number of its pupils who will
be compelled to undergo severe tests, both as to
natural ability, seriousness of purpose, and ca-
pacity for work. Not only will this institution
take its own position, but it will force everything
around it and all through this country, since it
will set a standard not alone for people from
America to meet, but for Europeans to cope
with, which is very much more difficult. Amer-
ica has been too long the dumping ground for
foreign names, and for such Americans as have
gone abroad to return with the European smat-
tering to gain the stamp of approval in their
own country. Indeed, every American should
hail the advent of the New York School of Musi-
cal Art as the dawn of a new era for the Ameri-
can musician. Not only from the standpoint
of art, but that of morals as well, because what
goes on among the students who go abroad for a
musical education forms a volume by itself,
which not even the most intrepid dares throw
open to the world.
EMU-IK FltANCF.S BAUKR.
MAKES SONG SACRED.
Bill to Preserve "The Star Spangled Banner."
Assemblyman Tompkins has introduced a bill
in the legislature at Albany, which has a bear-
ing upon the recent controversy in regard to the
words of "The Star Spangled Banner." It pro-
vides that no text book which contains a mutil-
ated version of the national song shall be used or
circulated in any public school in the State.
TUNES SERVE AS REMINDERS.
"Have you ever noticed how a person will asso-
ciate music with different scenes or incidents of
his life?" asked a man on a street car, the other
day. "Now, in my case, every time I hear 'The
Holy City' I am reminded of a girl I was once
in love with. She used to sing it. 'Hiawatha'
reminds me of a time when I was 'busted' in
Portland, Ore. Everybody was whistling it then.
And that's the way it goes." "Yes," the man
addressed said, "I've found it that way. A few
years ago, when I was hard up, I owed a tailor
bill. The tailor used to send a collector to see
me about every week, and that fellow had the
habit of whistling 'Goo Goo Eyes.' Whenever I
hear that tune now I find myself getting ready to
dodge somebody unconsciously."
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA SEASON.
About 50,000 persons attended the regular
series of thirty public rehearsals and concerts
given by the Philadelphia Orchestra during the
season just ended. The average cost to the asso-
ciation was $2 per head; the average actual re-
ceipts about 75 cents per head. It is the task of
lessening of this discrepancy that keeps the
Orchestra's Executive Committee sitting up o'
nights in earnest council,