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DECEMBER, 19 2 9
35
Philadelphia Orchestra
Succumbs to Lure of Radio
First Two Stokowski
Broadcasts Arouse
Mixed Emotions
By WILLIE PERCEVAL-MONGER
THE lure of the radio, the persuasive powers of the Philco Company, the facilities of the National Broadcasting Company, added to its well-known persuasion or, perhaps the relentless march of progress combined with all of these, brought the genius of Leopold Stokowski and his Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra to the ether waves for the first time at 5 :30 on Sunday evening , October 6, 199. In the judgment of this critic, this broadcast marked a great step forward in this ever-changing business.
We do not claim to know what particular factor broke down thep resumed aversion of Maestro Stokowski to radio broadcasting, but we feel he has done radio and its millions of listeners a great service by coming into the family.
Stokowski apeared in the joint capacity of conductor and announcer of the musical items of his program. While he shone in the former capacity, he was extremely brief in the latter. Extensive preparations had been made by NBC officers, engineers, announcers, and production men, the hands of Gerard Chat field and William S. Lynch being particularly visible, and over all was felt, rather than seen, the uncanny skill of O. B. Hanson in matters technical. An old friend, Harry Neely, the "Old Stager" of the Philco Hour, introduced both the conductor and Edward Davis, president of the sponsoring company.
The complete program gollows :
Choral Vorspiel "Wir Glauben all' einen
Gott" (We All Believe in One God) Bach
Symphony in G-minor.
Allegro Molto, Andante,
Minuet and Trio, Finale,
Allegro Assai. Mozart
Overture, Bacchanale and Venusberg music
from "Tannhauser" Wagner
The noble grandeur of the lofty Bach choral prelude was likened by Stokowski to "a great three-sided pyramid" and, in the form it was given to us, a most adequate ex
position by the Philadelphia Orchestra, it seemed likely to endure as long as the Egyptian monuments themselves.
Mozart Symphony Follows
Mozart' favorite symphony in G-minor, probably completed in 1788, his only one in the minor key. followed. This work attracted the attention of Mendelssohn and Beethoven. Of it Schubert said : "One can hear the angels singing in it." Its exquisite melodies, graceful dance forms and song-like passages were woven into a second monument of orchestral material. Speaking from the radio standpoint solely, one can only refer a little hesitatingly to the slight prominence of the string-basses in this delicate work. It should be recalled, however, that the means at the composer's command were probably the "small orchestra" of the day, the usual quartette of strings, two horns, a flute, two clarinets, two oboes and two bassoons. Stokowski's strings of the smaller families with their neighbzoring wood-winds sang beautifully, even though at times the listener found tempi slightly retarded.