Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 3, No. 4 (1929-01)

The Phonograph Monthly Review January, 1929 114 dream of his heart, an orchestra for Boston. It would have been an easy matter for him to have gone back to Europe where he could have enjoyed all the music he desired, but he had well learned the great secret of true happiness, that joy, to be appreciated to the full, must be shared. In the es- tablishment of an important orchestra for Boston, Mr. Hig- ginson felt that he could most completely obtain his own hap- piness in music. With characteristic thoroughness he worked out a plan by which he could establish an orchestra and hire a conductor, guaranteeing all the men a season’s salary. Concerts were to be given in the Music Hall at nominal prices, and the deficit to be paid out of his own pocket. Naturally, the appearance of another orchestra, whose future triumphs few could have dreamed of, was resented by those already in existence, especially as the number of musicians in Boston ne- cessitated the weakening of one or more of the old organiza- tions in the strengthening of the new one. However, such obstacles were to have been expected, and Mr. Higginson met them face to face. An indomitable will backing up a real vision can prevail against anything, and during the season of 1881-1882 a first series of twenty concerts was given. The concerts have continued uninterruptedly up to the present day. Mr. Higginson was not only the founder, but he was the director and guiding intelligence of the orchestra until 1918, a year before his death. At that time he retired from ac- tive control, leaving the management in the hands of a Board of Directors, Judge Frederick P Cabot, President, who carry on the work which he began. Salaries and expenses have risen to such alarming heights today that the work of manag- ing the orchestra is more difficult than ever. A deficit is inevitable and the task of keeping it down to a minimum is a herculean one, but one which the efforts and efficient man- agement of the Manager, Mr. W. H. Brennan and his #ble assistant, Mr. G. E. Judd, carry out in a noteworthy manner. The financial support which Mr. Higginson provided for so long (he is known to have given over a million dollars) is now supplied by public-spirited citizens who generously sub- scribe to the fund which enables the work of the Boston Symphony Orchestra to go on. THE CONDUCTORS The terms of the conductors of the Boston Symphony have been as follows: Georg Henschel, 1881-1884. Wilhelm Gericke, 1884-1889. Arthur Nikisch, 1889-1893. Emil Paur, 1893-1898. Wilhelm Gericke, 1898-1906. Karl Muck, 1906-1908. Max Fiedler, 1908-1912. Karl Muck, 1912- 1918. Henri Rabaud, 1918-1919. Pierre Monteux, 1919-1924. Serge Koussevitzky, 1924- In establishing the orchestra in 1881, Mr. Higginson, while deciding to employ as musicians those already living in Bos- ton, wished to add interest and stimulation by securing a more romantic and exotic figure as conductor. Georg Hen- schel, then a young man of versatile musicianship, a com- poser, singer, conductor, had just made a spectacular appear- ance at a concert of the Harvard Musical Association, where he had conducted his own Concert Overture. Higginson, in common with many others, was amazed by the effects that Henschel achieved from the orchestra, and immediately ap- proachd him with an offer to lead the new organization. Henschel’s term was not characterized entirely by smooth sailing. He aroused considerable opposition on many counts, but he had the desirable effect of focussing interest on the struggling orchestra. A less debatable man, enjoying unani- mous approval, would probably have killed public interest entirely. At the beginning of the second season a stipulation was made in the musician’s contracts by which the Boston Symphony was to possess exclusive rights to their services on certain days, insuring the saving of their best energies for its need. Teaching, of course, was permitted, but the prac- tice of playing in several orchestras was stopped and naturally determined opposition was made to the new clause. But Higginson’s will prevailed, as was to have been expected, in spite of the excited claims that he was trying to make a “corner” in musicians. As time went on, the concerts grew steadily in popularity, to such an extent that it became extremely difficult to get tickets. A scheme of auctioning off the season tickets came into vogue, but always there were many seats set aside at the modest price of a quarter for those who were willing to wait and rush for their music. The “rush” seats of the Bos- ton Symphony are in themselves a venerable instituion. The practice, which continued for many years of giving concerts, was to give the official performance on Saturday night, and a public rehearsal on Friday afternoon. The name “public rehearsal” persisted for a long time after the conductors had discontinued stopping the orchestra; finally the Friday after- noon performances became regular concerts. Henschel, especially in his choice of programs—the latter part of which always contained something light, to offset any possible heaviness in the first half—undeniably had a bene- ficial influence on the progress of the symphony. But as his three years of service drew to a close it became evident that to bring the orchestra to the high levels of international fame further steps would have to be taken. Higginson sought for a man in Europe who would have the greatest effect for good on the young orchestra. Wilhelm Gericke, then a con- ductor of the Oratorio Concerts given by the Society of Music in Vienna, had had some petty differences of opinion with some of the Opera officials, and to everyone’s amazement con- sented to Higginson’s proposition that he come to Boston. His first season was a difficult one, but for the second he was commissioned to bring new talent from Europe to infuse life into the organization, and with the arrival of Franz Kniesel as concert master, and nineteen other young men, the ma- terial was at hand for the building up of a great machine. Gericke was ideally fitted for such a task; he was a drill master, whose insatiable desire for perfection was only equal- led by his foresight in obtaining it. His comment when he first came, “There are some musicians, but it is hardly an orchestra!” was no longer true when he left at the end of five season’s. Gericke’s programs were condemned on some sides, but his practice of putting the concerts on a classical basis was undoubtedly of value at the time. He also made an important step in advance by omitting at one concert the up-till-that-time inevitable soloist. The changes in the per- sonnel of the orchestra led to natural discord, but all differ- ences of such nature have a way of becoming smoothed out in the forward march of the progress of the organization. Gradually the influence of the orchestra spread; western tours were begun and concerts were given in New York. The be- ginning of the programs later edited by William F. Apthorp and Philip Hale was made during his incumbency by George H. Wilson. “The Pops,” “Young People’s Concerts” and other innovations were made at this time. Following the classical period of Mr. Gericke came the ro- mantic ones of Nikisch and Paur. The former, then conduc- tor of the Leipzig City Theatre, found at his disposal a body of men exquisitely trained and perfected in their technique. A poet, a rhapsodist by nature, Mr. Nikisch had an instru- ment by which he could give full expression to the emotional imagination. The beginning of the exaggerated craze over the conductor aroused considerable ironic comment at the time, but personalities have a way of arousing public interest that less stimulating competency can never do. Nikisch’s work was doubtless uneven, there was probably some falling off in the technical skill of the orchestral ensemble, but a great advance in flexibility and imagination was made. The or- chestra did not know until the actual performance exactly what Nikisch intended to do; consequently his performance, as some one has said, were as trying as Mr. Gericke’s re- hearsals. Emil Paul, the successor of Nikisch at Leipzig, succeeded him also at Boston. Again brilliance and energy held the stage. The number of soloists continued to be cut down and purely symphonic music began to rise higher into its own rights. For Nikisch’s romantic feeling, Paur substituted a “dramatic intensity” that found high favor with his audience and critics. Mr. Gericke’s return as conductor for a second time was hailed as the return of the creator to his ‘own orchestra,— praise which was not unjustified, since Nikisch and Paur, well as they played on the instrument, had not added greatly to