PHILADELPHIA'S FAMOUS ORCHESTRA

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 59, 9 August 1940, Page 11

PHILADELPHIA'S FAMOUS ORCHESTRA

NE of the red letter days of America’s musical history is March 29, 1900. On that date Fritz Scheel conducted at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia an orchestral concert "for the relief of the families of the Nation’s heroes killed in the Philippines." This concert led to the establishment of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. Its first concert was given in the following November. The conductor waas Fritz Scheel, with Ossip Gabrilovitch (on his first American tour) as solo pianist. — Twelve years later, on October 11, 1912, the present conductor directed his first concert with the orchestra. In the words of the "Public Ledger," Philadelphia, "Leopold Stokowski made his debut at the Academy as conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra in the opening concert of its thirteenth season. Every seat was taken and extra chairs had been placed within the orchestra rail, There was much enthusiasm, manifesting itself at the beginning in prolonged applause as Stokowski came forward with bowed head, evidently pondering the content of his musical message. Those who went forth to see a hirsute eccentricity were disappointed. They beheld a surprisingly boyish and thoroughly businesslike figure, who was sure of himself, yet free from conceit, who dispensed with the score by virtue of in-

fallible memory, and held his men and his audience from first note to last firmly in his grasp." Rival Maestros Recent reports from America tell of a mild rivalry that has blossomed between Arturo Toscanini and Leopold Stokowski. It seems that Toscanini has, in the past couple of months, been engaged on a tour of South America with the NBC Symphony Orchestra — which, although it was expected to gain nothing more

than prestige, has captured the musical market completely. Stokowski must have noted this success with rather mixed feelings. Some months ago he began assembling an "All American Youth Orchestra" and, for goodwill value, decided to make the South American tour. Although professing to be undaunted by Toscanini’s rival organisation, Stokowski cannot be oblivious to the fact that South Americans, always sensitive about any U.S.-made patronage, may not take kindly to the gocdwill of a band of U.S. youngsters. However, it was planned to begin the tour in mid-July, so by now either success or failure will have greeted Stokowski’s painstaking preparations, which included auditioning some 10,000 boys and girls, aged 16 to 25, who applied from many States and cities. Stokowski was optimistic, at any rate, at the tour’s beginning, and said with placidity but bad grammar, "You've never heard an orchestra like this one’s going to be." Listeners to 4YA will hear a complete Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra concert, under Leopold Stokowski on Thursday, August 16.