Wagner’s criticisms in his _Art of Conducting_ show that the Orchestras of Europe—even the famous ones—gave interpretations of the Classic composer that we, Americans, would not tolerate; for it is no exaggeration to say that the Orchestras of our country have for many years been the most brilliant, the most finished, and the most poetic in the world. This condition we owe to the guiding minds and high artistic aims of the versatile and intellectual Conductors who have developed our Symphony Orchestras, and to the fact that no national prejudice prevents them from taking the best players from any country; the woodwind from France and Belgium; the strings from Austria; the brass from Germany; together with an ever-increasing number of young Americans who show adaptability in all the orchestral groups. [Illustration: RICHARD STRAUSS CONDUCTING] CHAPTER X THE HARP _Berlioz on the harp; construction of the harp; the harp an ancient instrument; the Egyptian harp; Greek and Roman harps; the Irish harp; quotation from Giraldus; the Welsh harp; the Scotch harp; quotation from Galilei; the Mediæval harp; improvements in the harp; Sebastian Érard; use of the harp in the Orchestra._ “The harp,” writes Berlioz, “is essentially anti-chromatic, that is to say succession by half-tones are almost out of the question for it. Its compass was formerly but five octaves and a sixth. All harps were tuned in the scale of E-flat. The skilful manufacturer, Érard, seeking to remedy the inconvenience of this system, invented the mechanism which obviated these difficulties and proposed tuning the harp in C-flat, which has been adapted by all harp-players of the present day. “To instruments so constructed was given the name of _double-action harps_. This is of what it consists and wherefore it allows the harp—if not to play chromatic successions—at least to play in all keys and to strike, or _arpeggio_, all chords. The double-action harp is tuned in C-flat; and its compass is six octaves and a quarter. “The seven pedals with which it is furnished are made so that the player may, by means of each of them, raise at option each string a tone, or a semitone, only. By taking in succession the seven semitone pedals, the harp in C-flat can therefore be set in G-flat, in D-flat, in A-flat, in E-flat, in B-flat, in F and in C-natural. “The nature of the instrument having been explained, we proceed now to the fingering, which many composers confound with that of the pianoforte, which it nowise resembles. With each hand chords of four notes may be struck, of which the two extreme notes do not extend beyond an octave. Also, by a great stretch of the thumb and little finger, chords of a tenth may be reached, but this position is less convenient, less natural, and, therefore, less sonorous, since none of the fingers can attack the string with as much force as in the ordinary position.