Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925

Name: Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925
Author: Wister, Frances Anne

Wister, Frances Anne

Philadelphia Orchestra

*       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: ENDOWMENT FUND MEMORIAL TABLET]

    “Many cities sustaining an orchestra are greatly aided
    by the work and philanthropy of one or two men, but in
    the case of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the burden of
    making up the yearly deficit is distributed among a
    number of people.

    “The Committee of fifty Chairmen who will meet tomorrow
    at the ‘get-together luncheon’ are each pledged to turn
    in for his Committee a sum of $20,000. Each Chairman
    has a group of co-workers, including prominent social
    and philanthropic leaders of this city.

               ORCHESTRA’S VALUE TO CITY

    “The campaign to save the Orchestra for Philadelphia
    has set loose a flood tide of arguments as to the
    value of this organization to the city’s life. To
    business men the argument that the Philadelphia
    Orchestra is a great advertisement to the city will
    make the strongest appeal, while to the great number
    of people interested in the artistic life of the city
    the argument that its pre-eminent place in the world
    of music merits their greatest support will naturally
    serve to stir them to action.”

       *       *       *       *       *

    “The realization that the possession of an orchestra
    of high standing is a great commercial as well as a
    great civic asset to a city, has caused a number of
    cities to build up an organization similar to the one
    Philadelphia already possesses.”

       *       *       *       *       *

             RANKS WITH WORLD’S BEST

    “By a most consistent plan of development under the
    direction of Alexander Van Rensselaer, the Philadelphia
    Orchestra, now in its twentieth year, has earned the
    reputation of being ‘the first orchestra in America.’
    No less a critic than H. T. Parker, of Boston, writing
    in the Boston _Transcript_ says, ‘there can no
    longer be any doubt that the Philadelphia Orchestra is
    today the first of all American orchestras. In fact, it
    may be said now to rank among the five great orchestral
    organizations in the world.’ Mr. Ossip Gabrilowitsch,
    famous no less as a conductor than a pianist, says that
    ‘it is now a most important factor in the musical life
    of this country, and has set a standard of excellence
    which all other symphony orchestras in America, no
    matter how famous, must bear in mind, if they wish to
    maintain their places in the front rank.’”

       *       *       *       *       *

    “Under Stokowski the Orchestra has made a rapid step
    forward. The first performance in America of the Mahler
    Symphony, using a chorus of over one thousand singers,
    made the whole country ‘sit up.’”

       *       *       *       *       *

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925Wister, Frances Anne

History

Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925

Wister, Frances Anne

Philadelphia Orchestra

*       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: ENDOWMENT FUND MEMORIAL TABLET]

    “Many cities sustaining an orchestra are greatly aided
    by the work and philanthropy of one or two men, but in
    the case of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the burden of
    making up the yearly deficit is distributed among a
    number of people.

    “The Committee of fifty Chairmen who will meet tomorrow
    at the ‘get-together luncheon’ are each pledged to turn
    in for his Committee a sum of $20,000. Each Chairman
    has a group of co-workers, including prominent social
    and philanthropic leaders of this city.

               ORCHESTRA’S VALUE TO CITY

    “The campaign to save the Orchestra for Philadelphia
    has set loose a flood tide of arguments as to the
    value of this organization to the city’s life. To
    business men the argument that the Philadelphia
    Orchestra is a great advertisement to the city will
    make the strongest appeal, while to the great number
    of people interested in the artistic life of the city
    the argument that its pre-eminent place in the world
    of music merits their greatest support will naturally
    serve to stir them to action.”

       *       *       *       *       *

    “The realization that the possession of an orchestra
    of high standing is a great commercial as well as a
    great civic asset to a city, has caused a number of
    cities to build up an organization similar to the one
    Philadelphia already possesses.”

       *       *       *       *       *

             RANKS WITH WORLD’S BEST

    “By a most consistent plan of development under the
    direction of Alexander Van Rensselaer, the Philadelphia
    Orchestra, now in its twentieth year, has earned the
    reputation of being ‘the first orchestra in America.’
    No less a critic than H. T. Parker, of Boston, writing
    in the Boston _Transcript_ says, ‘there can no
    longer be any doubt that the Philadelphia Orchestra is
    today the first of all American orchestras. In fact, it
    may be said now to rank among the five great orchestral
    organizations in the world.’ Mr. Ossip Gabrilowitsch,
    famous no less as a conductor than a pianist, says that
    ‘it is now a most important factor in the musical life
    of this country, and has set a standard of excellence
    which all other symphony orchestras in America, no
    matter how famous, must bear in mind, if they wish to
    maintain their places in the front rank.’”

       *       *       *       *       *

    “Under Stokowski the Orchestra has made a rapid step
    forward. The first performance in America of the Mahler
    Symphony, using a chorus of over one thousand singers,
    made the whole country ‘sit up.’”

       *       *       *       *       *

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925

Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925

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