“Strauss has a very precise beat, ordinarily quiet and undemonstrative and making very little use of his left hand; but when he wants a big climax for the brasses—and he is not afraid of noise—he conducts with his whole person. The orchestra knew the music perfectly and was absolutely responsive to every nuance.” _City and State_, March 10th, 1904: “The highest point, not only of the winter, but in a certain sense of all previous musical seasons was reached last week. “To have the most eminent musician—we use the word advisedly in the strictest sense—interpret his compositions with our own orchestra in two concerts, certainly marks Philadelphia as one of the self-dependent musical centers of the world. But it was much more significant to hear the unstinted praise which Mr. Strauss bestowed on the orchestra after the concerts. On Friday, after the exalting performance of “Death and Transfiguration,” the composer seemed to forget his audience in the heartiness of his acknowledgments to the orchestra. Indeed, we see no impropriety whatever in publishing the fact that Mr. Strauss was immeasurably better pleased with the work of our orchestra than with that of the New York orchestra, which he conducted last Thursday evening. On Tuesday he declared himself entirely contented with the single rehearsal for the Friday concert. It seems almost a pity that we Philadelphians cannot discover for ourselves this excellence of our own enterprise—that we must have the most distinguished musician of the day come from Berlin to tell us that we have a splendid orchestra, and, it may be added, splendid conductor. At any rate, the fact ought not only to be taken to heart by all of us, but we ought not to hesitate to boast bravely of this advantage of ours over New York.” These concerts were repeated in Boston on March 7th and 8th, where they had been well advertised and both houses sold out. But when the programmes were announced there was a cry of protest from the critics and musicians of that city. “Why should Boston have to listen to Fritz Scheel conduct a symphony on each programme?” The Executive Committee replied firmly that Boston had refused to have Dr. Strauss lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and now the Philadelphia Orchestra Association was giving Boston an opportunity to hear Dr. Strauss conduct as guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The programme was not changed, but Philadelphia had to explain the stand she had taken even after the orchestra had reached Boston.