“Mr. Pohlig’s initial programme was too long—two hours of solid music. He does not think so—he broke his watch crystal in an energetic explanation. “There was some weariness over the Wagner music—Mr. Pohlig has not yet got his band keyed up to the marvelous complexion of the master of Bayreuth. But again it was quite clear that conditions of Wagnerian interpretation were as familiar to him as were the canons of classical music.” * * * * * “There was no uncertainty of tempo, and when the tremendous finale of the ‘Tannhaeuser’ prelude was stilled, the people rose in their seats and acclaimed the new conductor in vociferous accents.” * * * * * Name and date of newspaper unknown: “CITY TAKES COMMANDING PLACE IN COUNTRY’S MUSICAL GROWTH. CARL POHLIG, NEW SYMPHONY CONDUCTOR, THINKS AMERICA’S FUTURE PLACE WILL BE FIRST “A dozen years ago, a symphony concert in Philadelphia meant the arrival of an out-of-town organization, and the gathering of a sparse audience, dismally scattered through the Academy of Music. The writer remembers when on one occasion, in 1899, the Boston Symphony Orchestra played to a handful of people in our city because of inclement weather. The reports of the inception of orchestras like the Pittsburgh, the Chicago, the New York Philharmonic and others reveal what an uphill struggle was forced upon these musical bodies because of the lack of interest in music in the various large communities. “So different is the story today, that one is almost puzzled to account for a change, which has led Herr Pohlig, the new Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, to remark: ‘Musically speaking, Germany is the land of the setting sun; America the land of the rising sun.’ His enthusiasm is not the result of the newcomer’s optimism, for Europe has kept track of our musical progress, and is acquainted with the fact that in a few years Philadelphia has been able to inaugurate season upon season of successful concerts given by its own orchestra, that Chicago’s magnificent organization created by Theodore Thomas, is now on a self-supporting basis, and that Pittsburgh, Boston, New York and Minneapolis are musical communities of great importance.” * * * * *