CHAPTER I
THE NEXT STEP
The Board of Directors was now obliged to find a new conductor for the Philadelphia Orchestra. A survey of America did not bring fruitful results. Orchestral conductors were few in this country in those days, and the Board was determined to engage no man but one competent to carry on the work so well begun. Therefore it was decided to send the business representative of the Association, Charles A. Davis, abroad on this quest. After visiting Steinbach in Cologne and Mottl in Munich, who both recommended Carl Pohlig, Mr. Davis went to Stuttgart, where Pohlig was the director of the Court Orchestra of the King of Würtemberg. After consultation with the officers, an offer was made to him to become the leader of the Philadelphia Orchestra for a term of three years, which was accepted.
Carl Pohlig was born at Teplitz, Bohemia, in 1864. Like Robert Schumann, he was the son of a bookseller. His first musical studies were at the piano. Early in life, while attending the gymnasium at Weimar, the talented boy was cordially received by Franz Liszt, and was permitted to accompany the master on his journeys to Rome, Budapest and other cities, this privilege being shared only by Tausig, von Bülow and Rubinstein. He thus learned many Liszt traditions.
After having toured Germany, Austria, Russia, Scandinavia and Italy, he became Kapellmeister at Graz. Later he was associated with Mahler at the Opera in Hamburg: then at Covent Garden, and Bayreuth, where he trained artists for the Wagner Festival. Pohlig conducted symphony concerts following this operatic experience and appeared in Coburg, Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfort, Munich and other cities. Finally he was offered the position of First Court Kapellmeister to the King of Würtemberg, whence he came, by permission, to Philadelphia.
The “Neue Musik Zeitung,” one of the best musical journals in Germany, speaks thus of Carl Pohlig as conductor:
“In the symphony concerts he directs with equal fervor the works of Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn, as well as the creations of the later great masters. It goes without saying that Liszt is especially dear to him.”
* * * * *
“Pohlig directs with fire and deep feeling, and with a certain clearness that can only spring from a quiet insight into the innermost content of the music; into the finest fibre of its design.”
The new conductor entered upon his duties in Philadelphia in the autumn of 1907, presenting for his first concert the following programme:
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA CARL POHLIG, _Conductor_
FIRST AFTERNOON SYMPHONY CONCERT Friday Afternoon, October 18th, 1907, at 3.00
FIRST EVENING SYMPHONY CONCERT Saturday Evening, October 19th, 1907, at 8.15
PROGRAMME
1. LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) 1. Overture “Fidelio” 2. Overture “Leonore No. 3” 3. Symphony No. 5, in C minor, Op. 67 I. Allegro con brio II. Andante con moto III. Allegro-Allegro, Presto
2. RICHARD WAGNER (1813-1883) 4. Vorspiel, “Meistersinger” 5. “Siegfried Idyll” 6. Overture, “Tannhaeuser”
[Illustration: © Haeseler CARL POHLIG]
Pohlig was warmly received by the audience and acclaimed by the critics as the following will show:
_North American_, October 19, 1907:
“SOCIETY, FASHIONABLE AND CULTURED, CHEERS POHLIG. MUSIC LOVERS TURN OUT IN FORCE TO HEAR THIS SEASON’S PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA’S FIRST CONCERT
“Conductor Carl Pohlig came, waved his baton and conquered at the Academy of Music, yesterday afternoon—the first concert of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s regular season. The new musical director’s local début was a brilliant success and an artistic triumph.”
“The house was crowded. It was apparent almost from the outset that Conductor Pohlig was a master artist and craftsman. He knew his business—‘the first among German conductors,’ as Felix Mottl styled him. The great audience, representing fairly Philadelphia’s highest artistic culture, quickly recognized the new orchestral director’s high and rare quality. By the time the ‘Leonore’ Overture was ended, mystic cords of sympathy between conductor and audience were flung out and firmly fastened. The immortal Fifth Symphony, mightiest of musical creations—was awaited with pleased expectation.”
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INTERPRETATION OF WAGNER
“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.”
* * * * *
“Asked about his plans for the concerts to be given this winter, Mr. Pohlig talked unhesitatingly and with enthusiasm. The first question put to him involved the type of music he would arrange for Philadelphia music lovers, and was a query whether this would be of the same nature he would have furnished a German audience. He said promptly: ‘Of course, Philadelphia should get the best and previous programmes show it has been getting it. And, of course, it must get everything. All schools of music should be represented. If anything, a modern conductor must be cosmopolitan.’
“His mode of arranging his programmes will be new to Philadelphia concert-goers, who have been accustomed to a programme with the symphony either at the opening of the concert or at the end. Mr. Pohlig will have the symphony divide the programme into two, where it serves the purpose of balancing the music of the recital. He intends, if the opportunity offers, to combine with local singing organizations for the production of music for chorus and orchestra hitherto unheard in America. His belief in the great spirit of modern music will give Philadelphians the chance of hearing the compositions of European contemporaries....”
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Pohlig’s first New York concert on November 5th, 1907, did not meet with approval, which considering the programme presented is not strange, but the comments were of such a nature as to call down the wrath of at least one Philadelphia newspaper which retorted in kind. As New York has since capitulated this can be inserted.
A Philadelphia Newspaper, November 7th, 1907:
“POHLIG IN NEW YORK. FLINGS BY MUSICAL CRITICS AT THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA AND ITS NEW CONDUCTOR
“The views of the musical critics of New York concerning Carl Pohlig upon his first appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra in that city on Tuesday evening are not altogether flattering. The _Sun_, as might be expected, leads in its light-hearted attack. Pohlig ‘is employed in the pleasant city of Philadelphia, where he conducts the local orchestra. Its work was so rough as to cause wonder that the organization should have been brought all the way across the State of New Jersey.’
“The _Times_ says that ‘the orchestra is a good assemblage of musicians that clearly brought all of Mr. Pohlig’s intentions to realization. He is a strenuous conductor of advanced view as to the treatment not only of Liszt but also of Beethoven.’
“The _Tribune_ says: ‘It was a rather unfortunate conjunction that of the Philadelphia Orchestra with its new conductor, Carl Pohlig; Richard Buhlig, pianist; and Carl Klein, violinist; at Carnegie Hall yesterday afternoon. Coming alone, and at a more opportune time, each might have won a more dignified hearing and more serious consideration than were possible under the conditions which prevailed yesterday.’
“The New York public is ‘already booked for three-score and ten of the kind of concerts which it gives.’ However, Mr. Pohlig ‘presented himself as a conductor of quite admirable capacities so far at least as a command of the technics of his art is concerned (leaving all questions of interpretation open).’
“The _World_ speaks of the incapacity of the orchestra, who seriously hampered the soloist, by as wicked an accompaniment as was ever heard at a first-class concert.
“‘Provincial was writ large over the whole proceeding, and one felt tempted to inquire: “Why Herr Pohlig; why the Philadelphia Orchestra; why Richard Buhlig?”—at any rate in New York.’
“In Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, however, Herr Pohlig ‘effectually removed previous impressions and stamped himself at once as a thorough musician, a graphic conductor of real distinction, possessing authority, temperament, magnetism, poetic feeling and imagination. One could quarrel with his rather slow tempi and liberties of phrasing, if inclined to be captious, but the interpretation of this great work was so well planned and coherent, that it aroused decided enthusiasm.’” EDITORIAL
The Same, November 7th, 1907:
“NEW YORK SNOBBERY”
“It is not pleasant to utter harsh judgments against a neighboring city, but New York does much constantly to deserve them at the hands of Philadelphians. The smug self-sufficiency of the three or four millions of people who reside on or in contiguity to Manhattan Island, is comical to witness, and we are again reminded of this attitude by the unjust criticism which the newspapers have launched against the Philadelphia Orchestra upon its first visit to New York under its new conductor. This accomplished musician has had the leadership of excellent organizations in Europe, where this form of art was more or less known and enjoyed while New York was inhabited by the Indians. He came here not without some right to a respectful hearing, and since his arrival has received it in this city from a public, which, we venture to say, is as discriminating as any that can be assembled upon the tongue of land which is bounded by the Hudson River and Long Island Sound. Remarks such as we reprint elsewhere today do not fall under the head of criticism. They are a form of cheap wit, which is supposed to be demanded by the inhabitants of this arrogant and insular community at the expense of the people, the products and the institutions of Philadelphia.
“The slurs of the press at our music, books, art and much besides, do this city no particular harm. We are above any need of the endorsement of the self-centered elements which congregate in New York. The support which it gave to the Union during the war was notably reluctant. Its patriotism was always in doubt. It was the centre of disloyal conspiracy. A spirit of selfish commercialism rules its affairs, and it was only by force made to observe its national duty. Since that time it has been under foreign government, and it is without a doubt the least American of our cities. It has less love for our history as a nation; it is more willing to sell its birthright for a joke or a dollar than any community which has yet been established within American borders, and its swaggering air causes it to be loved by the citizens of other portions of the Union about as much as they love a produce market or a Midway Plaisance.
“It is nothing at all to Philadelphians whether New Yorkers like our orchestra, our books, our poets, our historical personages, our pictures, our homes, or anything else that is ours. They may go on their sneering way amusing themselves from day to day, as they see fit. They will find, if they make the effort to inquire, that most of the mind and the soul, as well as the body of this nation have lain and still lie in lands that they do not dominate. They may say what they will, but their manners might be mended to their own conspicuous advantage. That is all.”
At the expiration of Pohlig’s contract the Association renewed it for three years more.
Pohlig was a fine-looking man of German military style, more popular in America previous to 1914 than it has been since. His platform manner was excellent and his appearance was elegant, and he made a good impression on his audience. He was, however, of a difficult disposition, which made dealings between him and the musicians, and the Board of Directors, trying and difficult. This was the final cause of his resignation, presented on June 10th, 1912.
THE MUSICAL RECORD, 1907-1912
Under the direction of Carl Pohlig, the orchestra continued to develop and improve. He was a competent and well-trained musician, and was on his mettle to do his best in an artistic way to keep up the precedents established by the first conductor. He continued to give unusual performances and to keep abreast of the day by producing modern works, among them his own symphony, “Per Aspera ad Astra” (“A Hero’s Death and Apotheosis”), in which members of the Eurydice Chorus took part.
1907-08: Carl Pohlig, Symphony, “Per Aspera ad Astra.”
1908-09: Frank G. Cauffman[31], “Legende”; Philip H. Goepp[32]: Academic March.
Feb. 26th-27th, 1909: Mendelssohn Centenary: Midsummer Night’s Dream with Ben Greet Players. Chaminade: Concertstück, piano and orchestra (composer at the piano).
1909-10: November 26th-27th, 1909: Rachmaninoff, Symphony No. 2, E minor, conducted by the composer; Moussorgsky, “La Nuit sur le Mont Chauve,” Rachmaninoff, guest conductor; Wm. W. Gilchrist[33], Symphony No. 1, C major, conducted by the composer.
1910-11: November 11th-12th: Schumann: to commemorate the One Hundredth Anniversary of his birth 1810, Symphony No. 1, B flat major; Henry Hadley, guest conductor, Cantata “The Culprit Fay,” Op. 62, after Joseph Rodman Drake, conducted by the composer; November 11th and 12th, 1910, St. Saëns, Symphony No. 3, in honor of seventy-fifth birthday of composer; Louis von Gaertner[34], Tone Poem “Macbeth,” Celeste D. Heckscher[35], “Dances of the Pyrenees.”
1911-12: October 27th-28th: Liszt Centenary. Henry Hadley, Symphony No. 3, B minor.
March 8th-9th: Brahms Symphony No. 3, F major, to celebrate seventy-ninth anniversary of his birth, March 7th, 1833. Herman Sandby, Prelude to “The Woman and the Fiddler” (play by Mrs. Sandby).
[31] Philadelphian.
[32] Philadelphian.
[33] Philadelphian.
[34] Philadelphian.
[35] Philadelphian.
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