CHAPTER V
TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS
The Twentieth Anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra was celebrated on November 19th and 20th, 1920; and great was the rejoicing that this city possessed an orchestra of such attainment, brought to its present high state by a distinguished conductor, and endowed by a large number of citizens of Philadelphia and vicinity. The long labors of the officers and directors, and of the Women’s Committees, were bringing their recompense. The occasion was celebrated by the playing of the first programme given by Fritz Scheel in 1900; and the presentation of a silver loving cup, bearing the following inscription, to Mr. Van Rensselaer:
“ALEXANDER VAN RENSSELAER First President of The Philadelphia Orchestra Association on the Occasion of the Twentieth Anniversary Concerts November 19th and 20th, 1920 With gratitude and deep appreciation of his invaluable services from The Board of Directors, the Women’s Committees The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Business Management”
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THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA[36]
“With the concerts of November 19th and 20th, 1910, the Philadelphia Orchestra celebrates its twentieth year; a year auspiciously opened in November, 1919, by completing the Endowment Fund.
“To have sustained an honorable career during twenty years is no mean attainment for a business enterprise, a school or an institution. But for a group of people to support an orchestra for twenty years—years artistically certain, but financially uncertain—is a memorable achievement and a cause for congratulation and rejoicing.
“The first concert of The Philadelphia Orchestra was played on November 16th, 1900, and was one of the series of six evening concerts given during the season of 1900-1901. The names of the founders, Dr. Edward I. Keffer, Mr. Edward G. McCollin, Mr. John H. Ingham, Mr. Oliver Boyce Judson, and Mr. Oscar A. Knipe, who formed the Executive Committee, did not appear on the programme. Neither was it publicly known that this was the Committee which had asked Mrs. Alexander J. Cassatt to arrange the so-called Philippine Concerts about six months earlier, which gave Fritz Scheel his first opportunity to conduct in Philadelphia an orchestra composed of professional musicians.
“On the programme for the second series of concerts, consisting of fourteen pairs, during the season of 1901-02, the names of the above gentlemen appear with the additional names of Mr. Alexander Van Rensselaer, President, and Mr. Henry Whelen, Jr., Treasurer.
“The talents of Mr. Scheel, who died after seven years of devotion to the cause, soon placed the new organization among the first in America; and the work thus begun has resulted in an orchestra which has steadily and surely advanced to its present pre-eminent position under the leadership of Leopold Stokowski.”
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“The history of the Philadelphia Orchestra cannot be written in this brief space. It is a story of the pioneers who were inspired to found an orchestra; of devotion, faithfulness and financial aid on the part of the Officers and Board of Directors; of continuous work by the four Women’s Committees; of an ‘Unknown Donor,’ who is no longer ‘unknown’; of loyal support from interested citizens, and of a group of artists, whose music speaks for them and for their leader. In short, the orchestra, which now speaks for Philadelphia the world over, is the result of co-operation on the part of all these groups; a co-operation which has made Philadelphia one of the great musical centres of the world.”
[36] Programme book, November 19th and 20th, 1920.
_Public Ledger_, November 20th, 1920:
“ORCHESTRA GIVES BIRTHDAY CONCERT
“Programme same as that presented at First Performance Twenty Years Ago
“Players Warmly Greeted “Silver Urn for Mr. Van Rensselaer After His Review of Two Decades
“The Philadelphia Orchestra gave a concert yesterday that was real music, all of it. There was nothing ‘modern’ in the programme, nothing that teased the ear with puzzle-problems or geometric exercises wrought ingeniously. The performance celebrated the Twentieth Anniversary of the first concert and the programme was the same as on that fundamental occasion.”
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“After the symphony came the celebratory features. Alexander Van Rensselaer made a graceful address in brief review of the twenty years. The finished product of the present, he held, was the outcome of united effort. The chief credit must go to the indefatigable women’s committees. The munificence of the until recently ‘unknown donor,’ Mr. Bok, assured us five years more of the inspiring leadership of Stokowski, and has established the endowment fund.
“Dr. Stokowski declared that the music spoke for itself and that the orchestra was heartily glad when it gave pleasure to its hearers. Dr. Hart, in behalf of a committee, made an eloquent and feeling speech in deserved tribute to Mr. Van Rensselaer, and presented a silver urn of enormous dimensions, together with a set of resolutions.
“The members of the committee standing with Dr. Hart were Miss Frances Wister, Miss Anne Thomson, Mr. Judson and Dr. Rich, and the actual presentation was made by Miss Thomson. The orchestra blew a fanfare and the audience stood and applauded.”
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_Public Ledger_, November 20th, 1920, Editorial:
“TWENTY YEARS IN MUSIC
“In signalizing its twentieth anniversary with a revival of the original programme directed by Fritz Scheel on November 16th, 1900, the Philadelphia Orchestra has enabled its friends to indulge in pleasurable reflections.
“It is difficult, of course, to recall accurately, the artistry of any performance, musical or dramatic, after a lapse of two decades. But a highly sensitized memory is not needed in this instance. Between the most pioneering effort of the orchestra, which ventured upon only six concerts in its first season, and the authority and artistic opulence of the present organization, there is a disparity in which the whole community can take the profoundest pride.
“Not only has the orchestra headed by Mr. Stokowski attained to a position of splendid leadership in the realm of music, but the esthetic standards of Philadelphia have admirably kept pace. Without affectation it may be said that the growth of musical culture in this city during the last score of years has been gratifyingly vigorous, unsurpassed here in any previous period of similar length.”
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“Cultural appreciation, it is said, usually follows an era of fervent inspiration. Evidently it is an age of the former in which we are now dwelling, hence the abiding charm and appeal of a twenty-year-old programme. The new honors, well worth an anniversary observance, are for the interpreters.”
To those who had devoted years of effort to the orchestra, this occasion was full of interest. Their thoughts flew back to memories of Fritz Scheel and the early struggles; to the advent of Leopold Stokowski and the advance of the orchestra to its present position; to the changed attitude of the public. A procession of events seemed to march down the years; the inauguration of a Pension Fund; the Mahler Symphony and the Chorus; the Peoples’ Concerts; the University of Pennsylvania Concerts; the effort for Popular and Sunday Concerts. Such recollections made the life of the Philadelphia Orchestra seem full and vigorous.
The twentieth season was especially fine musically. It marked the inauguration of the Special Monday Evening Concerts, three in number, which have gradually been increased to ten.
Other musical features of the year were Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; the playing in November, 1920, of “The Pilgrim Vision” by John Alden Carpenter, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower: the three performances in March, 1921, of the Brahms Requiem; and the presentation of Mahler’s Second Symphony, both with the Chorus, trained by Mr. Stephen Townsend, of Boston.
It also marked the first appearance, as guest conductor, of the celebrated leader, Willem Mengelberg, of Amsterdam.
The year was one of great satisfaction to all lovers of the Philadelphia Orchestra. An organization founded on faith that it would succeed artistically; and on faith that Philadelphia would eventually cherish it to the extent of placing it on a permanent financial basis, had justified the hopes of the founders in both these particulars. The number of musicians had been augmented from eighty-five in 1900, to ninety-six in 1920, and the audience had so increased that hundreds of people were often turned away.
All persons therefore interested in the progress of music in the city and especially the ones whose efforts had helped to bring about this result rejoiced in the position now occupied by the orchestra.
In addition to delighting music lovers here and elsewhere, the Philadelphia Orchestra was carrying the name of Philadelphia gloriously around the world.
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