PHILHARMONIC GREAT SUCCESS LAST EVENING (TIMES-UNION MARCH 29, 1923)
Inaugural Concert of Rochester’s New Symphony Orchestra Received With Evident Appreciation by Large Audience.
Transcript of the newspaper article:
If, in 1953, some veteran player of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra can be prevailed upon to become reminiscent, he will have an interesting tales to tell of how Rochesterians, on one of the coldest and most unpleasant nights of a most unpleasant winter, turned out in force to hear the inaugural concert of the orchestra at the Eastman Theater, and of how many, who came in the spirit of doubt and deprecation which seems to be the Rochesterian’s attitude toward native undertakings, went away filled with pleasure and enthusiasm in the conviction that, at last, Rochester had become possessed of the material and the opportunity to develop a symphony orchestra that would place her in the lists with the other great musical cities of America.
The occasion would have been of historical interest in the musical life of Rochester quite irrespective of the manner in which the program was played, but it is gratifying to record that the orchestra, under the leadership of Conductor Arthur Alexander, won its laurels, last evening, on present merit.
The program was made up of numbers with whose technical requirements the members of the orchestra, most of them musicians of long orchestral and solo experience, might reasonably be expected to be familiar, so that Conductor Alexander was free during rehearsals to concentrate upon the interpretive side. The work accomplished augurs well for the future of orchestral music in Rochester.
The high point of the evening was reached in the Tschaikowsky Symphony No. 6, known as Pathetic. The conductor has yet to be born who can unfold the whole beauty and majestic pathos of this work, conceived in sorrow and born in tears. Mr. Alexander and his men gave it a reading, last night, of which they may justly be proud and which was recognized by the audience as being a real achievement. The long-drawn, sighing theme of the opening adagio, the lilting staccato passages of the Allegro con Grazia; the brilliant passages for the strings in the Allegro motto vivace, with their succeeding rugged theme in which the composer seems to voice defiance to his sufferings, were given with a nice distinction of values; while the concluding Adagio laments was built up to a splendid climax.
The conclusion of the symphony was a signal for a most spontaneous ovation. The audience, with an earnestness that could not be misunderstood, recalled Mr. Alexander again and again while the aisles were clogged with ushers bringing forward baskets and sheafs of roses and other flowers.
The Grieg Concerto in A Minor for piano and orchestra, with Alf Klingenberg at the piano, was another signal success. Mr. Klingenberg gave a brilliant reading of the piano scores and the orchestra missed none of the beauties of the intermingling themes with their subtle melodic turns and unexpected climaxes. Enthusiastic applause was given this number, also, and more floral tributes were brought forward, this time for Mr. Klingenberg.
In the Siegfried Death Music of Wagners Gotterdammerung, the orchestra proved technically adequate but seemed scarcely to reveal the full depth and breadth of the mystery and majesty of death which surge through the pile-up motives in which the whole drama of the tragedy of the gods is rehearsed. There was dynamic force in the presentation and a certain clearcutness about the development of the motives which was excellent, however.
The closing number of the program was the Irish Rhapsody by Victor Herbert which was very acceptably played. The music is linked to sweetness alternating with rapid movements, all built on themes of old songs. The composition was written in 1910 and one has the feeling that were Victor Herbert to write an Irish Rhapsody today it would differ quite essentially from this lighthearted trifle.
In the Lenore Overture, the third written by Beethoven for his opera Fidelio, the orchestra was quite evidently finding itself. There was a forgivable nervousness such as might be expected in the opening number of an opening night but which prevented the players from interpreting the full emotional content of the music. It was most interesting to watch this initial nervousness fade out before the rising interest and absorption in the music as the program progressed. Long before the end of the second number of the Tschaikowsky Symphony the bond of emotional unity between conductor and players and between each player and his neighbor was established and that strange magnetic current which makes orchestra, conductor and audience one was established.
From last night’s performance one is tempted to predict a great future for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. The organization is in its infancy and like most infants it undoubtedly has some difficult times ahead of it. But it is a most healthy infant and has been given painstaking and loving care in its initial development. Technically it has a fine foundation upon which to work. Attack, shading and nuance were all excellent, last night. There is fine tonal quality in the strings in the piano passages and the suggestion of shrillness and harshness in fortissimo will no doubt be eliminated. The woodwind, so often the orchestral scape-grace, is beautiful in tone and very dependable. The brass and percussion were kept strictly in place and the orchestra seems very satisfactorily balanced.
The frequent ovation given to Conductor Alexander were evidence of the appreciation of Rochester musicians of the splendid piece of work which he has done in bringing the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra to its launching. He is to be congratulated on his accomplishment, and Rochester upon her new opportunity for musical development afforded through Mr. Eastman in his plan for a local symphony orchestra.
