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”

* * * * *

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.”

* * * * *

“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.”

* * * * *

“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.”

* * * * *

_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.”

* * * * *

“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.