the americanization of edward bok-第61节
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y eliminate encores from any concert？ If he liked the way any performer played； he had always done his share to secure an encore。 Why should not the public have an encore if it desired it； and why should a conductor or a performer object？ Hofmann explained to him the entity of a symphonic programme； that it was made up with one composition in relation to the others as a sympathetic unit； and that an encore was an intrusion； disturbing the harmony of the whole。
〃I wish you would let Stokowski come out and explain to you what he is trying to do；〃 said Hofmann。 〃He knows what he wants； and he is right in his efforts； but he doesn't know how to educate the public。 There is where you could help him。〃
But Bok had no desire to meet Stokowski。 He mentally pictured the conductor： long hair； feet never touching the earth； temperament galore； he knew them！ And he had no wish to introduce the type into his home life。
Mrs。 Bok； however； ably seconded Josef Hofmann； and endeavored to dissipate Bok's preconceived notion； with the result that Stokowksi came to the Bok home。
Bok was not slow to see that Stokowski was quite the reverse of his mental picture； and became intensely interested in the youthful conductor's practical way of looking at things。 It was agreed that the encore 〃bull〃 was to be taken by the horns that week； that no matter what the ovation to Hofmann might be； however the public might clamor； no encore was to be forthcoming； and Bok was to give the public an explanation during the following week。 The next concert was to present Mischa Elman； and his co…operation was assured so that continuity of effort might be counted upon。
In order to have first…hand information； Bok attended the concert that Saturday evening。 The symphony； Dvorak's 〃New World Symphony；〃 amazed Bok by its beauty； he was more astonished that he could so easily grasp any music in symphonic form。 He was equally surprised at the simple beauty of the other numbers on the programme； and wondered not a little at his own perfectly absorbed attention during Hofmann's playing of a rather long concerto。
The pianist's performance was so beautiful that the audience was uproarious in its approval； it had calculated； of course； upon an encore； and recalled the pianist again and again until he had appeared and bowed his thanks several times。 But there was no encore； the stage hands appeared and moved the piano to one side； and the audience relapsed into unsatisfied and rather bewildered silence。
Then followed Bok's publicity work in the newspapers； beginning the next day； exonerating Hofmann and explaining the situation。 The following week； with Mischa Elman as soloist； the audience once more tried to have its way and its cherished encore； but again none was forthcoming。 Once more the newspapers explained； the battle was won； and the no…encore rule has prevailed at the Philadelphia Orchestra concerts from that day to this； with the public entirely resigned to the idea and satisfied with the reason therefor。
But the bewildered Bok could not make out exactly what had happened to his preconceived notion about symphonic music。 He attended the following Saturday evening concert； listened to a Brahms symphony that pleased him even more than had 〃The New World；〃 and when； two weeks later； he heard the Tschaikowski 〃Pathetique〃 and later the 〃Unfinished〃 symphony； by Schubert； and a Beethoven symphony； attracted by each in turn； he realized that his prejudice against the whole question of symphonic music had been both wrongly conceived and baseless。
He now began to see the possibility of a whole world of beauty which up to that time had been closed to him； and he made up his mind that he would enter it。 Somehow or other； he found the appeal of music did not confine itself to women； it seemed to have a message for men。 Then； too； instead of dreading the approach of Saturday evenings； he was looking forward to them； and invariably so arranged his engagements that they might not interfere with his attendance at the orchestra concerts。
After a busy week； he discovered that nothing he had ever experienced served to quiet him so much as these end…of…the…week concerts。 They were not too long； an hour and a half at the utmost； and； above all； except now and then； when the conductor would take a flight into the world of Bach； he found he followed him with at least a moderate degree of intelligence； certainly with personal pleasure and inner satisfaction。
Bok concluded he would not read the articles he had published on the meaning of the different 〃sections〃 of a symphony orchestra； or the books issued on that subject。 He would try to solve the mechanism of an orchestra for himself； and ascertain as he went along the relation that each portion bore to the other。 When； therefore； in 1913； the president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association asked him to become a member of its Board of Directors； his acceptance was a natural step in the gradual development of his interest in orchestral music。
The public support given to orchestras now greatly interested Bok。 He was surprised to find that every symphony orchestra had a yearly deficit。 This he immediately attributed to faulty management； but on investigating the whole question he learned that a symphony orchestra could not possibly operate； at a profit or even on a self…sustaining basis； because of its weekly change of programme； the incessant rehearsals required； and the limited number of times it could actually play within a contracted season。 An annual deficit was inevitable。
He found that the Philadelphia Orchestra had a small but faithful group of guarantors who each year made good the deficit in addition to paying for its concert seats。 This did not seem to Bok a sound business plan； it made of the orchestra a necessarily exclusive organization； maintained by a few； and it gave out this impression to the general public； which felt that it did not 〃belong；〃 whereas the true relation of public and orchestra was that of mutual dependence。 Other orchestras； he found； as； for example； the Boston Symphony and the New York Philharmonic had their deficits met by one individual patron in each case。 This； to Bok's mind； was an even worse system； since it entirely excluded the public； making the orchestra dependent on the continued interest and life of a single man。
In 1916 Bok sought Mr。 Alexander Van Rensselaer； the president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association； and proposed that he； himself； should guarantee the deficit of the orchestra for five years； provided that during that period an endowment fund should be raised； contributed by a large number of subscribers； and sufficient in amount to meet； from its interest； the annual deficit。 It was agreed that the donor should remain in strict anonymity； an understanding which has been adhered to until the present writing。
The offer from the 〃anonymous donor；〃 presented by the president； was accepted by the Orchestra Association。 A subscription to an endowment fund was shortly afterward begun； and the amount had been brought to eight hundred thousand dollars when the Great War interrupted any further additions。 In the autumn of 1919； however； a city…wide campaign for an addition of one million dollars to the endowment fund was launched。 The amount was not only secured； but over…subscribed。 Thus； instead of a guarantee fund； contributed by thirteen hundred subscribers； with the necessity for annual collection； an endowment fund of one million eight hundred thousand dollars； contributed by fourteen thousand subscribers； has been secured； and the Philadelphia Orchestra has been promoted from a privately maintained organization to a public institution in which fourteen thousand residents of Philadelphia feel a proprietary interest。 It has become in fact； as well as in name； 〃our orchestra。〃
XXXIII。 How Millions of People Are Reached
The success of The Ladies' Home Journal went steadily forward。 The circulation had passed the previously unheard…of figure for a monthly magazine of a million and a half copies per month； it had now touched a million and three…quarters。
And not only was the figure so high； but the circulation itself was absolutely free from 〃water。〃 The public could not obtain the magazine through what are known as clubbing…rates； since no subscriber was permitted to include any other magazine with it； years ago it had abandoned the practice of offering premiums or consideration of any kind to induce subscriptions； and the newsdealers were not allowed to return unsold copies of the periodical。 Hence every copy was either purchased by the public at the full price at a newsstand； or subscribed for at its stated subscription price。 It was； in short； an authoritative circulation。 And on every hand the question was being asked： 〃How is it done？ How is such a high circulation obtained？〃
Bok's invariable answer was that he gave his readers the very best of the class of reading that he believed would interest them； and that he spared neither effort nor expense to obtain it for them。 When Mr。 Howells once asked him how he classified his audience； Bok replied： 〃We appeal to the intelligent American woman rather than to the intellectual type。〃 An
