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5 Managing a renewal, 1922–1930 W hen Judson became manager of the New York Philharmonic in 1922, he joined an orchestra struggling to find its way—a sharp contrast to the Philadelphia Orchestra, which was on a momentous upswing. The Philharmonic was floundering due to organizational instability and perceived reductions in artistic standards. At the center was Josef Stransky (1872–1936), the conductor who had come to the Philharmonic in 1911 as Gustav Mahler’s replacement. Although Stransky was highly qualified, he had the unenviable job of following a conductor-composer of world renown. The critics naturally put him under the microscope. Stransky met the challenge head-on and quickly won over the New York public, in part because of his approach to programming. He performed a wider range of music than Mahler ever had, from serious to lighter fare, including pieces by local composers. Audiences liked his conducting, and the Philharmonic tried to capitalize on his popularity by increasing both the length of the subscription season and the number of regional tours. But while the audiences remained strong, Stransky’s reputation among the critics sank as the years wore on. The most outspoken was Richard Aldrich of the Times, who, beginning in the mid-1910s, questioned the conductor’s artistic integrity. Aldrich claimed that Stransky was lowering the Philharmonic’s standards by pandering to the public.1 He also contended that Stransky lacked the musical skills to tackle the more challenging works of the “masters” such as Beethoven and Brahms. The Philharmonic administration defended its conductor, and the popular audiences seemed unaffected. But as the bad reviews from Aldrich and others continued, the orchestra’s board of direcDoering_Text .indd 93 12/10/12 3:06 PM 94 . cOOPerATiOn AnD cuLTiVATiOn, 1921–1942 tors began considering a change. The Philharmonic’s financial situation was a contributing factor. The increased concert schedule had been expensive, and in Stransky’s first decade at the Philharmonic, its annual budget deficits steadily rose. Stransky’s salary ($20,000 per season); the added expenses of an assistant conductor (required by the rigorous performing schedule); and rising costs for hall rental, musicians, and soloists all created serious financial headaches.2 In addition, competition in New York stiffened between 1911 and 1921, as new orchestras formed and impressive visiting ensembles from Boston and Philadelphia performed regularly in the city. In 1921, the Philharmonic board found what it perceived to be the perfect remedy: an opportunity to absorb another orchestra (the up-and-coming National Symphony) and its board of wealthy backers. The National Symphony was a year old, included some of the New York City’s best players, and featured the critically acclaimed Dutch conductor, Willem Mengelberg. The merger seemed to be a silver bullet. The Philharmonic could keep its popular conductor (Stransky), acquire new financial resources from the National’s board, and secure a new conductor (Mengelberg) who might appease the critics. The Philharmonic acted quickly, but mergers take time and create turbulence . When Judson came on staff in May 1922 (nearly a year after the merger had been executed), the Philharmonic was still an unstable organization, in part because of dual musical leadership. The Philharmonic had split its 1921–22 and 1922–23 seasons evenly between Mengelberg and Stransky—two very different conductors. As a result, the Philharmonic seemed more like two orchestras under one name rather than a unified ensemble. This division was apparent on the podium and in the hierarchy of the players. For example, both the 1921–22 and the 1922–23 seasons’ Philharmonic programs listed two principal bassoons, two principal clarinets, and two principal horns.3 Meanwhile, the Philharmonic’s board was also in flux. Clarence Mackay had assumed the chairmanship during the merger in 1921, and he went right to work shoring up the Philharmonic’s financial resources (see the Appendix for Mackay’s term as chairman, as well as his successors’ terms of service). Mackay named several influential New Yorkers to the board, including textile magnate Frederic A. Juilliard, Columbia University president Nicholas Murray Butler, statesman and 1912 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elihu Root, and businessmen Marshall Field III and Charles Triller. He also formed an advisory board comprised of New York’s “wealthy and influential women” and tapped Helen Astor, wife of millionaire Vincent Astor, to lead the group.4 He reached out to the Metropolitan Opera board and invited several of its Doering_Text.indd 94 12/10/12 3:06 PM [18.119.131.178] Project...

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