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3 fertile Ground in Philadelphia, 1915–1921 J udson arrived in Philadelphia in July 1915 and immediately immersed himself in the orchestra’s ongoing projects. His principal partner in these endeavors was Stokowski, and the two men corresponded regularly that summer and into the fall. In an early letter to Stokowski , Judson worried about badgering the conductor with so many details: I hope you will pardon the great number of letters I am writing you. I have tried to save the various matters and put them all in one letter, but it does not seem practicable, and so I suppose that I shall have to write you with alarming frequency.1 Stokowski replied, “You can’t write me too often. I am interested in all pertaining to my department and like to keep in touch with everything.”2 This response aptly captured the young conductor’s hands-on approach in Philadelphia , particularly during the mid-1910s and 1920s. Stokowski had a working knowledge of nearly every aspect of the organization and was included in all discussions. While some have construed this as Stokowski’s desire for control, the archives suggest something different. Stokowski was a constant student of his surroundings, and he was devoted to the notion that progress was impossible unless all parts of the organization communicated openly. Stokowski was the public face of the orchestra and probably its most important asset, but he was not a dictator. He listened to the people around him, particularly Judson. The premiere of Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 during Judson’s first year in Philadelphia illustrates this point. Soon after starting his Doering_Text.indd 44 12/10/12 3:06 PM 3. fertile Ground in Philadelphia, 1915–1921 . 45 new job, Judson learned that Stokowski was going to present the American premiere of Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony in the upcoming 1915–16 season . Precisely why Stokowski had chosen the work is a mystery. It is possible that he was simply curious about Schoenberg’s recent music. The composer had been receiving international press since at least 1912 even in America’s relatively conservative music journals. Competition may also have been a factor: two other American orchestras had presented Schoenberg’s music in recent years (Chicago Symphony did the Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16 in 1913, as did the Boston Symphony in 1914). Regardless, at some point in the spring of 1915, Stokowski decided that Philadelphians should be exposed to Schoenberg’s music, and he opted for the Chamber Symphony No. 1 (which at that point was about nine years old). Stokowski secured the rights, and the performance was scheduled for November 1915. Remarkably, Stokowski seems to have made this decision without having heard the work or seen the score. In September 1915 (with the performance only four weeks away), he sent a note to Judson looking for an escape route: Schoenberg Symphonie is ridiculous. It would be wrong and unwise to ask people to hear such impertinence. My object in putting it on prog. [sic] was that I felt Phil. should keep in touch with all latest developments, whether I personally like them or not, but this is too idiotic. I will substitute something else, and we can say publicly (which is true) that parts did not arrive. I am returning you [sic] score.3 Rather than rubber-stamp Stokowski’s request, Judson suggested there might be another way of looking at this situation: I note what you write concerning the Schoenberg Symphony. It is unwise, possibly , to give this for musical reasons, but perhaps, very wise to give it for business reasons. Why would not it be a good plan to keep it on the program, and for you to announce to the public what you think of the work and tell them that you feel it should be given if only to show them what bad music is and keep them in touch with Schoenberg. If you don’t give it, you will be criticized for not keeping up with the new musical works of the day; and if you do give it without remark, you will be criticized because it’s bad music. So, why not tell the public in advance and get some real publicity out of it?4 Judson’s response shows how quickly he had settled into the manager’s job. He obviously trusted Stokowski’s musical judgment, but he also wanted to avoid any embarrassment the orchestra might sustain by withdrawing...

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