Chapter I: Foreword

This story of the Philadelphia Orchestra has been written during the past few months, for the friends and supporters of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association.

My endeavor has been to give the account in a simple form and to use the Appendix for the statistics which should be recorded at a Twenty-fifth Anniversary.

FRANCES ANNE WISTER
OCTOBER, 1925

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

With much appreciation of their assistance
I desire to thank:

The Board of Directors of the Philadelphia
Orchestra Association
and
The Women’s Committees for the Philadelphia
Orchestra, who have made it possible to
publish this book.

Mr. Arthur Judson, Mr. Louis A. Mattson,
Miss Ruth O’Neill, Miss E. M. Russell of
the Philadelphia Orchestra Office.
Dr. Edward I. Keffer.
FRANCES ANNE WISTER
OCTOBER, 1925

Twenty-five Years
of the
Philadelphia Orchestra
1900-1925

CONTENTS

PART I

CHAPTER I 3
A ROAD ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS LONG

Music in Philadelphia before 1900.

CHAPTER II 16
THE LAST TURN OF THE ROAD

The finding of Fritz Scheel at Woodside Park. The
Philadelphia Symphony Society. The Philippine
Concerts. First Concert 1900. Sketch of Scheel. The
formation of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association.

CHAPTER III 31
EARLY YEARS

Financial difficulties. Incorporation 1903. The
Beethoven Cycle. The Richard Strauss Concerts.
Popular Concerts.

CHAPTER IV 47
THE WOMEN’S COMMITTEES

The Women’s Committees in Harrisburg, Allentown,
Lancaster and Trenton. The Women’s Committee and
the First Ten Thousand. The Germantown and Chestnut
Hill Women’s Committee. The West Philadelphia
Women’s Committee. The Media, Chester and West
Chester Women’s Committee. Committees in Delaware
(Wilmington), Baltimore, Washington and Atlantic County.

CHAPTER V 62
THE GUARANTORS AND THE GUARANTEE FUND

CHAPTER VI 71
THE DEATH OF FRITZ SCHEEL

Illness and Death of Fritz Scheel. The Memorial
Tablet to Scheel. The Musical Record.

PART II

CHAPTER I 89
THE NEXT STEP

Engagement of Carl Pohlig as Conductor. Sketch of
Pohlig. The Musical Record.

PART III

CHAPTER I 99
THE COMING OF LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI

The engagement of Leopold Stokowski 1912. First
programme. The Mahler Symphony. The Philadelphia
Orchestra Chorus.

CHAPTER II 113
THE SEVEN YEAR ENDOWMENT FUND

Dissatisfaction with the Guarantee Fund. The
proposition of the “Unknown Donor,” 1916.

CHAPTER III 116
THE ORCHESTRA DURING THE WORLD WAR

Presentation of Flags by Women’s Committees. Concert
at Camp Dix. Red Cross Benefit Concert. The Liberty
Loans.

CHAPTER IV 122

THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY MILLION DOLLAR
ENDOWMENT FUND CAMPAIGN

CHAPTER V 139
TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS

Twentieth Anniversary 1920. Presentation of Silver
Tankard to the President.

CHAPTER VI 143
MUSICAL NEIGHBORS

The co-operation of musical associations with the
orchestra. Philanthropic undertakings.

CHAPTER VII 148
THE SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC PRESS

CHAPTER VIII 150
THE LISTENERS

CHAPTER IX 155
THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

A General Survey.

CHAPTER X 163
THE POINT OF THE STORY

IN MEMORIAM 170

APPENDIX

APPENDIX A 178
CHARTER OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION

APPENDIX B 180
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
1900-1901

APPENDIX C 181
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF THE PHILADELPHIA
ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION 1900-1925

APPENDIX D 191
THE GUARANTORS OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
ASSOCIATION 1900-1901

APPENDIX E 193

SUMMARY OF CONCERTS BY THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
SEASONS 1900-1901 TO 1924-1925 INCLUSIVE

APPENDIX F 201
CONDUCTORS
PERSONNEL OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA 1900-1925
PERSONNEL OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA CHORUS 1920-1921
MANAGERS
OFFICE STAFF

APPENDIX G 216
ASSISTANT CONDUCTORS. GUEST CONDUCTORS
ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE APPEARED WITH THE PHILADELPHIA
ORCHESTRA. SOLOISTS WHO HAVE APPEARED WITH
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

APPENDIX H 228
SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL PLAYERS IN THE VARIOUS
SECTIONS OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

APPENDIX I 232
PARTIAL LIST OF “FIRST PERFORMANCES” IN AMERICA

APPENDIX J 234
PROGRAMMES OF SIX CONCERTS OF THE
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA 1900-1901

APPENDIX K 237
THE WOMEN’S COMMITTEES FOR THE
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

APPENDIX L 242
ANNOUNCEMENT OF CHILDREN’S CONCERTS

APPENDIX M 244
PHILADELPHIA PERMANENT ORCHESTRA PROSPECTUS
MARCH 3, 1899

APPENDIX N 250
LITERATURE OF EARLY DAYS

ILLUSTRATIONS

ALEXANDER VAN RENSSELAER, ESQ. _Opposite_ 16
FRITZ SCHEEL _Opposite_ 31
MRS. ALEXANDER J. DALLAS DIXON _Opposite_ 48
SCHEEL MEMORIAL TABLET _Opposite_ 85
CARL POHLIG _Opposite_ 90
LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI _Opposite_ 100
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA AND MAHLER CHORUS _Opposite_ 105
ENDOWMENT FUND MEMORIAL TABLET _Opposite_ 126
ENDOWMENT FUND MEMORIAL TABLET _Opposite_ 128

PART I

Twenty-five Years of the Philadelphia Orchestra 1900-1925