Philadelphia Conservatory of Music - Variations Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Hamburg, fhaf lenf so much richness fo fhe musical life of cenfral Europe. Even liffle Holland did nol' concenfrafe all musical acfivifies in one cify buf had imporfanf cenfers in Amsfer- dam, Rofferdam, The Hague, Ufrechf and even a place like Groningen which afforded a worfhy field of acfivify for many Dufch musicians who mighf have sfarved had fhey been forced fo rely upon one cify for professional susfenance. Music happens fo be fhe only arf which can be faken anywhere in i-fs original and highesf form. We cannof have all fhe exisfing greaf painfings, sculpfure and masferpieces of archifecfure in our relafively new counfry, buf we can have all fhe greafesf music fhrough fhe medium of adequafe performance. Any musician who can give such a per- formance is valuable and imporfanf wherever he is heard. Wifhouf vanify or unpleasanf egofism he can so consider himself if he has devofed enough fime and work fo be able fo perform fhe indispensable funcfion of recreafion of fhe greaf musical liferafure. To be able fo do fhis, fo be ablegfo imparf a similar possibilify fo ofhers, fo be able fo achieve financial securify in any parf of fhe counfry, and fo have fhe happy life fhaf comes from fhe eliminafion of fruifless exfernal ambifion and ifs affendanf evils of bifferness and frusfrafion, is cerfainly an enviable lof compared wifh fhaf of people who puf all fheir eggs in one baskef only fo have if crash and desfroy-somefimes af one fell swoop- 'rheir hopes and ambifions. The Pursuif of Happiness which is such an essenfial privilege under a democrafic form of governmenf can be successfully carried on in 'rhe musical profession by musicians who are idealisfic enough, infelli- genf enough, and basically arfisfic enough fo wifhsfand fhe evils of a highly over-commercialized concerf acfivify in fhe broad field. lf is my hope fhaf every graduafe of fhe Philadelphia Conservafory who embarks upon a professional career will undersfand fhe frufhs of career expecfancy and leave fhe school noi' only a highly developed and well equipped musician, buf a happy human being. OLGA SAMAROFF STOKOWSKI

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This problem is solved fo a cerfain exfenf by lengfhening fhe period of sfudy. A+ fhe Philadelphia Conservafory of Music fhe rounded educafion has always been fhe keynofe of school organizafion, and all of us connecfed wifh fhe school can poinf wifh pride fo fhe resulfs obfained in fhis unusual insfifufion. There is no doubf, however, fhaf if is easier for experienced edu- cafors fo be realisfs in connecfion wifh career expecfancy fhan for young people wifh undersfandable and laudable ambifion fo open fheir eyes fo unpleasanf facfs, such as an oversupply in fhe commercial concerf field, fhe sfrong American fendency fo cenfralize music of a high order in a few large cifies, and fhe regreffable lack of adequafe and desirable condifions for residenf musicians fhroughouf fhe counfry. Our habif of imporfafion of foreign arfisfs, dafing back fo Colonial days, has a greaf deal fo do wifh fhe psychology fhaf affaches more imporfance fo any visifing musical performer fhan fo fhe residenf musician, no maffer how fine fhe performance of fhe laffer may be. A campaign againsf such psychology is very difficulf fo carry ouf, buf in my opinion fhe mosf imporfanf fhing fo be done in fhis connecfion is for young musicians fhemselves fo have and fo proiecf a psychology fhaf would combaf fhe evils of fhe presenf sifuafion. Only foo offen does one find fhaf a local musician fakes up work in some communify simply because he has failed fo do whaf he wanfed fo do and is forced fo seek a livelihood somewhere. If we could accomplish fhe miracle of having young musicians deliberafely faking up living in some American communify on fhe basis of WANTING fo do if, and if af fhe some fime fhe calibre of such a young musician would invife respecf, confidence, and admirafion, l believe fhaf fhe upsurge of inferesf in music and of a vifal musical life fhroughouf fhe counfry would be unprecedenfed from fhe poinf of view of nafional developmenf in fhe arfs. As an example, if Germany and Ausfria had concenfrafed all fheir musical life of high calibre in Berlin and Vienna, we would never have had fhe Weimar of Liszf, fhe Meiningen of von Bulow, fhe Bayreufh of Richard Wagner, or fhe fine cenfers like Munich, Dresden, Leipzig,

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arzizffzizn - 1 J 1 Bold y,i-ls, , ,i Q ,Al P '-5 . fs V :wi-::.:r:.z:::.i..r:a:.!!:::'.!..... -' 4.2 an :sw , Q r e ' -zzz? - -fa.. , ' ' 1 'l ' ' ..,,- . - GY? 3 ?- 1 . ' i : 'F' A- Ig- . ' P gr-gsq. molto CFCSC. These are siirring limes. If mankind is io win +he race over savagery, greed, and mere personal ambi1'ion, +he need +o aim high and work hard will be a necessily. In facr, one musi' work for whaiever one desires +ha1' is of any real value: and ihe higher his aspiralions, 'rhe more con- linuous mus'r be his effort Among music school s'ruden+s ihere are many aims offen unknown or unrecognized by i'he sludenis ihemselves. Some s1'uden'rs have no direcl' aims while sludying. Al' leasl' lhey have noi' been crysrallized as ye1'. Some aim +o gel' fhe highesr possible marks in each class while orhers are perfecrly sa1'isl'ied if +hey merely pass, forgerring 1'ha+ 'lhe more fhey know abou'r each subiecl' 1'he be'r'rer background 1'hey have wherher rhey aspire io be a performer, composer, conduclor, or ieacher. Then i'here are always 'rhose siudenfs in any school whose aim in life is 'ro have a good 1'ime. Of course 1'hey praciice or sludy enough fo gel by , bui' They would never lei' 'lheir sfudies inieriere wilh rheir enioymenis or casual way of living. Lei' me meniion some of lhese aims: 'ro become a greai' performing arrish +o become a grea'r composer, conducior, arranger, or ieacher, wheiher in priva1'e school or public school. Some aims are very broad or general, such as preparing oneself in many channels so 'rhai' when 'lhe momeni' comes for specializalion, or lhe opporluniry for doing exacfly ihai' for which one is mos'r suiied, 'rhai' person is complerely ready. I know of no higher aim 'rhan +ha+ of one young sfucleni' who wishes io beHer herself lo ihe uimosr so rhar she can rerurn +o her secfion