Ormandy’s Orchestra


MOUNTAIN MUSIC. For Philadelphia, this new contract brings closer to reality the dream of a Pocono Festival. At a concert during September in Stroudsburg, Eugene Ormandy made a speech to a huge and enthusiastic audience which applauded his statement that the forthcoming festival — scheduled to kick off in two years — would not only be great for art but wonderful for business as well. During the off-season, Pocono residents tend to shoot deer, swap stories or head for the Florida beaches; this year, they’ll be working around the clock to find a proper site, erect a shed (or perhaps a theatre tent to begin with,) and plan for the influx of visitors — a great many of whom may give up their Tanglewood vacation in order to make the shorter trip to the Pennsylvania mountains. The location — approximately 100 miles from Philadelphia and an equal distance from New York, makes it an almost certain instantaneous success.

This has long been a dream of Eugene Ormandy’s, and he is full of enthusiasm as he watches it take shape. His hope is to have it in operation in 1965, although it is possible it will present a short series of concerts this summer.

Universally acclaimed one of the greatest conductors of our day, Ormandy faced at the start the almost impossible position of having to fight the shadow of his colorful, romantic, dynamic and dramatic predecessor. Charm was only the least of Stokowski’s gifts — he had, for example, an almost infallible sense of public relations, and even during his risque trip abroad with Greta Garbo managed to present the facade of one who is simply indulging in high spirits — and since he counted himself in at the beginning of Hollywood’s flirtation with serious music, was a figure who instantly developed a national following. Stokowski made his screen debut, backed up with the Philadelphia Orchestra, in "The Big Broadcast of 1937." This was followed by "One Hundred Men and a Girl." Several years later, they made the sound track for Walt Disney’s "Fantasia."

But the dramatic maestro was spending more and more time away from Philadelphia — and the Association began looking around for young and competent conductors who would lend a hand now, and, hopefully, succeed to the podium when Leopold could no longer resist the charms of New York and California.

The one other conductor in the United States who had had a wide experience in recording was Eugene Ormandy, Who had placed the Minneapolis Symphony on the map and brought it to nationwide attention with a wide repertoire of recorded classics.

KID STUFF. Ormandy arrived in Philadelphia in 1936, although he had appeared as a guest conductor here as early as 1930. Born in Hungary in 1899, Ormandy was a child prodigy who had entered the Royal Academy of Music in Budapest at the age of five. When he was nine he became a pupil of the distinguished violinist Jeno Hubay; one of his earliest performances was before the emperor Franz Josef, and he played before the Hungarian Royal Family at an age when most young men were playing soccer and wondering about girls.