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302 The National Music of America.
musical student an opportunity of hearing any new or important work twice in close repetition, if desired. Mr. George Henschel was the first conductor. Great as this artist was in the other domains of music, he had not yet won his spurs as an orchestral conductor, therefore a new conductor and a new orchestra were launched simultaneously.
Certain odd experiments were made in the placing of the men during the first season; all of the string departments were divided into two sections, sitting on each side of the conductor, save one lonely bass-fiddler who could not be divided, and stood at the rear, alone, like James's " solitary horseman." This arrangement was subsequently abandoned, and the ordinary seating adopted.
There were sixty-seven members of the orchestra at first, many of them old residents of the city, and most of them members of the two orchestras already described. Twenty concerts were given the first season ; |
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