the americanization of edward bok-第69章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
After a busy week； he discovered that nothing he had ever experienced served to quiet him so much as these end…of…the…week concerts。 They were not too long； an hour and a half at the utmost； and； above all； except now and then； when the conductor would take a flight into the world of Bach； he found he followed him with at least a moderate degree of intelligence； certainly with personal pleasure and inner satisfaction。
Bok concluded he would not read the articles he had published on the meaning of the different 〃sections〃 of a symphony orchestra； or the books issued on that subject。 He would try to solve the mechanism of an orchestra for himself； and ascertain as he went along the relation that each portion bore to the other。 When； therefore； in 1913； the president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association asked him to become a member of its Board of Directors； his acceptance was a natural step in the gradual development of his interest in orchestral music。
The public support given to orchestras now greatly interested Bok。 He was surprised to find that every symphony orchestra had a yearly deficit。 This he immediately attributed to faulty management； but on investigating the whole question he learned that a symphony orchestra could not possibly operate； at a profit or even on a self…sustaining basis； because of its weekly change of programme； the incessant rehearsals required； and the limited number of times it could actually play within a contracted season。 An annual deficit was inevitable。
He found that the Philadelphia Orchestra had a small but faithful group of guarantors who each year made good the deficit in addition to paying for its concert seats。 This did not seem to Bok a sound business plan； it made of the orchestra a necessarily exclusive organization； maintained by a few； and it gave out this impression to the general public； which felt that it did not 〃belong；〃 whereas the true relation of public and orchestra was that of mutual dependence。 Other orchestras； he found； as； for example； the Boston Symphony and the New York Philharmonic had their deficits met by one individual patron in each case。 This； to Bok's mind； was an even worse system； since it entirely excluded the public； making the orchestra dependent on the continued interest and life of a single man。
In 1916 Bok sought Mr。 Alexander Van Rensselaer； the president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association； and proposed that he； himself； should guarantee the deficit of the orchestra for five years； provided that during that period an endowment fund should be raised； contributed by a large number of subscribers； and sufficient in amount to meet； from its interest； the annual deficit。 It was agreed that the donor should remain in strict anonymity； an understanding which has been adhered to until the present writing。
The offer from the 〃anonymous donor；〃 presented by the president； was accepted by the Orchestra Association。 A subscription to an endowment fund was shortly afterward begun； and the amount had been brought to eight hundred thousand dollars when the Great War interrupted any further additions。 In the autumn of 1919； however； a city…wide campaign for an addition of one million dollars to the endowment fund was launched。 The amount was not only secured； but over…subscribed。 Thus； instead of a guarantee fund； contributed by thirteen hundred subscribers； with the necessity for annual collection； an endowment fund of one million eight hundred thousand dollars； contributed by fourteen thousand subscribers； has been secured； and the Philadelphia Orchestra has been promoted from a privately maintained organization to a public institution in which fourteen thousand residents of Philadelphia feel a proprietary interest。 It has become in fact； as well as in name； 〃our orchestra。〃
XXXIII。 How Millions of People Are Reached
The success of The Ladies' Home Journal went steadily forward。 The circulation had passed the previously unheard…of figure for a monthly magazine of a million and a half copies per month； it had now touched a million and three…quarters。
And not only was the figure so high； but the circulation itself was absolutely free from 〃water。〃 The public could not obtain the magazine through what are known as clubbing…rates； since no subscriber was permitted to include any other magazine with it； years ago it had abandoned the practice of offering premiums or consideration of any kind to induce subscriptions； and the newsdealers were not allowed to return unsold copies of the periodical。 Hence every copy was either purchased by the public at the full price at a newsstand； or subscribed for at its stated subscription price。 It was； in short； an authoritative circulation。 And on every hand the question was being asked： 〃How is it done？ How is such a high circulation obtained？〃
Bok's invariable answer was that he gave his readers the very best of the class of reading that he believed would interest them； and that he spared neither effort nor expense to obtain it for them。 When Mr。 Howells once asked him how he classified his audience； Bok replied： 〃We appeal to the intelligent American woman rather than to the intellectual type。〃 And he gave her the best he could obtain。 As he knew her to be fond of the personal type of literature； he gave her in succession Jane Addams's story of 〃My Fifteen Years at Hull House；〃 and the remarkable narration of Helen Keller's 〃Story of My Life〃； he invited Henry Van Dyke； who had never been in the Holy Land； to go there； camp out in a tent； and then write a series of sketches； 〃Out of Doors in the Holy Land〃； he induced Lyman Abbott to tell the story of 〃My Fifty Years as a Minister。〃 He asked Gene Stratton Porter to tell of her bird…experiences in the series： 〃What I Have Done with Birds〃； he persuaded Dean Hodges to turn from his work of training young clergymen at the Episcopal Seminary； at Cambridge； and write one of the most successful series of Bible stories for children ever printed； and then he supplemented this feature for children by publishing Rudyard Kipling's 〃Just So〃 stories and his 〃Puck of Pook's Hill。〃 He induced F。 Hopkinson Smith to tell the best stories he had ever heard in his wide travels in 〃The Man in the Arm Chair〃； he got Kate Douglas Wiggin to tell a country church experience of hers in 〃The Old Peabody Pew〃； and Jean Webster her knowledge of almshouse life in 〃Daddy Long Legs。〃
The readers of The Ladies' Home Journal realized that it searched the whole field of endeavor in literature and art to secure what would interest them； and they responded with their support。
Another of Bok's methods in editing was to do the common thing in an uncommon way。 He had the faculty of putting old wine in new bottles and the public liked it。 His ideas were not new； he knew there were no new ideas； but he presented his ideas in such a way that they seemed new。 It is a significant fact； too； that a large public will respond more quickly to an idea than it will to a name。
This The Ladies' Home Journal proved again and again。 Its most pronounced successes； from the point of view of circulation； were those in which the idea was the sole and central appeal。 For instance； when it gave American women an opportunity to look into a hundred homes and see how they were furnished； it added a hundred thousand copies to the circulation。 There was nothing new in publishing pictures of rooms and； had it merely done this； it is questionable whether success would have followed the effort。 It was the way in which it was done。 The note struck entered into the feminine desire； reflected it； piqued curiosity； and won success。
Again； when The Journal decided to show good taste and bad taste in furniture； in comparative pictures； another hundred thousand circulation came to it。 There was certainly nothing new in the comparative idea； but applied to a question of taste； which could not be explained so clearly in words； it seemed new。
Had it simply presented masterpieces of art as such； the series might have attracted little attention。 But when it announced that these masterpieces had always been kept in private galleries； and seen only by the favored few； that the public had never been allowed to
