Paris

The 50th anniversary of the Colonne Concerts is being celebrated in Paris. The founding of these concerts by Edouard Colonne marked a new epoch in musical appreciation in France. To the general French public music had never meant anything more than opera. Symphonic music was unknown to them. In the first place they were afraid of it. Colonne, then relatively unknown even in musical circles, educated the general public of Paris not only to an appreciation of the work of the old masters, but he also introduced to them the work of the young Frenchmen of their own time. The orchestra is at present being led by M. Gabriel Pierne.