Ormandy inherited a virtuosic ensemble
from Stokowski and continued to maintain a high artistic level throughout his tenure in
Philadelphia. The changes he did make were accomplished over time and included a move
from "free bowing" in the strings, which was favored by Stokowski, to the more
traditional "uniform bowing"--with all strings simultaneously bowing in the same
direction--while still preserving a seamless sound. Gradual changes in orchestra
personnel also contributed to Ormandy's molding of his own orchestral sound, but an
additional consideration is Ormandy's distinctive interpretations of the works he
conducted. In this matter his influence extended beyond dynamics, phrasing, and tempi
to the recomposition of the score itself.
Although not unique to Ormandy, the role
of conductor as editor and arranger was clearly one that he adopted during his
forty-two years as Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Contributing to the
rich texture he achieved in performance was his practice of altering orchestrations by
doubling one instrumental part by another. He also made cuts to works and often
reworked the composer's conception of a particular rhythmic or melodic passage. While
his critics complained loudly about the latitude he took in altering the compositions
he conducted, Ormandy regularly employed this battery of techniques to achieve the
sound ideal that earned him and the Philadelphia considerable distinction.
