Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert Programs, Summer, 1954-1956
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contltictA me «L$o4tim ^ymfmtmu &^cAe4t^a RCA Victor recreates all the eloquence of his interpretations in these brilliant "New Orthophonic ' High Fidelity recordings **Berlioz:The Damnation of Faust (complete)—Suzanne Danco, Soprano; David Poleri, Tenor; Martial Singher, Baritone **Berlioz: Romeo and Juliet (complete)—Margaret Roggero, Contralto; Leslie Chabay, Tenor; Yi-Kwei Sze, Bass **Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2, in B Flat, op. 83—Artur Rubinstein, Piano *Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, in A, op. 92 **Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2, in F Minor. **Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto No. 4, in C Minor—Alexander Brailowsky, Piano. **"New Orthophonic' High Fidelity. *High Fidelity. rcaVictor D I D MUSIC ill ^i1 s i ? » "• I *> ". :, Pv ^H—JL i i ~.~z~ BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHARLES MUNCH, Music Director Berkshire Festival, Season 1955 (EIGHTEENTH SEASON) TANGLEWOOD, LENOX, MASSACHUSETTS FIRST WEEK Concert Bulletin, with historical and descriptive notes by John 1\. Burk copyright. l955, by boston symphony orchestra, inc. Trustees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. Henry B. Cabot, President Jacob J. Kaplan, Vice-President Richabd C. Paine, Treasurer Talcott M. Banks, Jr. \lvan I. Fuller C. D. Jackson Charles H. Stockton John Nicholas Brown Francis W. Hatch Michael T. Kelleher Ldward A. Taft Theodore P. Ferris Harold D. Hodgkinson Palfrey Perkins Raymond S. Wilkins Oliver Wolcott Trustees Emeritus Philip B. \lleiv M. A. DeWolfe Howe N. Penrose Hallowell Lewis Perry Tanglewood Advisory Committee \i.\n J. Blai Henry W. Dwight F. Anthony Hanlon George E. Mole Lenges Bi m George W. Edman Lawrence K. Miller Whitney S. Stoddard Jesse L. Thomason Bobert K. Wheeler H. George Wilde Chairmen and Board of Selectmen {Ex officio): Stockbridge, Stephen W. Cooney; Lenox, Balph Henry Barnes; Lee, Warren A. Turner THOMAS D. PEBBY, Jr.. Manager G. \\ Bector, N. S. Shirk, Assistant Managers J. J. Brosnahan, Assistant Treasurer Rosario Mazzeo, Personnel Manager 1955 BERKSHIRE FESTIVAL . Tanglewood SYMPHONIANA Enjoy your own THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY f\N September 30th festival ^~* next the Boston whenever jfm% * \k Symphony Orchestra will begin its seventy- you wish -on J fifth consecutive sea- son. Special events are planned for the anni- RCA Victor Records versary, including an extended tour begin- Let these Berkshire Festival guest artists ning October 10 and reaching as far south be year-round guests in your record library as New Orleans. Fif- PIERRE MONTEUX...ui7/irAe teen composers of this Boston Sympli. Orch.: and other nations have ** mozart: Piano Conrerto been commissioned to No. 12 in A, (K. 414); Piano Concerto No. 18 in B Flat, write special works for (K. 456), Lili Kraus, Pianist the season's concerts. Scri- **uszT: Les Preludes; Henry L. Higginson — abin: Poeme d'Extase A 75th anniversary 1 1 fin a sketch by I. S. Sargent 'Stravinsky; Rite of Spring permits reminiscence. with The San Francisco In 1856 a young Bostonian began to study music Symph. Orch.: R1MSKY-KORSAKOFF: Sclnh (*- in Vienna. His name was Henry Lee Higginson franck: razade, op. 35; and he was born to a family tradition of banking. Symphony in D Minor ...with The RCA Victor His new experiences in that musical capital did not Symph. Orch.: result in making him a performing musician but **CHAUSSON: Poem of Love they brought him a strong and lasting realization and the Sea, Gladys Swarth- out, Mezzo-soprano that music was a rare and precious thing, a more GREGORPIATAGORSKY.'Ce^O deeply rewarding pursuit than the handling of dol- **STRAUSS, R.: Don Quixote, lars. He also came to realize that his own country Boston Symph. Orch., Munch, cond. lacked, and would do well to have, a symphony BRAHMS: Double Concerto in orchestra of standards then known only in Central A Minor for 'Cello and Vio- Europe. Mr. Higginson served in the Civil War lin, Nathan Milstein, Violin; Robin Hood Dell Symph. as major, duly went into banking, and eventually Orch., Reiner, cond. accumulated enough money to bring to pass his **bach, J. $.: Sonata No. 2 in D: PROKOFIEFF: Sonata, fondest dream. Op. 119, Ralph Berkowitz, In 1881, or just 75 years ago, he gathered together Piano an orchestra of the best musicians he could obtain ravel: Trio in A Minor; *MENDEtSS0HN : Trio No. 1 in in Europe, a young German born conductor, Georg D Minor, op. 49, Heifetz, Vi- Henschel, to lead them, and announced concerts in olin; Rubinstein, Piano Tchaikovsky: Trio in A Mi- downtown Boston. Through the years Mr. Higgin- nor, Heifetz, Violin; Rubin- son built his orchestra with a watchful eye. Wil- stein, Piano helm Gericke (1884-9; 1898-1906) drilled them ARTHUR FIEDLER . .and The into an immaculate ensemble and took them to Boston "Pops" Orch. New *offenbach: Gaite Pari- York to the astonishment of that city. Arthur meyerbeer: Lea sienne; Nikisch (1889-1893) was a poet of tones rather Patineurs *strauss, J.: "Mr. Strauss than a drill master, but Karl Muck (1906-08; 1912- Comes to Boston"; 11 favor- 18) was another perfectionist through whom the ite Strauss compositions *Slaughter on Tenth Avenue Boston orchestra became a byword of the utmost in and other Ballet Selections; orchestral performance. 14 modern ballet selections The first World War brought the end of an era. *The Family All Together; Ten family favorites The orchestra's owner after . thirty-six years bowed to inevitable change and made it what all orchestras **"A'eic Orihophonic' High Fidelity. "High Fidelity. eventually had to be — a public trust. Pierre Monteux gave Boston a French regime CTOR (1919-1924) and then Serge Koussevitzky, a new RCAVi and magic figure from Europe, became the conductor FIRST IN MUSIC for 25 years. In these years the orchestra which at first had been one of the few in the United States (Continued on page six) First Program THEATRE-CONCERT HALL Wednesday Evening, July 6, at 8:30 THE KROLL STRING QUARTET \\ iixiam Kroll, Violin Louis Graeler, Violin David Mankovitz, Viola Avron Twerdowsky, Cello BEETHOVEN String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4 I. Allegro, ma non tanto III. Menuetto : Allegretto II. Andante scherzoso, quasi allegretto IV. Allegro String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 Allegro con brio Allegretto, ma non troppo; Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso Larghetto espressivo; Allegretto agitato INTERMISSION String Quartet in C sharp minor, Op. 131 Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo — Allegro molto vivace — Allegro moderato — Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile— Presto — Adagio quasi an poco andante — Allegro Fifth Program THEATRE-CONCERT HALL Wednesday Evening, July 13, at 8:30 BEAUX ARTS TRIO Menahem Pressler, Piano Daniel Guilet, Violin Bernard Greenhouse, Cello BEETHOVEN Trio in C minor, Op. 1 , No. 3 I. Allegro con brio III. Menuetto: Quasi allegro II. Andante cantabile con variazioni l\ . Finale: Prestissimo Trio in D major, Op. 70, No. 1 ("Geister") I. Allegro vivace e con brio II. Largo assai HI. Presto INTERMISSION Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97 ("Archduke") 1. Allegro moderato III. ( Andante cantabile ma perd con moto II. Scherzo: Allegro IV. I Allegro moderato II A L U W 1 M PIANO RCA VICTOR RECORDS 1955 BERKSHIRE FESTIVAL Tanglewood could travel far and wide and find illustrious fellow if he is not infused with an inner exaltation, an all- orchestras on all sides. No longer a pioneer, the consuming flame, and a magnetism that can bewitch Boston orchestra remained a model. both the musicians of his orchestra and the audi- In 1949 Koussevitzky retired and Charles Munch ence." This is no boast. Mr. Munch is not in the took his place. Mr. Munch was then one of the fore- least concerned with describing his own attainments. most musicians in France and had been the con- He is essentially a modest man. He is holding up ductor of four orchestras in Paris. He was more an ideal for all conductors, himself included. than a French artist. Strasbourg, his native town, has two languages and lies between two cultures. EXHIBITION AT THE BERKSHIRE MUSEUM Mr. Munch's mother was French, his father was An exhibition of photographs of famous musi- Alsatian. He grew up literally surrounded by the cians by George J. Kossuth is being shown at the music of Bach, for his father Ernest in Strasbourg Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. and his uncle Eugene in Mulhouse were leaders of The Berkshire Museum announces numerous Bach's music in the cathedral of each city. Another exhibitions of interest through the Festival season, Alsatian, Albert Schweitzer, who the was once pupil including in July the works of Ezra Winter, the of Ernest, is the relative by marriage of Charles mural painter; water colors by Helmut Siber: Munch. "Paintings of the Weather"; prints by European Mr. Munch has been conductor of the Boston artists and sculpture by Peter Abate. Symphony Orchestra for six years. In this time his American public have come to know and admire EXHIBITION THIS WEEK IN THE GLASSED him as completely dedicated to his art, a musician RECEPTION ROOM AT TANGLEWOOD: oblivious to outward show, who is not only absorbed July 2-9: Paintings by Paul E. Decker, Canaan. 9-16: by the music he is conducting but possessed by it, Connecticut; July Contemporary prints by artist. Baltimore. who can penetrate and communicate it as perhaps noted modern Frederick Roten, no other conductor living. In his book, "I Am a Maryland. Conductor," recently published, Mr. Munch under- The photograph reproduced on the title page was takes to advise musicians with ambitions, speaking taken by Minot Beale, violinist of this Orchestra. out of his own experience. He describes his profes- (Continued on page eight) sion as "a sacred calling, sometimes a priesthood." Calendar Events be at the No profession is more exacting. "Fifteen years of $3^ A of May Had work and study do not make a conductor of a man Box Office or the Friend's Office.