BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC The Little Orchestra Society THOMAS SCHERMAN, Music Director

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION SERIES-SEASON 1968-69 Third Concert Sunday Afternoon, January 19, 1969, at 2:30P.M. HERBERT BARRETT, Manager THOMAS SCHERMAN, Conductor GRIGORY SOKOLOV, Pianist

ALL SAINT-SAENS PROGRAM CHARLES CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS Three Symphonic Pictures after "La Foi" (drama by Brieux), Op. 130 ( 1909) I Poco allegro II Andantino III Allegro moderato e maestoso

La Muse et Le Poete for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op. 132 (1910) Peter Dimitriades and George Koutzen, Soloists Symphony No.2 in A minor, Op. 55 (1859) I Allegro marcato-Allegro appassionato 11 Adagio III Scherzo: Presto- U n poco me no mosso IV Prestissimo- Andantino - Tempo I

INTERMISSION Two Improvisations for Organ, Nos. 1 and 7, Op. 150 (1909-10) Arranged for Wind Band by Thomas K. Scherman No. 1: Molto Iento- Moderato- Tempo I­ Allegro moderato- Tempo I No. 7: Allegro giocoso Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 ( 1868) I Andante sostenuto II Allegro scherzando III Presto GRIGORY SOKOLOV Mr. Sokolov plays the Steinway

NOTES ON THE PROGRAM by BERNARD JACOBSON

Three Symphonic Pictures after "La Foi'' (drama by Brieux), Op. 130 ( 1909) I P oco allegro II Andantino III Allegro moderato e maestoso

Mr. Scherman has kindly supplied the following notes on La Foi: Saint-Saens' incidental music for Eugene Brieux' La F oi was written on the request of his publisher.The composer extracted three of the excerpts and so cleverly developed them symphonically, that one can listen to them with complete musical enjoyment with­ out knowing the dramatic situations involved. However, a familiarity with Brieux' drama will, I feel, certainly heighten that enjoyment. Bernard Shaw starts his preface to the first published English translation of La F oi with the following sentence: "After the death of Ibsen, Brieux confronted Europe as the most important dramatist outside of Russia." What Shaw appreciated in Bricux' works was the writer's aim to so involve the individual members of the audience with a particular human drama, that when the curtain fell they would not feel that a problem had been solved by the author, but that they themselves were obliged to search for a solution. Saint-Saens had two major con iderations in accepting Brieux' request to supply the incidental music which is so necessary to the impact of the play. The first was his life-long interest in the authentic music of Ncar Eastern and North African countries which is evidenced in many of his work by the u e of native instruments and actual scales and even melodies which have their origin in these foreign countries. Another less \\ell-known point of sympathy between Brieux' ideas and those of Saint-Saens, was the latter's religious philo ophy which was outlined very explicitly in his preface to a book called "Hypnotism and Religion" by the French philo opher, Regnault. In this preface he decries the blind faith implicit in the Gospels as a weakening of man's moral fibre. He calls for a positive "artistic faith" as a substitute. This preface, so close to the "message'' of Brieux' play, was written in 1898, over ten years before "La Foi" wa conceived. La Foi, (roughly translated Fal.\e Gods) is a more formal play than most of Brieux' works, but its message is still as forcefully presented. Its thesis is simple but horrifying to early twentieth century audiences: that truth is so terrible to men that false religions arc necessary to them. Its ctting is ancient Egypt which Brieux chose rather than his true in piration-thc excited, suffering, and praying crowds at Lourdes-for fear of censor hip. A ]Oung priest, Satni, has the audacity to question the validity of the offici,li gods and describes them as mere practical tools manipulated by the High Priest and the Pharaoh to further their own ends and perpetuate the endless suffering of the masses of people. Having ··proved" this dramatically to the people by showing them that the statues of the gods can be physically destroyed, he lea vcs no faith to be substituted but man's own integrity and ambition to better himself. The people for whom he displays such compas­ sion arc not ready, not strong enough to accept this new moral freedom. They clamor for some new miracle to substitute for the old miracles. The play was written in 1908 and first produced in Monte Carlo in early 1909 under the auspice of His Royal Highness the Prince of Morocco and there are constant stage directions calling for specific music-for slaves playing harps and flute to accompany dancing, for an impressive call to prayer, for the ceremonial procession of the "chosen one'' of the gods, and for the mystery of the supposed miracle. The symphonic fragments which Saint-Saens drew from his complete score fall neatly into three separate movements with certain themes appearing in more than one movement. The first movement starts with undeniable tone painting of the peaceful scene on the border of the Nile. A slow, pious theme follows which is probably associated with Satni, the young priest. This is interrupted by a somewhat martial theme (the call to prayer), a yearning melody in the oboe which mirrors the despair of the people, and finally an un­ mistakable slow erotic dance melody, in which the compo er uses authentic Egyptian percussion instruments. All of these arc developed symphonically, interwoven one with the other, ending in a majestic chorale-like appearance of the formerly pious theme suggesting the triumph of Satni in the persuasion of the populace. The second movement starts with a languorous melody pas ed among the flute, Engli h horn and oboe with light string accompaniment. The rhythm and texture changes sud­ denly to another dance melody, this in triple time. This melody in various guises appears throughout this and the final movement. It is probably asso:::iatcd with Yaouma, the be­ loved of Satni, who yearns to be chosen as the virgin bride of Ammon and sacrifice herself for the salvation of her fellow-men. When it appears later, staccato in the basses, one recognizes the sense of ridicule as Satni tries to di suade her from the folly of her dream. Later, after a long drawn out crescendo it suddenly appears gently but proudly beneath magnificent pianissimo chords in the bra s. The third movement starts with a wild dance which gives way suddenly to a mysterious chord in the strings over which a descending phrase played first by a solo trombone and then a solo trumpet is so awe-inspiring that it immediately suggests the deity. The entire movement, which is fast for the most part, is mu ically concerned with the development of this theme, the plaintive theme from the second movement ( Yaoumi) and the pious theme of the first movement ( Satni) in many different rhythms and guise . The work ends with a chorale-like combination of the two themes-the god and his bride.

La Muse et Le Poete for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op. 132 (1910) In the eighty-six year of Camille Saint-Saens' life ( 1835-1921), and in a composing career that spanned all but the first five or six of those years, music for solo instruments and orchestra plays one of the largest parts. The composer's copious output includes 24 works in this genre. They range in scope from ten full-scale concertos-fiv~ for piano, three for violin, and two for cello-two small entertainment pieces for flute, harp, or horn and the populat introduction and Rondo capriccio.w for violin. Only two of these works call for more than a single solo instrument. One of them, the earliest of all, is a Tarantelle for flute and clarinet, Op. 6, which Saint-Saen wrote at the age of 15. The other, to be heard tonight, is The Muse and the Poet, composed in J 910 for the same combination of instruments-violin and cello with orchestra-that Brahms used 23 years earlier in his Double Concerto. Saint-Saens' orchestral score calls for double woodwinds, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tympani, harp, and strings. In musical style as in date, this is very definitely a late work. Saint-Saens was never anything but a conservative at heart. But harmonic boldness is a recurrent trait in his music, and though The Muse and the Poet belongs firmly in the tradition of surface classicism that characterizes his work as a whole, it also indulges in a degree of chro­ maticism that reflects the harmonic developments of the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth. In terms of formal structure, the piece displays none of the academicism of which its composer is sometimes accused. Even Bernard Shaw, that stalwart opponent of the appli­ cation of conventional form to inappropriate material, could have found nothing to object to here . . Saint-Saens has simply followed the fairly obvious implications of his musico-dramatic cast li st, with the viol in in the role of the Muse and the cello in that of the Poet, and has allowed his melodic inspiration to lead him where it will.

So long as we are not looking for profundity, the coll oquy between the two characters is a charming one. A particularly happy touch occurs a few minutes into the piece: a brief cadenza-like flourish for the violin suggests that the Muse is being, for a moment, unco­ operatively temperamental; after a moment' pause, the Poet-cello embarks on a delicately expressive theme, Allegretto moderato, which is clearly intended to woo the traditionally capricious lady back to coll aboration. Needless to say, it succeed , and after various adventures a triumphant coda celebrate reunion.

Symphony No.2 in A minor, Op. 55 (l 859)

LAllegro marcato--Allegro appassionato II Adagio III Scherzo: Presto-U n poco meno mosso IV Prestissimo-Andantino-Tempo I

The last of Saint-Saens' three symphonies, the so-called ''Organ Symphony"' in C minor, is also far and away the best known. No. 2 lacks the superficial attractions of its succes or. In tead of bringing in organs and piano , it is scored for a fairly small classical orchestra: two flutes (with a small part for piccolo in the Finale) , two oboes (one changing to English horn in the slow movement), pairs of clarinets, ba soon , horns, and trumpets, tympani. and trings. Nor is it formally as original as the later work. But is po sible to feel that Saint-Saens is more at ease working on the small tructural and emotional scale of No. 2 than with the somewhat uncharacteri tic heroics of No. 3. Certainly the earlier piece, written for a competition (which it won) when he was twenty, though not published until much later, shows no trace of immaturity in technique. The workmanship is wonderfully polished, and within the limits of Saint-Saens' less individual per onality, it i a no less successful essay in the form tha n the sol itary symphony compo ed in the previou year by his younger contemporary Bizet. Saint-Saens' follows classical models for the general layout of his four movements, but his imitation is far from slavish. The very beginning is an original touch. The main Allegro appassionato of the first movement is preceded, not by a low introduction, but by a fast one. Within its first 25 measures, this introduction has already twice attempted a quicker tempo. The onset of the principal Allegro consummates thi accelerating tendency with a satisfying sense of logic, which is reinforced by the derivation of the main theme from the introduc tion's salient chain of descending thirds. The slow movement is a short and gracious lyric. The opening theme for muted strings displays great delicacy in its subtle adjustments of articulation and dynamics; the more sustained melody that follows introduces the E nglish horn, solo, in uni on with the first violins. After this fragrant utterance the Scherzo provides a vigorous contrast. A slightly slower trio section makes much play with syncopations. It is followed, not by the expected Da capo, but by a sustained die-away coda which pre pares the way for the headlong tarantella Finale in A major. Somewhat reminiscent of Schuma nn in the melodic cast of its subsidiary themes, this is interrupted by a fleeting reference to the end of the slow movement before spinning to its own exuberant conclusion. Two Improvisations for OrRan Nos. I and 7, Op. !50 (1909-10) Arranged for Wind Band by Thomas K. Scherman No. I: Molto lcnto-Modcrato-Tempo !-Allegro moderato-Tempo I 1\.lo. 7: Allegro giocoso The Se1·en Improvisations form the seventh of Saint-Sacns' eight compositions for organ. Organist of St. Merry's Church from 1853 till 1857, and of the Madeleine for a period after that, he was a master of the instrument. He was also a notable practitioner of the art of impro\ isation, and thc~e piece rna; well t; pify the form taken by hi extempore performances. e\en though the; 'v\Cre eventuall; ""ritten out and publi hed. The first and Ia t pieces from the set arc hc1ng pc-formed tomght in an arrangement by Thomas K. Scherman for wind orchestra w1th double basses.

Pwno Concerto 'Yo. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 ( 1868) I Andante sostenuto 1I Allegro scherzando l I I Presto Among the most populdr of Saint-Saens· major works, the Second Piano Concerto was ""ntlen in the o.,pacc of 17 da; s. At one of a series of Paris concerts during the spring of 1868. the conductor-soloist comhindtion of SOioist introduced at the outset. so that the relatiomhip of solo and orchestral parts can be established on a much Jco;s complex anu mtellectu,tll; c.lem C'>tablished, and it I'i probabl; the concerto's fusion of romantic expression with brilliant piano 'v\ritmg and lucid, unstuff; form that has made it so well liked. The overall shape of the work, with a slow movement followed h; t'v\O qu1ck.er ones, looh forward to some of the concertos of Prokofiev and Walton. But another composer Gabriel Faure-has a more substanti<~l stake in the piece, for the main subject of the first movement (introduced by the piano after the orcheo;tra 's first bncf intervention) is tak.en from an exercise <,ubmittcd by the younger man when he was Sa1nt-Saem' pupil. In spite of its disparate mfluenccs, the movement is very well integr<1tcd m 'it) lc and <,,It Isf; 1ng in shape. The central scherzo dances along on a 6-8 rh; thm cleverly varicu by the use of w1del; differing phrase lengths. Though written in alia breve or cut time, the Finale is also built on triplet figures-It is in fact, like the Finale of the Second S; mph on;, a tarantella, but here the inspiration is Mendehsohnian rather than Sehumanncsquc. Though it is '>quarer in phrasing than the schcr7o, Its central <,ection, 111 which a motif from the subsidiar; theme is tossed about b; the p1<1no ,tgainst a backgrounu of chorale-lik.e chordo; 1n wmds and strings. provides perhaps the most memorable musiC m the entire concerto THOMAS SCHERMAN During the past twenty-two years, si nce The Little Orchestra Society was founded in I 947, Thomas Scherman and the Society have presented over forty world premieres, more than fifty American premieres and some seventy-five New York premieres of orchestral works, operas and oratorios. These premiere performances have included such diverse masterpieces like Gail Kubik's Symphony Concertante for Trumpet, Viola and Strings (I 952), Vivaldi's Juditha Triumphans ( 1949) and Orff's A ntigonae (I 968). The Little Orchestra Society's concerts for the I 968-69 season are including rarely heard works of Saint-Saens, Braga-Santos, Josef Alexander, a delightful version of R avel's L'Enfant et les Sortileges, a revival of George Kleinsinger and Joe D arien's archy & mehitahel-with the New York City Opera mezzo, Joanna Simon, and a favorite TV philosopher, Henry Morgan, in the leading roles-and the complete, original version of Richard Strauss' Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. This I 912 version is compri cd of the Moliere comedy and ··Ariadne auf Naxos··. The Strauss evening will feature Metropolitan Opera singers Gladys Kuchta and William Cochran. Adhering to the Society's policy of presenting new, young arti sts to the New York public, Mr. Scherman is introducing soprano Eileen Shellc in the virtuo o role of Zerhinetta. In addition to the series of Tuesda) Evening Concerts in Philharmonic H all , Mr. Scherman and the Society arc continuing the Concert<; for Young People ... This season these program arc featuring guest artists such as The New York Percussion Trio, the inimitable Lis! Wei! illustrating Stravinsky's Firehird Suite and The Ballets des Jeuncs in a performance of Hello World. The Society's Concerts for Young People have been awarded the coveted George Peabody Award and the season's final program will be video-taped in collaboration with the Board of Education.

GRIGORY SOKOLOV Grigory Sokolov was born on April I H. 1950 in Leningrad. He tarted tudytng piano at the age of six-and-a-half and at seven wa enrolled in the Special Mu ic School, atllliatcd with the Leningrad Con crvatory in the clas of Lia Ilinichna Zclikham, whose present title is Honored Teacher of the RSFSR, and with whom he is still studying. At twelve he gave his fir t recital. It was a major succe s and the much respected paper, Music Specialists, (Muzykalnyc kadry) wrote: " It i unusual to sec a twelve-year old on the tage performing a full program consisting of work hy Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, R ach­ maninoff, Scriahin, Debussy and Shostakovitch. It was a multi-compo cr program uch as generally tackled only by 'adult' performers ..." Since then Grisha has given recitals every year and he has been invited to perform on both radio and television. In 1965 he participated in the All-Ru sian Competition for Performing Musicians and captured the fir t place among pianists. That same year fifteen-year-old Grigory won the piano award at the All-Union Competition for Performing Musicians. Recitals and concerts in Moscow, Leningrad, Yaroslavl and Rostov-on-Don followed this victory and in 1966, the sixteen­ year-old virtuoso won the coveted III International Tchaikovsky Competition. Sokolov was awarded the first prize and a gold medal and the American piani t Mi ha Dichter second. Since the Competition, Grigory Sokolov has been touring and playing in the concert halls of Italy, Portugal, Finland, Holland and Russia. His performance with The Little Orchestra Society i his first New York appearance. He has recorded tonight's concerto-Saint-Saens' No. 2-as well as Tchaikovsky's Concerto No. I for Melodiya records.

ALVARO CASSUTO, Assistant Conductor WILLARD STRAIGHT, Vocal preparation PETER DIMITRIADES, Concert Master GEORGE KOUTZEN, Personnel BERNARD JOY, Stage Manager RICHARD CASLER, Lighting HERBERT BARRETT, Manager TH0'\1 \S MAT1 HEWS, Associate Manager MARKS LL VI"'E, Consultant The Little Orchestra Societ) I 860 Broadway, New York, N.Y. I 0023 PL 7-3460