Progrsnne: ALGISTO ROTOLI
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PRoGRsnnE: ALGISTO ROTOLI Musician, composer, teacher of singing at the New England Conservatory of Music, and artist through and through, writes as follows concerning the PIANOFORTE: Boston, December 31, 1901. My dear Mason : The pianofortes you are now manufacturing appeal to my nature so deeply that I must write you a word del fondo del mio more, from the bottom of my heart. My life's work has been spent in studying and training the human voice, and in all that has to do with singing. During my residence in America, and while living in Italy and other foreign countries, I have become intimately acquainted with the pianos of the world's foremost makers ; and I say it without exaggeration and in all calmness, that your pianos seem to me to possess a singing quality and an almost human-like individuality of tone, surpassing all others. On my recent visit to your fabric I was impressed by the fundamental con- struction of your instruments, and there I saw the reason for the exquisite, broad, clear, and purely musical tone, which characterizes your pianofortes. It is truly wonderful. Pray extend my heartfelt congratu- lations to your company, and my wishes that the new year may be one , of signal success to you in your glorious labor. (Signed) AUGUSTO ROTOLI. M. STEINERT & SONS COMPANY New England Representatives Boston Symphony Orchestra* SYMPHONY HALL, BOSTON, HUNTINGTON AND MASSACHUSETTS AVENUES. ( Ticket Office, 1492 ) -i^ i TELEPHONE.4^ BACK BAY. Administration Offices, 1471 j TWENTY-FIRST SEASON, I 901 -J 902. WILHELM GERICKE, CONDUCTOR. PROGRAMME OF THE THIRTEENTH REHEARSAL and CONCERT WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NOTES BY PHILIP HALE ,^ jt jX ^ FRIDAY AFTERNOON, JANUARY 3J, AT 2.30 O'CLOCK. SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY l, AT 8.00 O'CLOCK. PUBLISHED BY C. A. ELLIS, MANAGER. (COl) ilUARTEGRANDR f' I AHIS instrument, which we I have just produced, defines an epoch in the history of piano- ^ forte making and is the only success- g ful very small grand ever made. ^ Beautiful quality of tone and delightful touch ^taking but little more space than an upright, it sur- passes it in all the qualities desired in a pianoforte. CHICKERING ^ Sons Iptanoforte flDal^ere ygi TREMONT STREET BOSTON, U.S.A. (602) TWENTY-FIRST SEASON, I901-I902. Thirteenth Rehearsal and Concert* FRIDAY AFTERNOON, JANUARY 3 J, at 2.30 o'clock. SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY I, at 8.00 o'clock. PROGRAMME. " Mendelssohn . Overture to Racine's Athalie," Op. 74 Brahms G)ncerto in A minor, for Violin and Violoncello, Op. 102 I. Allegro (A minor) II. Andante (D major) III. Vivace non troppo (A minor) Chaosson .... Symphonic Poem, " Viviane," Op. 5 (First time.) ^* Goldmark . Symphony No. I, Rustic "Wedding:," Op. 26 I, "Wedding^ March, -with Variations- Moderate molto II. Bridal Song: Allegretto III. Serenade : Allegretto moderato scherzando IV. In the Garden : Andante V. Dance, Finale : Allegro molto SOLOISTS: Mr. FRANZ KNEISEL and Mr. ALWIN SCHROEDER. There will be an intemiission of ten minutes before tlie Sympliony. Patrons unable to remain until the close of the concert are urgently requested to leave the hall during a pause in the programme, City of Boston, Revised Regulation of August 5, 1898.— Chapter 3, relating to the covering of the head in places of public amusement. Every licensee shall not, in his place of amusement, allow any person to wear upon the head a coverinr which obstructs the view of the exhibition or performance in such place of any person seated in any seat thereia provided for spectators, it being urderstood that a low head covering without projection, which does not ob- struct such view, may be worn. Attest; J. M. GALVIN, City Clerk. (603) L. P. HOLLA/NDER & CO. FOR SOUTHERN TRAVEL AND EARLY SPRING WEAR Wc are showing a very attractive assortment of ADVANCE STYLES in LADIES TAILOR GOWNS Broadcloths, Cheviots, and Etamines also WALKING SUITS I In Homespuns and /Moveity Woollens MEW SILK WAISTS Sole American agents of LE CORSET DE MILO and LE CORSET PARFAIT. b TE/1 SETS BOWLS PITCHERS LOVING CUPS A large line of small pieces at VERY MODERATE PRICES ^ iSmitli, Patterson ®, Co, "W^Holesale and Retail Je^rellers 52 Summer Street, Boston, Mass. (604) Overture to Racine's " Athalie," Opus 74. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. (Born at Hamburg, Feb. 3, 1809; died at Leipsic, Nov. 4, 1847.) Frederick William IV,, King of Prussia, proposed to establish an Academy of Arts at Berlin. There were to be four divisions, Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, and Music ; and each division was to have a director, who should in turn take charge of the whole Academy. The King offered the position of Director of Music to Mendelssohn, with a salary of 3,000 thalers ; and in 1841 Mendelssohn moved from Leipsic to Berlin. The scheme itself came to naught; but ^Mendelssohn had prom- ised to remain in Berlin for a year, and in 1841 his music to "Antigone" was produced. Then an arrangement was made by which Mendelssohn should direct the Cathedral choir, which should form the nucleus of a society for special and brilliant concerts. For this he should receive 1,500 thalers a year, on the condition that he should write music for the concerts. The works already agreed upon were " Midsummer Night's Dream," " The Tempest," " CEdipus Coloneus," and " Athalie." The music " for " Midsummer Night's Dream," and the choruses for Racine's " Athalie were finished at Leipsic early in 1843, and the King ordered that with " Antigone " the works should be performed at Potsdam in September. The scores were not all ready, and there was a delay. " Midsummer Night's Dream" was produced at the New Palace, Potsdam, Oct. 14, 1843, ^rid at the King's Theatre, Berlin, October 18. Music for the " Eumenides " of ^Fschylus was ordered, and later there was talk of music " " for "Agamemnon" and the Choephorae ; but Mendelssohn "declared the task beyond the power of any living musician to fulfil conscientiously." " (Dr. Villiers Stanford had more courage : witness his Eumenides," Cam- bridge, 1885.) The ingenious W. A. Lampadius remarks: "No one who knows ^schylus' rough and ungainly language and his massive thoughts NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY SCHOOL OF OPERA UNDER THE DIRECTION OF Sig. ORESTE BIMBONI Of the Vienna, Berlin, Moscow, London, and Italian Royal Opera Houses Sig. BIMBONI Mrs. ERVING WINSLOW COACHING SSiSrjnrsx"" MAiA«MEN? LVfilC EXPRESSION Mrs. LILLA VILES WYMAN Sig. MARCO PIAGENTI CLASSICAL and STAGE DANCING FENCING Classes: Advanced, Intermediate, and General Registration now open Open to all vocal stiidentu, whether pupils of the Contervatory or not (605) Shirt Wai3t3 Season of 1902 We have just received from our London agent the new shirtings, consisting of EngUsh and Scotch Striped Madras, Zephyrs, Cheviots, and Linens ; beautiful plain mercerized fab- rics in white and colors ; French Silks, India Wash Silks, Flannels, and Cloths. ALL IN EXCLUSIVE DESIGNS NOT SHOWN BY OTHER HOUSES. NEW MODELS AND DESIGNS 'Perfect fitting and ^workmanship guaranteed V. BALLABD & SONS 256 Boylston Street, Boston A. STOWELL & CO., Inc., 24 Winter Street. Samples of Ne^^^ Things in Limited Quantities (and indicating the trend of our stock six months later) are now being opened daily. The discriminating are always pleased to get a viev^ of these advanced samples, on ^which ^we base our importations. (606; will wonder that Mendelssohn declined the undertaking." No, Mendels- sohn was hardly the man to write music for the sublime tragedies of ^schylus. Mendelssohn in 1S44 had been released from all official duties in Berlin, and was allowed to undertake such works as Frederick William might command. His salary was 1,000 thalers, and he might live where he pleased. According to Lampadius, Mendelssohn undertook " gladly " the task of writing music for " Athalie." The choruses written in 1843 were for female voices with piano accompaniment. The overture and the War March of the Priests, for orchestra, were written in 1844. The choruses were rewritten for mixed chorus, and the accompaniments were scored for orchestra in 1845. " Athalie " was performed at Charlot- tenburg, Nov. 30, 1845, according to contemporaneous music journals, quoted by Mr. Stephen S. Stratton, the latest and the most satisfactory biographer of Mendelssohn. The date Dec. i, 1845, ^^ given by others. There was a performance afterward in Berlin. None of the music of "Athalie" was published during the lifetime of the composer. " It was Chorley that said : Of all the animated artists who ever lived, Mendelssohn, when need was, was the most placid, the most serene, the one who sacrificed the least of his own independence to effect, as all his sacred, and much of his secular, music remains to attest. That he had in harmony tending towards mannerism is not to tastes be denied ; but the sole trace of Hebrew influence that I can think of, in all the body of music he poured out, is in a few portions of his ' Athalie ' music. These as well befitted a Jewish story as did the faery tone his ' Midsummer Night's Dream,' as did the wild, billowy heavings of the North Sea his * Hebriden ' overture." The overture was performed for the first time in Boston, Dec, 23, 1852, by the Germania under the leadership of Carl Bergmann with "his in- fallible baton." Mr. Dwight, the leading critic of Boston at that time, FAVORITE SONGS with Violin Obligate Beach, Mrs. H. H. found the music " full of wild and solemn grandeur, opening with a psalm- like harmony." It is a good thing to know the programs of the past, for they reflect the contemporaneous musical taste and customs. The pro- gram of this Germania Concert was as follows : — PART I. Grand Symphony No. 4, in B-flat major Beethoven Grand Concerto for the VioUn, No.