Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert Programs, Season
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LYRIC THEATRE . BALTIMORE Wednesday Evening, January 31, 1934, at 8.30 •XVW % BOSTON %A\\\v SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC. FIFTY-THIRD SEASON J933-J934 PRSGRKttftE Dr. SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY LYRIC THEATRE BALTIMORE FIFTY-THIRD SEASON, 1933-1934 INC. Dr. SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 31, at 8.30 WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NOTES BY PHILIP HALE AND JOHN N. BURK COPYRIGHT, 1934, BY BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, INC. THE OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES OF THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Inc. BENTLEY W. WARREN President HENRY B. SAWYER Vice-President ERNEST B. DANE Treasurer ALLSTON BURR ROGER I. LEE HENRY B. CABOT WILLIAM PHILLIPS ERNEST B. DANE EDWARD M. PICKMAN N. PENROSE HALLOWELL HENRY B. SAWYER M. A. DE WOLFE HOWE BENTLEY W. WARREN W. H. BRENNAN, Manager G. E. JUDD, Assistant Manager 1 Fifty-third Season, 1933-1934 Dr. SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor ffiL Violins. Burgin, R. Elcus, G. Lauga, N. Sauvlet, H. Resnikofl, V. Concert-master Gundersen, R. Kassman, N. Cherkassky, P. Eisler, D. Theodorowicz, J. Tapley, R. Mariotti, V. Fedorovsky, P. Knudson, C. Leibovici, J. Pinfield, C. Leveen, P. Hansen, E. Zung, M. Del Sordo, R. Gorodetzky, L. Mayer, P. Diamond, S. Bryant, M. Fiedler, B. Zide, L. Beale, M. Stonestreet, L. Messina, S. Murray, }. Erkelens, H. Seiniger, S. Violas. Lefranc, J. Fourel, G. Bernard, A. Grover, H. Artieres, L. Cauhape, J. Van Wynbergen, C. Werner, H. Avierino, N. Deane, C. Gerhardt, S. Jacob, R. Violoncellos. E. Bedetti, J. Langendoen, J. Chardon, Y. Stockbridge, C. Fabrizio. Zighera, A. Barth, C. Droeghmans, H. Warnke, J. Marjollet, L» Basses. Kunze, M. Lemaire, J. Ludwig, O. Girard, H. Vondrak, A. Moleux, G. Frankel, I. Dufresne, G. Flutes. Oboes. Clarinets. Bassoons. Laurent, G. Gillet, F. Polatschek, V. La us, A. Allard, R- Bladet, G. Devergie, J. Valerio, M. Amerena, P. Stanislaus, H. Mazzeo, R. Panenka. E Arcieri, E. Piccolo. English Horn. Bass Clarinet. Contra- Bassoon Battles, A. Speyer, L. Mimart, P. Piller, B. Horns. Horns. Trumpets. Trombones. Boettcher, G. Valkenier, W. Magcr, G. Raichman, J. Macdonald, W. Lannoye, M. Lafosse, M. Hansotte, L. Krnfield, L. Valkemer, W. Singer, J. Grundey, T. Lorbeer, H. Gebhardt, W. Voisin, R. Adam, E. Hain, F. Mann, J. Tuba. Harps. Timpani. Percussion. Adam, E. Zighera, B. Ritter, A. Sternburg, S. Caughey, E. Polster, M. White, L. Organ. Piano. Celesta. Librarian. Snow, A. Sanroma, J. Fiedler, A. Rogers, L. J. LYRIC THEATRE BALTIMORE Fifty-third Season, 1933-1934 Dr. SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor SECOND CONCERT WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 31 AT 8.30 PROGRAMME Schonberg "Verklarte Nacht" ("Radiant Night"), String Sextet, Op. 4, Arranged for String Orchestra Hill Concertino for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 36 (after Rimsky-Korsakov . Symphonic Suite, "Scheherazade" "The Thousand Nights and a Night"), Op. 35 I. The Sea and Sindbad's Ship. II. The Story of the Kalandar-Prince. III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess. IV. Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship goes to Pieces against a rock surmounted by a Bronze Warrior. Conclusion. SOLOIST JESUS MARIA SANROMA STEINWAY PIANO There will be an intermission often minutes after the Concertino 3 : : : ; : ; — Verklarte Nacht ("Radiant Night'-), Op. 4 (String Sextet, arranged for string orchestra ) . arnold schonberg (Born at Vienna, September 13, 1874; now living in Brookline, Mass.) In his twenty- fifth year, Schonberg wrote what has been accounted his first considerable and enduring work. Verklarte Nacht was com- posed in the space of three weeks, in September, 1899, when Schon- berg was staying at Payerbach with Zemlinsky, the only master to whom the self-made artist ever turned. Richard Dehmel's poem in- vited large treatment, more particularly from a young man saturated with Wagnerian emotionalism. But Schonberg had as yet attempted nothing larger than chamber music, and he saw fit at this time to express himself through the voices of six stringed instruments. "As might be expected," writes Wellesz, "the setting of a pro- gramme to music, and especially in a youthful work full of the zest of life, has made the music of Verklarte Nacht something unusually dramatic ; so much so that one could wish in many places for greater fulness and strength of tone. Hence, when this work is played in large halls, it is a good idea to increase the number of performers. This certainly reduces the intimate effect of certain passages, but on the other hand it gives to the whole a far greater intensity, bringing out more c] early the flight and elan of the composition." For the purposes of orchestral performance, the composer has added a double-bass part, and made some modifica- tions of tonal balance. The music has been so played by many or- chestras. It was performed at these concerts November 25, 1921, Pierre Monteux, conductor. Verklarte Nacht as chamber music was first made known to Boston by the Kneisel Quartet, March 16, 1915. An excerpt from Richard Dehmel's poem, Weib und die Welt, is quoted in the score. The fragment has been freely translated by Arthur Fiedler Two mortals wander through a cold, desolate grove. They gaze at the moon as it follows them. The moon sails over lofty oaks, No cloud dims the heaven's light Towards which the black peaks extend. A woman speaks I am with child, but not from thee; I walk in sin beside thee I have committed a grave offense unto myself. No longer did I believe in happiness And yet had I a strong desire For life's fulfillment, for the joy of motherhood And its cares; so I summoned courage Shudderingly I yielded To the embraces of a strange man, And I thought myself blessed for it. Now life has revenged itself Thee—now thee have I met. She staggers with heavy step. She stares above ; the moon follows on. Her desolate outlook is dispelled by the moon's radiance. A man speaks ; ; ; ; ! Let not the child thou bearest Be burdensome to thy soul. Oh, behold, how the universe is flooded with light Brilliance surrounds us Together we are borne along over the cold sea Yet a human warmth radiates From thee unto me, from me unto thee. It will transfigure the strange child, You will bear it for me as my own You have enkindled a radiance in me You have made a child even of me. He draws her to him. Their breaths kiss. Two mortals wander through the sublime, radiant night. The following description of the score is a condensation of the analysis of Wellesz: "The structure of Verkldrte Nacht, in accordance with the poem, is made up of five sections, in which the first, third, and fifth are of more epic nature and so portray the deep feelings of the people wandering about in the cold moonlit night. The second contains the passionate plaint of the woman, the fourth the sustained answer of the man, which shows much depth and warmth of understanding. The introductory theme, which established the atmosphere of the whole work, rises to the highest positions in the violins and finally comes to an end with a poignant chord. A tender thought now ap- pears, which, however, is not further developed; and on a short, THE ANALYTIC SYMPHONY SERIES Edited and Annotated by PERCY GOETSCHIUS, Mus* Doc. Published by Oliver Ditson Company, Inc. The Analytic Symphony Series comprises thirty-four volumes covering the most important symphonies of the world's greatest masters. Each volume is presented in playable two-hand piano score, and contains complete analytical notes on the structure and orchestration in addition to critical notes appraising the significance of the composition and its salient points. Copies may be had from your Music Dealer or the Publishers. OLIVER DITSON COMPANY, Inc. 359 Boylston Street Boston, Mass. : ! gradually increasing crescendo the passionate plaint of the woman begins, full of remorse. Ieh trag' ein Kind und nicht von dir. Ich geh' in Siinde neben dir. Ieh nab' mich schwer an mir vergangen. "Notable is a tender dialogue between the 'cello and first violin, and later a long breathed and expressive cantilena. Then follows a section surging with passion, in which mysterious strains are in- terrupted by a wildly careering violin figure. It finally rises with increasing speed to a great fortissimo. "Now the third section begins, introduced by a recitative on the first violin, the motive of which, taken over later by the viola, leads to the recurrence of the original theme, this time fully harmonised and acquiring thereby an overwhelming force. "After a few tender violin passages and the softest of chords in the highest positions, with which this picture of moonlit night closes, the fourth section begins with the comforting reply of the man Das Kind, das du empfangen hast, Sei deiner Seele keiner Last. "With a pathetic motive in the 'cellos, supported by full, clear harmonies, this section begins and proceeds to a magical picture which is intended to suggest the atmosphere: O sieh, wie klar das Weltall schimmert Es ist ein Glanz am alles her. "After a considerable development, the tranquil grandeur of the recitative-like motive of the man dispells the restlessness, and there begins the final section of the work, which corresponds to the last section of the poem: Er fasst sie urn die starken Hiiften, Ihr Atem kiisst sich in den Luften, Zwei Menschen gehn durch hohe, helle Nacht. "Gradually the heights become clear and the thicket shining in the moonlight becomes visible. Now Nature is speaking; with the purest, subtlest touch the music now paints the picture of the thicket standing alone in the clear light. In a shimmering melody the happiness that the two people have found is reflected; then it dies away, and in the highest harmonics this tone-picture comes to an end." J.