Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert Programs, Summer, 1970, Tanglewood

Program notes for Friday July 24 FERRUCCIO BUSONI 1866-1924 The Rondo arlecchinesco op. 46 RED Program note by N. Burk LIOIN John IJN1N Busoni wrote his Arlecchino, a 'theatrical capriccio in one act', between SINCE 1773 1914 and 1916. In 1915 he derived from the uncompleted sketch this Rondo for concert performance. In the score of Rondo arlecchinesco Praiseworthy food the composer included the following information: served from early in the 'In motley garb, morning until late at A supple body, night. Spacious rooms. A sprightly and darting spirit . Widow Bingham's Tav- ern bar open one hour Philosophy of the Rondo arlecchinesco before noon. Music and 'A is the fundamental key, which is repeatedly affirmed. dancing Thursday, Fri- 'Harlequin's discourse is various. Now he insists with the trumpet; again day and Saturday eve- he whistles across the world in the voice of the piccolo, threatens nings in The Lion's Den. with the basses, languishes with the cellos, seeks the freedom of the wild through the nimble paces of the violins. 'The three thoughts embodied in the motto will be found reflected in the music. Thus: "In motley garb" may be understood as referring STOCKBRIDGE to the free and fantastic form of the composition; "A supple body" indicates the tempi and rhythms; "A sprightly and darting spirit" relates MASSACHUSETTS to the content of the piece, so far as the composer's ability has availed to achieve it. 298-5545 'These pictures hovered before the mind of the composer: 1. The portrait of the hero, two-faced. 2. Harlequin's contemplativeness, Harlequin's amorousness. 3. Harlequin's flight, necessitated by the boldness of his pranks. 4. Harlequin, at a safe distance, voices his haughty contempt for THE mankind.' Edward Dent, in his biography of Busoni, writes that the composer OLD CORNER HOUSE J. contemplated as early as 1910 a Faust parody by Wedekind, 'in which Kasperle, a comic figure — a sort of German Harlequin — makes a STOCKBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY frequent appearance. Arlecchino is in the nature of a play for puppets. Harlequin, speaking but never heard to sing (except for a few bars of larallera which are heard off stage) stands apart from the other characters as Kasperle does in the traditional German puppet-plays, talking sometimes as a personage in the drama, and sometimes turning to the audience as the author's mouthpiece. Arlecchino appears in four aspects — as rogue, as soldier, as husband and as conqueror.' Guido M. Gatti, discussing the first Italian performance of the opera in Venice in January 1940, made this comment: 'In this light and lively "theatrical caprice", the musical speech, the characters, and atmosphere spring directly from a southern — and Latin — temperament striving to renovate one of the most Italian of dramatic forms afforded by theatrical history — that of the Commedia dell'Arte, a form as old as the Italian Stockbridge race. The temper of the characters grew essentially out of Busoni's reaction to the illogical, monstrous and painful situation brought" on by Historical Exhibits the [First] World War.' with It should be noted that Busoni, who came of both Italian and German Original Paintings by stock, wrote the Rondo in the second year of the War, when he was living in the neutral Zurich, bitterly opposed to a conflict that split the NORMAN ROCKWELL two cultures of Europe which were both his own. On permanent exhibit The following orchestra is required for the Rondo: 2 flutes and piccolo, oboe (solo), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 3 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 Open Year Round-Daily 10-5 p.m. trombones, timpani, glockenspiel, triangle, small drum, tambourine, Adults $1.00 Children 25c cymbals and strings. There is a solo for tenor off stage singing wordless syllables before the close of the work..

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