Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert Programs, Season 34, May 14 to May 26, 1915, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Fran
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION FESTIVAL HALL, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Monday Evening, May 17, 1915 BOSTON SYAPHONY ORCHCSTRS THIRTY-FOURTH SEASON PRSGRSJW; Tickets S^$^ Exposition Ticket Office, for the remaining concerts 5? A ^J 343 Powell Street on sale at the mm (St. Francis Hotel) Thirty-fourth Season, 1914-1915 Dr. KARL MUCK, Conductor Violins. Witek, A. Roth, 0. Hoffmann, J. Rissland, K. Concert-master. Koessler, M. Schmidt, E. Theodorowicz, J. Noack, S. Mahn, F. Bak, A. Traupe, W. Goldstein, H. Tak, E. Ribarsch, A. Baraniecki, A. Sauvlet, H. Habenicht, W. Fiedler, B. Berger, H. Goldstein, S. Fiumara, P. Spoor. S. Siilzen, H. Kurth, R. Griinberg, M. Pinfield, C. Gerardi, A. Ringwall, R. Gunderson, E Gewirtz, J. - Violas. Ferir, E. Werner, H. Gietzen, A. v.Veen, H. Wittmann, F. Schwerley, P Berlin, W. Kautzenbach, W Van Wynbergeii, C. Blumenau, W. Violoncellos. Kellei Warnke, H. , J. Barth, C. Belinski, M. Steinke, B. Malkin, J. Nagel , R. Nast, L. Folgmann, E Warnke, J. Basses. Kunze, M. Agnesy, K. Seydel, T. Ludwig, 0. Gerhardt, G. Jaeger, A. Huber, E. Schurig, R. Flutes. Oboes. Clarinets. Bassoons. Maquarre, A. Longy, G. Sand, A. Sadony, P. Brooke, A. Lenom, C. Mimart, P. Mueller, E. Chevrot, A. Stanislaus, H Vannini, A. Fuhrmann, M. Battles, A. English Horn. Bass Clarinet. Contra-Bassoon. Mueller, F Stumpf, K. Mosbach, J. Horns. Horns. Trumpets. ' Trombones. Wendler, G. Jaenicke, B. Heim, G. Alloo, M. Lorbeer, H. Miersch, E. Mann, J. Belgiorno, S. Hain, F. Hess, M. Bach, V. Mausebach, A. Rescb, A. Hiibner, E. Kloepfel, L. Kenfield, L. Tuba. Harps. Tympani. Percussion. Mattersteig, P. Holy, A. Neumann, S. Zahn, F. Senia, T. Cella, T. Kandler, F. Burkhardt, H. Organ. Librarian. Assistant Librarian - Marshall, J. P. Sauerquell, J. Rogers, L. J. PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION FESTIVAL HALL SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA OBoston Sjimphomj Ordheste Thirty-fourth Season, 1914-1915 Dr. KARL MUCK, Conductor MONDAY EVENING, MAY 17 PROGRAMME Brahms ...... Symphony No. i, in C minor, Op. 68 I. Un poco sostenuto; Allegro. II. Andante sostenuto. III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso. IV. Adagio; Allegro non troppo, ma con brio. J. S. Bach . Suite No. 2, in B minor, for Flute and Strings) (Hans von Bulow's Arrangement.) I. Overture: Largo; Allegro. II. Rondo: Allegretto espressivo. III. Sarabande: Andante. IV. Bourree I. and Bourree II. : Allegro molto. V. Polonaise with Double: Moderato. VI. Minuet. VII. Badinerie: Presto. Solo Flute, Mr. Andre Maquarre. [. S. Bach . Symphony (Shepherds' Music) from the Christmas Oratorio Beethoven .... Overture to Goethe's "Egmont," Op. 84 There will be an intermission of ten minutes after the symphony HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NOTES BY PHILIP HALE COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY C. A. ELLIS PUBLISHED BY C. A. ELLIS, MANAGER 1 Symphony in C minor, No. i, Op. 68 Johannes Brahms (Eorn at Hamburg, May 7, 1833; died at Vienna, April 3, 1897.) Brahms was not in a hurry to write a symphony. He heeded not the wishes or demands of his friends, he was not disturbed by their impatience. As far back as 1854 Schumann wrote to Joachim: "But where is Johannes? Is he flying high or only under the flowers? Is he not yet ready to let drums and trumpets sound? He should always keep in mind the beginning of the Beethoven symphonies: he should try to make something like them. The beginning is the main thing; if only one makes a beginning, then the end comes of itself." Max Kalbeck, of Vienna, the author of a life of Brahms in 2138 pages, is of the opinion that the beginning, or rather the germ, of the Symphony in C minor is to be dated 1855. In 1854 Brahms heard in Cologne for the first time Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It impressed him greatly, so that he resolved to write a symphony in the same tonality. That year he was living in Hanover. The madness of Schumann and his at- tempt to commit suicide by throwing himself into the Rhine (February 27, 1854) had deeply affected him. He wrote to Joachim in January, 1855, from Diisseldorf: "I have been trying my hand at a symphony during the past summer, have even orchestrated the first movement, and have composed the second and third." This symphony was never completed. The work as it stood was turned into a sonata for two piano- fortes. The first two movements became later the first and the second of the pianoforte concerto in D minor, and the third is the movement "Behold all flesh" in "A German Requiem." A performance of Schumann's "Manfred" also excited him' when he was twenty-two. Kalbeck has much to say about the influence of these works and the tragedy in the Schumann family over Brahms as the composer of the C minor Symphony. The contents of the symphony, according to Kalbeck, portray the relationship between Brahms and Robert and Clara Schumann. The biographer finds significance in the first measures poco sostenuto that serve as introduction to the first allegro. It was Richard Grant White who said of the German commen- tator on Shakespeare that the deeper he dived the muddier he came up. Just when Brahms began to make the first sketches of this symphony is not exactly known. He was in the habit, as a young man, of jotting down his musical thoughts when they occurred to him. Later he worked on several compositions at the same time and let them grow under his hand. There are instances where this growth was of very long duration. He destroyed the great majority of his sketches. The few that he did not destroy are, or were recently, in the Library of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde at Vienna. We know that in 1862 Brahms showed his friend Albert Dietrich* * Albert Hermann Dietrich was born August 28, iS2g. near Meissen. He studied music in Dresden and at the Leipsic Conservatory. In 1851 he went to Diisseldorf to complete his studies with Schumann. He conducted the subscription concerts at Bonn from 1855 till 1861, when he wascalled to Oldenburg as court conductor. He retired in 1890 and moved to Berlin, where he was made an associate member of the Konigliche Akademie der Kiinste and in r8og a Royal Professor. He composed two operas, a symphony, an overture, choral works, a violin concerto, a 'cello concerto, chamber music, songs, piano pieces. He died November 20, 1908. an early version of the first movement of the symphony. Brahms was then sojourning at Miinster. He composed in the morning, and the afternoon and evening were spent in excursions or in playing or hearing music. He left Hamburg in September of that year for his first visit to Vienna, and wrote to Dietrich shortly before his departure that the symphony was not ready, but he had completed a string quintet in 1? minor. In 1866 Dietrich asked Brahms for a symphony, that he might perform it in Oldenburg. Brahms told him in answer that he could not expect a symphony, but he should like to play to him the "so-called 'German Requiem.'" We know that- Dietrich saw the first movement in 1862. It was then without the introduction. Clara Schumann on July 1 of that year wrote to Joachim that Brahms had sent her the movement with a ' ' ' bold ' beginning. She quoted in her letter the first four measures of the Allegro as it now stands. She added that she had finally accustomed herself to them; that the movement was full of wonderful beauties and the treatment of the thematic material was masterly. Dietrich bore witness that this first movement was greatly changed. The manu- script in the possession of Simrock the publisher is an old copy by some strange hand. It has a white linen envelope on which is daubed with flourishes, "Sinfonie von Johannes Brahms Mus: Doc: Cantab:" etc., etc. Kalbeck makes the delightful error of translating the phrase "Musicae doctor cantabilis." " Cantabilis ! " Did not Kalbeck know the Latin name of the university that gave the degree to Brahms? The manuscripts of the other movements ar,e autographic. The second movement, according to the handwriting, is the youngest. The third and fourth are on thick music paper. At- the end is written "J. Brahms Lichtenthal Sept. 76." Kalbeck says that the Finale was con- ceived in the face of the Zurich mountains, in sight of Alps and the lake; and the horn solo with the calling voices that fade into a melancholy echo were undoubtedly suggested by the Alpine* horn; the movement was finished on the Island of Riigen. Theodor Kirchner wrote to Marie Lipsius that Brahms had carried this symphony about with him "many years" before the performance; and Kirchner said that in 1863 or 1864 he had talked about the work with Clara Schumann, who had then showed him portions of it, whereas "scarcely any one knew about the second symphony before it was com- pleted, which I have reason to believe was after the first "was ended; the second, then, was chiefly composed in 1877." In 1875 Dietrich visited Brahms at Zigelhausen, and he saw his new works, but when Dietrich wrote his recollections he could not say positively what these works were. We have quoted from Mme. Schumann's letter to Joachim in 1862. Brahms was working on the Adagio and Scherzo when he went from Hamburg to Baden-Baden in 1876. On September 25 he played to * Alpenhdrn, or Alphorn, is an instrument of wood and bark, with a cupped mouthpiece. It is nearly straight, and is from three to eight feet in length. It is used by mountaineers in Switzerland and in other countries for signals and simple melodies.