r&A%4 \ V :>««^«^5V r BOSTON % SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOUNDED IN 1881 BY HENRY LEE HIGGINSON PALMER AUDITORIUM NEW LONDON EIGHTY-THIRD SEASON 1963-1964 EIGHTY -THIRD SEASON, 1963-1964 CONCERT BULLETIN OF THE Boston Symphony Orchestra ERICH LEINSDORF, Music Director Richard Burgin, Associate Conductor with historical and descriptive notes by John N. Burk The TRUSTEES of the BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Inc. Henry B. Cabot President Talcott M. Banks Vice-President Richard C. Paine Treasurer Abram Berkowitz Henry A. Laughlin Theodore P. Ferris John T. Noonan Francis W. Hatch Mrs. James H. Perkins Harold D. Hodgkinson Sidney R. Rabb C. D. Jackson Charles H. Stockton E. Morton Jennings, Jr. John L. Thorndike Raymond S. Wilkins TRUSTEES EMERITUS Palfrey Perkins Lewis Perry Edward A. Taft Oliver Wolcott Thomas D. Perry, Jr., Manager Norman S. Shirk Rosario Mazzeo James J. Brosnahan Assistant Manager Orchestra Personnel Manager Business Administrator Assistant Administrators J Sarah M. Hempel Harry J. Kraut Harry S. Beall SYMPHONY HALL BOSTON EIGHTY-THIRD SEASON • NINETEEN HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE -SIXTY-FOUR PALMER AUDITORIUM (Connecticut College, New London) ^Program TUESDAY EVENING, December 3, at 8:30 o'clock Barber Symphony No. 1 (In one movement), Op. 9 Berg Concerto for Violin and Orchestra Andante — Allegretto Allegro — Adagio INTERMISSION Dvorak Symphony No. 6, in D major, Op. 60 I. Allegro non tanto II. Adagio III. Scherzo (Furiant): Presto; Trio IV. Finale: Allegro con spirito SOLOIST GEORGE ZAZOFSKY BALDWIN PIANO RCA VICTOR RECORDS [3] Boston Symphony Orchestra ERICH LEINSDORF, Music Director RICHARD BURGIN, Associate Conductor First Violins Cellos Bassoons Joseph Silverstein Samuel Mayes Sherman Walt Concertmaster Martin Hoherman Ernst Panenka Alfred Krips Mischa Nieland Matthew Ruggiero George Zazofsky Karl Zeise Rolland Tapley Richard Kapuscinski Contra Bassoon Roger Shermont Bernard Parronchi Richard Plaster Vladimir Resnikoff Robert Ripley Horns Harry Dickson Winifred Winograd Gottfried Wilfinger John Sant Ambrogio James Stagliano Charles Yancich Einar Hansen Luis Leguia Fredy Ostrovsky Peter Schenkman Harry Shapiro Thomas Newell Minot Beale Paul Keaney Herman Silberman Basses Osbourne McConathy Stanley Benson Leo Panasevich Georges Moleux Trumpets Henry Freeman Sheldon Rotenberg Roger Voisin Noah Bielski Irving Frankel Armando Ghitalla Henry Portnoi Alfred Schneider Andre Come Henri Girard Gerard Goguen Second Violins John Barwicki Clarence Knudson Leslie Martin Trombones Pierre Mayer Bela Wurtzler William Gibson Manuel Zung Joseph Hearne William Moyer Samuel Diamond Kauko Kahila William Marshall Flutes Josef Orosz Leonard Moss Doriot Anthony Dwyer William Waterhouse Tuba James Pappoutsakis Michel Sasson K. Vinal Smith Phillip Kaplan Victor Manusevitch Laszlo Nagy Timpani Ayrton Pinto Piccolo Everett Firth Julius Schulman George Madsen Percussion Raymond Sird Gerald Gelbloom Oboes Charles Smith Harold Thompson Max Winder Ralph Gomberg Press Burton Fine Arthur Jean de Vergie Assistant Timpanist Giora Bernstein John Holmes Thomas Gauger Violas Harps Joseph de Pasquale English Horn Jean Cauhap£ Louis Speyer Bernard Zighera Olivia Luetcke Eugen Lehner Albert Bernard Clarinets Piano George Humphrey Gino Cioffi Bernard Zighera Jerome Lipson Manuel Valerio Robert Karol Library Pasquale Cardillo Reuben Green Victor Alpert E\) Clarinet Bernard Kadinoff William Shisler Vincent Mauricci Earl Hedberg Bass Clarinet Stage Manager Joseph Pietropaolo Rosario Mazzeo Alfred Robison Rosario Mazzeo, Personnel Manager [4] FIRST SYMPHONY (IN ONE MOVEMENT), Op. 9 By Samuel Barber Born in A Vest Chester, Pennsylvania, March 9, 1910 Samuel Barber composed this Symphony during the winter of 1935-36. It had its first performance by the Augusteo Orchestra under the direction of Bernardino Molinari in Rome in December, 1936. It had its first American performance by the Cleveland Orchestra in the following January. The composer revised the Symphony, and in its new form it was played by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Bruno Walter on February 18, 1944. The Symphony is scored for 2 flutes and piccolo, 2 oboes and English horn, 2 clarinets and bass clarinet, 2 bassoons and contra bassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba, timpani, cymbals, bass drum and strings. The score is dedicated to Gian-Carlo Menotti. The following description of his Symphony was provided by Mr. Barber for the programs of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. "The form of my Symphony in One Movement is a synthetic treat- ment of the four-movement classical symphony. It is based on three themes of the initial Allegro non troppo, which retain throughout the work their fundamental character. The Allegro opens with the usual exposition of a main theme, a mure lyrical second theme, and a closing theme. After a brief development of the three themes, instead of the customary recapitulation, the first theme in diminution forms the basis of a scherzo section (Vivace). The second theme (oboe over muted strings) then appears in augmentation, in an extended Andante tran- quillo. An intense crescendo introduces the finale, which is a short passacaglia based on the first theme (introduced by the violoncelli and contra-bassi), over which, together with figures from other themes, the closing theme is woven, thus serving as a recapitulation for the entire symphony." • • Mr. Leinsdorf conducted the first performance of Barber's Piano Concerto at these concerts in New York on September 24 of last season, when Browning John was the soloist. The music of this composer is known to the audiences in Boston by several works which like the Con- certo have had their first performances by this Orchestra. In this way Serge Koussevitzky, who was one of the first conductors to recognize his qualities, introduced: Symphony No. Op. 2, 19 March 3, 1944 (Repeated 1951) "Knoxville: Summer of 1915," Op. 24 April 9, 1948, Soprano: Eleanor Steber Cello Concerto, Op. 22 April 5, 1946, Soloist: Raya Garbousova Charles Munch has likewise given the first performances of the following: Prayers of Kierkegaard, Op. 30 December 3, 1954, Cecilia Society, Leontine Price, Jean Kraft, Edward Munro "Die Natali," Chorale Preludes for Christmas, Op 27 December 22, i960 [copyrighted] [5] — GEORGE ZAZOFSKY "twelve or thirteen," while her family George Zazofsky was born in Boston was living in Vienna, was found to have of musical parents. He is a graduate of a twin likeness with an American girl the Curtis Institute of Music in Phila- named Kathy Scherman. delphia, where he was Concertmaster of "Manon did not understand English. the orchestra under Fritz Reiner. He I first heard about her double in Amer- was chosen twice to represent New Eng- ica when Mr. Schuster [the publisher] land in the All-American Youth Orches- visited us on Semmering. We sat on the tra, which toured both Americas under big porch, the mountain chain before us, Leopold Stokowski. He joined the Bos- watching the deer that came out of the ton Symphony Orchestra in 1941. woods at dusk to graze and play on our Mr. Zazofsky plays a Guarneri del lawn. When Manon appeared, herself as Gesu entitled "The Baltic." Made in frail, graceful, and shy as a young deer, Cremona, it is dated 1731. our guest told us of his friends in New York, Harry and Bernardine Scherman, whose little daughter looked so much like mine. "Manon's photograph crossed the At- S^S lantic; a charming one of Katharine Scherman came back. The girls began "^"tfc a lively correspondence. I never read their letters, but I know they wrote in BSHHHHna French, having no other language in common. They wrote much about their cats—they both adored cats, and in some way identified themselves with them and, among other pictures, they ex- changed some showing Manon with a Siamese and Katharine with a Persian. They made an effort to tell each other what it was like to be a girl in Vienna and in New York, with the result that they came to know a good deal about each other. It warmed my heart to see these two beautiful children make friends over three thousand miles of land and sea." . -. W3 Later, while in Venice, Manon was MANON GROPIUS stricken with polio. She barely survived The young stepdaughter of Mahler the attack, was taken with difficulty to whose tragic death at eighteen inspired Vienna, and was confined to a wheel- Berg's Violin Concerto is pictured chair. She had marked acting ability, here. This beautiful girl figures in the and actors who were among her many memoirs of her mother, Alma Mahler devoted friends would divert her by Werfel, And the Bridge Is Love. rehearsing parts with her. The end came Mahler's widow relates how Manon at in April, 1935. 1 CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA By Alban Berg Born in Vienna, February 9, 1885; died there, December 24, 1935 Berg completed his Violin Concerto on August 11, 1935. It was first performed in Barcelona on April 19, 1936 by Louis Krasner, to whom the score is dedicated. Mr. Krasner also performed the concerto in Vienna, Paris, London, Stockholm, Florence and Boston within a year. The Paris performance by the Orchestre Philharmonique on November 26, 1936 was conducted by Charles Munch. The Boston performance (the first in America) was by the Boston Symphony Orchestra on March 5, 1937. Serge Koussevitzky conducted and presented the work in New York on the March 1 following. The orchestra required consists of 2 flutes and 2 piccolos, 2 oboes and English horn, alto saxophone, 3 clarinets and bass clarinet, 2 bassoons and contra-bassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, small drum, tam-tam, gong, triangle, harp and strings. 't^he score is inscribed "To the Memory of an Angel" ("Dem Anden- *- ken eines Engels"). An accidental circumstance caused Alban Berg to write his only concerto. Another and tragic circumstance condi- tioned the result and hastened its completion. In the spring of 1935, Louis Krasner approached Berg in Vienna with a suggestion that he write a violin concerto.