Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert Programs, Season 43,1923
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SANDERS THEATRE . CAMBRIDGE HARVARD UNIVERSITY Thursday Evening, March 20, at 8.00 Bfc WUK. BOSTON K SYAPHONY ORCHESTRA INC. FORTY-THIRD SEASON I923-J924 -sas- PR5GRWIME M. STEINERT & SONS New England Distributors for STEINWAY STEINERT JEWETT WOODBURY PIANOS DUO -ART Reproducing Pianos Pianola Pianos l-»-"Tl-"-'l V1CTROLAS VICTOR RECORDS DeForest Radio Merchandise STEINERT HALL 162 Boylston Street BOSTON MASS. SANDERS THEATRE . CAMBRIDGE HARVARD UNIVERSITY FORTY-THIRD SEASON, 1923-1924 INC. PIERRE MONTEUX, Conductor SEASON 1923-1924 THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, at 8.00 o'clock WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NOTES BY PHILIP HALE COPYRIGHT, 1924, BY BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, INC. THE OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES OF THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Inc. FREDERICK P. CABOT President GALEN L. STONE Vice-President ERNEST B. DANE Treasurer ALFRED L. AIKEN ARTHUR LYMAN FREDERICK P. CABOT HENRY B. SAWYER ERNEST B. DANE GALEN L. STONE M. A. DE WOLFE HOWE BENTLEY W. WARREN JOHN ELLERTON LODGE E. SOHIER WELCH W. H. BRENNAN, Manager G. E. JUDD. Assistant Manager l -BEETHOV€C\ and Mature THE INSTRUMENT OF THE IMMORTALS the 26th of March, 1827, died Liszt and Rubinstein, for Wagner, Berli ONLudwig van Beethoven, of whom and Gounod. And today, a still gtc.i it has been said that he was the Steinway than these great men knew greatest of all musicians. A generation responds to the touch of PaderewW later was born the Stein way Piano, which Rachmaninoff and Hofmann. Such, ir is acknowledged to be the greatest of all fact, are the fortunes of time, that todt) pianofortes. What a pity it is that the this Instrument of the Immortals st master could not himself have this piano, more perfect than ill] played upon the greatest instrument — Beethoven ever dreamed of, can be that these two could not have been born sesscd and played and cherished not onb together! Though the Steinway was de- by the few who are the masters of music nied Beethoven, it was here in tunc for but by the many who arc its lovers. Stelnwau f9 Sons and their dealers hai* made it conveniently posslhlt for music lovers to omn a SteinvOOU- I 'i ties: $H7'~> and up. plus freight at point* distant from New York- STEFNWAY 8 SONS, Steinway Hall, 109 E. 14th Street, NewYoH Forty-third Season, 1923-1924 PIERRE MONTEUX, Conductor Violins. Burgin, R. Hoffmann, J. Gerardi, A. Hamilton, V. Concert-master. Mahn, F. Krafft, W. Sauvlet, H. Theodorowicz, J. Gundersen, R. Pinfield, C. Fiedler, B. Siegl, F. Kassman, N Cherkassky, P. Leveen, P. Mariotti, V. Thillois, F. Gorodetzky, L Kurth, R. Riedlinger, H. Murray, J. Goldstein, S. Bryant, M. Knudsen, C. Stonestreet, J.. Tapley, R. Del Sordo, R. Messina, S. Diamond, S. Erkelens, H. Seiniger, S. Violas. Fourel, G. Werner, H. Grover, H. Fiedler, A. Artifcres, L. Van Wynbergen, C Shirley, P. Mullaly, J. Gerhardt, S. Kluge, M. Deane, C- Zahn, F. Violoncellos. Bedetti, Keller, Belinski, M. Warnke, J. J. J. Langendcen, J, Schroeder, A. Barth, C. Stockbridge, C. Fabrizio, E. Marjollet, L. Basses. Kunze, M. Seydel, T. Ludwig, O. Kelley, A. Girard, H. Keller, K. Gerhardt, G. Frankel, I. Demetrides, L. Flutes Oboes. Clarinets. Bassoons. Laurent, G. Longy, G. Sand, A. Laus, A. Bladet, G. Lenom, C. Arcieri, E. Allard, R. Amerena, P. Stanislaus, H. Vannini, A. Bettoney, F. Piccolo. English Hoens. Bass Clarinet. Contra-Bassoon. Battles, A. Mueller, F. Mimart, P. Piller, B. Speyer, L. Horns. Hoens. Teumpets. Trombones. Wendler, G. Valkenier, W. Mager, G. Hampe, C. Schindler, G. Hain, F. Mann, J. Adam, E. Hess, M. Van Den Berg, C. Perret, G. Mausebach, A. Lorbeer, H. Gebhardt, W. Kloepfel, L. Kenfield, L. Schmeisser, K. Tuba. Harps. Timpani. Percussion. Sidow, P. Holy, A. Ritter, A. Ludwig, C. Zahn, F. Delcourt, L. Polster, M. Sternburg, S. Organ. Celesta. Librarian. Snow, A. Fiedler, A. Rogers, L. J. 3 — ^ta^S^^^^JS^^^ PIANOMAKERS FOR r^%J}, 100 YEARS iroposing the exchange of your little used or silent piano. FOR one which brings with it a rich endowment of the playing of the greatest pianists in the world — the IN THE V ^ ^Established 1825 0~ & Then — the great Rachmaninoff— the captivating Levitzki —the amazing Nyiregyhazi — and scores of others will play your piano for you whenever you desire to hear them. The cultivating, uplifting, restorative power of music becomes yours — through the daily companionship with the masters. Let us tell you how easily you way make this treasure of music your own CHICKERING WAREROOMS 169 TREMONT STREET, BOSTON —j~'' ^.^^,. ..., *\ SANDERS THEATRE .... CAMBRIDGE HARVARD UNIVERSITY Forty-third Season. 1923-1924 PIERRE MONTEUX, Conductor SEVENTH CONCERT THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 20 AT 8.00 PROGRAMME Dvorak .... Symphony in E minor, No. 5, "From the New World," Op. 95 I. Adagio; allegro molto. II. Largo. III. Scherzo. IV. Allegro con fuoco. Beethoven . Concerto in D major for Violin, Op. 61 I. Allegro ma non troppo. II. Larghetto. III. Rondo. Wagner Overture to "Tannhauser" In honor of Charles William Eliot President Emeritus of Harvard University SOLOIST GARL FLESGH There will be an intermission of ten minutes after the symphony 5 4th Annual Raymond-Whitcomb MIDNIGHT-SUN CRUISE visiting Iceland North Cape Norwegian Fjords To sail June 26, 1924 by the S. S. "Franconia" of the Gunard Line The Ship This newest Cunard liner was built especially for long cruises. The decks are unusually wide, and the saloons spacious. The staterooms are large; practically all have beds instead of berths, as well as hot and cold running water. Over 70 have connecting private baths. It is the largest ship ever to sail to the North Cape. The Route The route includes fascinating Iceland, rarely visited by travelers, the wonderful North Cape, and the famous Fjords of Norway. For a week the Midnight Sun will be visible. France and England will be reached on July 21 — in season for summer travel abroaJ. Rates from New York to New York, with return passage on any Cunard steamship (including the ,, uitaniaJ , "Mauretania,""Berengaria "Franconi $625 to $2IOO without bath. #1325 to $3850 with bath Make reservations now Sugge tions for Winter Travel California, South America, Florida, Europe Raymond cSt Whitcomb Co. 17 Temple I'luee Boston Tel. Heucli 6964 — ; Symphony in E minor, No. 5, "From the New World" ("Z Novecho Sveta"), Of. 95 Anton Dvorak (Born at Miilhausen (Nelahozeves), near Kralup, Bohemia, September 8 f 1841; died at Prague, May 1, 1904) This symphony was performed for the first time, in manuscript, by the Philharmonic Society of New York on Friday afternoon, December 15, 1893. Anton Seidl conducted. Dvorak was present. The first performance in Boston was by the Boston Symphony Or- chestra, Mr. Paur conductor, on December 30 of the same year. Dvorak made many sketches for the symphony. In the first of the three books he noted "Morning, December 19, 1892." Fuller sketches began January 10, 1893. The slow movement was then entitled "Legenda." The Scherzo was completed January 31; the Finale, May 25, 1893. A large part of the instrumentation was done at Spillville, la., where many Bohemians dwelt. When this symphony was played at Berlin in 1900 Dvorak wrote to Oskar Nedbal, who conducted it: "I send you Kretzschroar's analysis of the symphony, but omit that nonsense about my having made use, of 'Indian' and 'American' themes—that is a lie. I tried to write only in the spirit of those national American melodies. Take the introduction to the symphony as slowly as possible." The symphony aroused a controversy in which there was shedding of much ink. The controversy long ago died out, and is probably forgotten even by those who read the polemical articles at the time and expressed their own opinions. The symphony remains. It is now without associations that might prejudice. It is now enjoyed or appreciated, or possibly passed by, as music, and not as an exhibit in a case on trial. Yet it may be a good thing to recall the circumstances of its origin and, as Henry Edward Krehbiel was deeply interested in the concep- tion and birth of the symphony, it is better to quote his words* : "Last spring the eminent Bohemian composer published his belief that there was in the songs of the negroes of America 'a sure founda- tion for a new National School of Music,' and that an intelligent cul- tivation of them on the part of American composers might result in the creation of an American School of Composition. His utterances created a deal of comment at the time, the bulk of which was dis- tinguished by flippancy and a misconception of the composer's mean- ing and purposes. Much of the American criticism, in particular, was based on the notion that by American music Dr. Dvorak meant the songs of Stephen C. Foster and other contributors to old-time negro minstrelsy, and that the school of which he dreamed was to devote itself to the writing of variations on 'The Old Folks at Home 7 and tunes of its class. Such a blunder, pardonable enough in the popular mind, was yet scarcely venial on the part of composers and newspaper reviewers who had had opportunities to study the meth- ods of Dr. Dvorak in his published compositions. Neither is it cred- itable to them, though perhaps not quite so blameworthy, that they have so long remained indifferent to the treasures of folk-song which America contains. The origin of that folk-song has little to do with *From a little pamphlet, "Antonin Dvorak's Quartet in F major, Op. 96" (New York. 1894). the argument, it* it shall turn out that in it there are elements which appeal to the musical predilections of the American people, and are capable of utilization in compositions in the higher form.