Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert Programs, Summer, 1965-1966
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// Theatre - Concert Hall Tanglewood SEVEN CONCERTS OF CHAMBER MUSIC Tuesday Evenings at 8:00 August 10 The Boston Symphony Chamber Players Assisted by CLAUDE FRANK, Piano BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ERICH LEINSDORF Music Director (it BERKSHIRE FESTIVAL 1965 BALDWIN PIANO RCA VICTOR RECORDS I SERENADE IN D MAJOR FOR FLUTE, VIOLIN AND VIOLA By Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Beethoven in Vienna in the mid- 1790s, being in much demand as pianist in various houses where music was performed, composed not only for this instrument but for small chamber combinations. The exact date of composition of this trio is not known, but it was written about the same time as the Serenade for String Trio in the same key which was published in 1797. The two serenades have been compared as having a kinship. It was in 1798 that the three superb string trios Opus 9 were published. The two serenades appeared later for different combinations, attributed to but not acknowledged by Beethoven. This serenade was then published as Op. 41 for Piano and Flute (or violin), and likewise is a trio arrangement including viola. QUINTET IN E FLAT, FOR PIANO, OBOE, CLARINET, HORN AND BASSOON, K. 452 By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Mozart composed this quintet in Vienna in March, 1784. It is not really surprising that Mozart, who was never inclined to speak vain- gloriously about his own music, should have described this quintet in a letter to his father: "I consider it the best work I have so far written in my life." Since he had written two magnificent piano concertos for the same concert, the statement is not to be taken too literally. Let us say that he still lingered in the glow of warmth, the enthusiasm which ob- viously went into its writing. Nothing he had done showed more loving care in the handling. The piece thematically speaking is more agreeable than striking, although beautiful in its own unassuming way. The magic lies in the extraordinarily perceptive mating of the instruments. As a concertante group from which individual voices emerge and com- bine, the score becomes one of the special jewels of the music for wind instruments, to be placed beside the "Gran partita" for thirteen words. (K. 361). QUINTET FOR FLUTE, OBOE, CLARINET, FRENCH HORN AND BASSOON (1948) By Elliott Carter Elliott Carter was born in New York City on December 11, 1908. He did not at first devote himself seriously to music, but he had the rare privilege of knowing Charles Ives, who encouraged him to do so. At Harvard he studied with Walter Piston and with Gustav Hoist, who was then a visiting professor there. From 1932 to 1935 he was in Paris study- ing with Nadia Boulanger. His larger works include a symphony (1942), Holiday Overture (1945) an Elegy for Strings (1946), Varia- tions for Orchestra (1955). He has composed the ballets Pocahontas (1939) and The Minotaur (1947). Likewise choral and chamber music. SIXTH CONCERT OF THE CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES THE BOSTON SYMPHONY CHAMBER PLAYERS JOSEPH SILVERSTEIN, Violin RALPH GOMBERG, Oboe BURTON FINE, Viola GINO CIOFFI, Clarinet JULES ESKIN, Cello SHERMAN WALT, Bassoon DORIOT ANTHONY DWYER, Flute JAMES STAGLIANO, Horn Assisted by CLAUDE FRANK, Piano PROGRAM BEETHOVEN Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola, Op. 25 I. Entrata: Allegro II. Tempo ordinario d'un Menuetto III. Allegro molto IV. Andante con variazione V. Allegro scherzando e vivace VI. Adagio VII. Allegro vivace e dis in volta MOZART Quintet for Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon, in E flat major, K. 452 I. Largo; Allegro moderato II. (Larghetto) III. Allegretto CARTER Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon (1948) I. Allegretto II. Allegro giocoso INTERMISSION BRAHMS Quartet in C minor for Piano and Strings, Op. 60 I. Allegro non troppo II. Scherzo: Allegro III. Andante IV. Finale: Allegro comodo Mr. Frank plays the Steinway piano . To the latter he devoted himself particularly between 1947 and 1955 writing, in addition to the Wind Quintet, two String Quartets, a Cello Sonata, a Piano Sonata and music in various woodwind combinations. This quintet and likewise his Second String Quartet were performed in Tanglewood on August 11 of last season. His double Concerto will be performed on August 15 at Tanglewood (Festival of Contemporary American Music) QUARTET FOR PIANO, VIOLIN, VIOLA AND CELLO, IN C MINOR, OP. 60 By Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) When Brahms wrote his two piano quartets in G minor and A major in 1862, he was secure and confident in this happy chamber combination, where his own instrument complemented and balanced the felicities of a string trio. The Piano Quartet in C minor was the path- way to the combination—the conclusion of this, his first attempt, was long delayed. It was like the case of the D minor Piano Concerto and the C minor Symphony, where the first concept and the decisive completion had covered a period of time and bespoke an artist in the process of growth. Brahms was twenty-three when he made his first draft of what was to become the Quartet in C minor. The sketch of 1856 was a first movement in C# minor, an andante in E major, and presumably a finale which was later abandoned. Brahms was hesitant, and tried out his score with his two principal mentors at the time—Joseph Joachim and Clara Schumann. He would have accepted nothing but straight and honest opinion, as they well knew. They could not endorse its perform- ability, but Clara wrote in her diary: "His C# minor Quartet has a wondrously beautiful adagio—deeply felt." Twelve years later, in 1868, when he took up the early score again, he realized that he was no longer the Brahms of twenty-three, the youth possessed by "storm and stress" who had poured forth a tender slow movement out of his love for Clara. In 1874 he rewrote the first move- ment in C minor, revising the whole, and added a scherzo as a second movement. Clara Schumann was entranced by all but the opening movement, which seemed to her to lack the unity of mood she looked for in the whole work. This was the movement which led him to write to his publisher, Simrock, suggesting "On the cover you must have my picture with a pistol pointed towards the head. This will give you an idea of the music! Blue coat, yellow breeches and top boots would be ap- propriate." Nevertheless, despite revision, the Quartet was finally sub- mitted to Simrock, the composer remarking that the publisher must realize that whether its value was great or small, it had one certain quality—it had been written by two different persons. FINAL CONCERT IN THIS SERIES: Tuesday, August 17 . Music of Aaron Copland (Part of a Festival of Contemporary American Music, in cooperation with the Fromm Music Foundation)..