BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC The Little Orchestra Society fHOMAS SCHERMAN, Music Director HERBERT BARREfT, Manager

'iUBSClUPTION SERIES- SEASON l 969-70 First Concerl- Thursday Evening, December l I at 8:00

THOMAS SCHERMAN, Conductor EDWiN LEVY, Stage Director

BEETHOVEN fHREE EQUAL! FOR FOUR TROMBONES 1. D minor 2. D major 3. B flat major Erwin Price John Grann Jonathan Goldman Fred Braverman

BACH CANTATA NO. 152 friu auf die Glaubensbahn 1. Sinfonia for flute, oboe, viola d'amorc viola da gamba and continuo 2. Aria for basso, oboe and continuo 3. Recitative tor basso and continuo 4. Aria for soprano. flute, viola d'amorc and contmuo 5. Recitative for basso and continuo 6. Duct for soprano, basso, instruments and continuo Joy Lornig - Meuo ·oprano Steven Kimbrough - Bass Baritone Andrew Lolya - Flute Duane Votb - Oboe Harry Zarat.lian - Viola d'amore Fortunato Arico - Viola da gamba

Continuo

1 bomas Scherman, Organ George Koutzcn. Violoncello Barbara Wilson, Bass

I ntermissio11

BRITTEN THE PRODIGAL SON The Abbot Tempter ...... Kenneth Riegel The Younger Son Jonathan Rigg The Father William Metcalf The Elder Son Samuel Ramey

The Monks : Steven Kimbrough, James Wilson, Brown Bradley, Harris Poor, Richard Eikenberry, Donald Saunders, Peter Schlosser, John Ostendorf

The Musicians: Martin Orenstein, flute, Paul Doktor, viola, Angelo La Penna, bass, Nanette Norton, harp, Murray Karpilovsky, trumpet, Brooks Tillotson, french hom, Wallace Deyerle, per­ cussion, Thomas Scherman, organ

The Acolytes: Jamie Alexander, Joel Bergman, Remy Galjour, Patrick Malone

The Distant Voices: Kate Hurney and Joy Zornig

Baldwin Piano

Benjamin Britten's THE PRODIGAL SON, third parable for church performance with libretto by William Plomer, copyright by Faber Music Ltd., used by permission of G. Schirmer, Inc., sole U.S. agent

Herbert Barrett, Manager fhoma::. Matthews, Associate Manager Marks Levine, Consultant

The Little Orchestra Society, 1860 Broadway, New York. N.Y. 10023 PL 7-3460 Beethoven Three Equali: for 4 Trombones, Wo030 (excerpt from forthcoming book on Beethoven) by Louis Biancolli and Thomas Scherman) An Equale (plural: ··equali") is a composition for equal voices, i.e., all male or all female, or for a group of similar instruments. Specifically, it became known in the 17th and 18th centuries as a composition written for four trombones, for a solemn occasion. In response to a request by Thayer, (Beethoven's famous biographer,) Franz GHiggl, wrote the following reminiscenses of Beethoven's stay in Linz (1812) with his brother, Johann:

"Beethoven was on intimate terms with ill} father, kapellmeistcr m the Linz cathedral. He was at our house every day and several times took meal with us. My father a keu him for an Equale for trombones. Beethoven asked to hear an Equalc such as were playeu at funerals in Linz. One afternoon when he was expected to dine with us, my father had three trombonists from the cathedral play an Equale as desired, after which Beethoven sat down and composed one which my father had his trombonists play." These three Equali, all slow and solemn, are written mostly in block chords, like four­ voices hymns; however, there are a few polyphonic passages such as might be found in a Reinaissance motet. There are two very exciting interrupted cadences in the first Equale in D minor, the first one seeming to prepare for a close in F major, the second one com­ pleting a cadence in D minor, where the opening phrase is repeated. The piece ends with a plagal cadence in major - very reminiscent of Renaissance harmonics.

The second Equale in D major is softer and more gentle. A later Beethoven touch is a urprise cadence in the remote key of C, in which the opening theme is repeated. Its sec­ ond phase is adjusted with chromatic harmonics to close, as expected, in the tonic key of D. The third Equale, in B flat major, is in triple time (3/2). It is the most solemn and moving of the three. The harmonics are all in the Renaissance vein albeit taking the short piece (it is only 16 measures long) as far afield as D-flat and A-flat. In 1827, Ignaz von Seyfried, Beethoven's confidant and later biographer, who pre­ pared the music for Beethoven's funeral, wrote Latin words to the first (''Miserere") and third ("Amplius lave me") and had them alternately sung by the choir and played by the trombones. Bach Cantata No. 152 Bach's Church Cantata No. 152 (·Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn"), written for the Sunday after Christmas, is a glorious example of vocal chamber music. Despite its rather late date during his Weimar ( 1715) residence the score calls for only two solo voices, no chorus (unusual, since whether he wrote original choruses or not the words of his librett­ ists, practically all of his cantatas of the period contain a harmonized chorale to be sung by the congregation as well as the choir,) four solo instruments - a flute, an oboe, a viola d'amore, and a viola da gamba -plus the usual continuo- in this case, an organ reinforced by a cello and a bass. The text was written by Franck to whom Bach was attracted by hi mysticism and his deep feeling for nature. However Bach felt perfectly free to change Franck's poetry when he felt it was unsuitable for musical expression. Observed from the vantage point of today's exquisite religious poetry, Franck's verses seem to us like little more than "calendar" poetry. However, it is certain that what at­ tracted Bach to this particular text was the dramatic possibilities of the final dialogue between the Soul (Soprano) and Jesus (Baritone) . Here, to the strains of a solemn giguc, Bach sets Franck's words with the most minute care for the musical Interpretation of each individual word. The cantata is subdivided into six movements. The first movement is an instrumental prelude ("Sinfonia") which is constructed as a slow introduction followed by a four-voiced fugue. The fugue theme, as Albert Schweitzer points out is based on the "step" motive, which Bach's listeners instinctively associated with walking. In this way, Bach prepared them for the essence of the text: "Walk in the way of Faith." The fugue makes fullest use of the potential of each solo instrument. It was later adapted by Bach into a fugue for organ. The second movement is especially beautiful for the subtle way in which Bach has the voice imitate the oboe's phrases, and vice versa. Interesting in terms of Bach's "pictorial" musical interpretation is his motive to the words "Gott hatt den Stein geleget": it consists of a solemn outline of a major triad - Bach's description of the most basic ingredient in all music. "Walk in the way of faith! God has the stone elected, (Which) the builders had rejected, Most wondrous to us in our sight!"*

English translation by F. S. Copeland

The third movement is a beautiful example of a secco recitative combined with an arioso. In the opening measures of the recitative Bach displays an almost childlike musical description of the words- the vocal line which accompanies the words: "In Israel from the fall to the resurrection," the melody drops a tenth on the word "Fall" and rises to the original high register for the words "und Aufertehen." The arioso begins when the words take on a more "hymnlike" character "whose (the Christian) faith is grounded ~ell upon this sure foundation ... " At this point the recitative takes on the form of an imitative duet between the continuo which first proclaims the new decisive motive. 'The saviour comes to earth to be a sign of sin and resurrection! He is the precious living Rock, although this ev il world, unheedful of his worth, should find him but a stumbling block. ·'It passes on in wilful blindness, And will not heed H is truthful, loving kindness! How blessed is a chosen Christian mind, Whose faith is grounded well upon this foundation, For he shall find peace and true salvation!" The soprano aria which follows is one of those other worldly compositions of Bach which, by their harmonic and melodic gentleness as well as inevitability, immediately sug­ gest to the listener everlasting peace. It is of a kind with the Chorale-Prelude "Jesu, joy of man's desiring" and the Chorus "Sheep shall safely graze." The tenderness of the two obbligato instruments add immeasurably to this mood. "In the path of holiness, Nevermore Thy help denying." A typical example of Bach's musical portraiture is the etting of the word Stein (stone), The fifth movement is a sccco recitative throughout. "The Son of God doth condescend to share the Divine Word with my pains and grief; in flesh and blood the Godhead veiling, with sin and death prevailing. The wisdom of the world must falter, God's firm and sure purpose no man's wit can alter. His promise will endure and fulfil itself in season, unaided by the fitful light of human reason." Two beautiful and subtle Bach musical portraits occur in this short recitative: On the single word "leidet" ("to endure") Bach has constructed a long melodic phrase which expresses most vividly the length of endurance which Jesus must suffer in human flesh. The last phrase (loosely translated as "the blind shall lead the blind") is repeated. Bach literally stumbles around in a very remote key the first time, but adroitly returns to the tonic key in the repetition suggesting a blind leader searching the way and erring but coming home with assurance the second time!

Schweitzer contends that the last movement is the raison d'etre o[ the entire cantata. It is a dialogue between the yearning soul searching for enlightenment and Jesus who can give it the positive and comforting answers. It is set in the rhythm of a very formal mod­ erate gigue. The four solo instruments in unison announce the melodic material which i~ subtly divided into individual phrases of 2 or 4 measure lengths. When the voices enter they are accompanied only by the continuo. The vocal part is strictly a question and answer between the soul and Jesus, sometimes overlapping canonicly. However the in­ genious aspect of the duet is that the original instrumental prelude appears in portions through the dialogue, and in the original key despite what melodic and harmonic turns the vocal lines may have made. The text though not great poetry is the type of dramatic text that would inspire Bach to create one of his most memorable compositions.

"The Soul: Oh sho\\ me, dear Saviour, thy sweetness undying. Jesus: Come, follow my passion, the world else denying. The Soul: How shall I attain to the kingdom of light? Jesus: Be steadfast in faith, and receive it aright. The Soul: Fain would I abandon the world and its pleasures! Jesus: Behold, I will lead thee to heavenly treasure. The Soul: Oh, draw me still upward redeemer and friend! Jesus: Endure, I will give thee a crown at the end!"

- Thomas Scherman BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND HIS PARABLES by THOMAS MATTHEWS

Benjamin Bnttcn, was born in Lowcstaft, Suffolk, in 1913. He began his musical studies as a very young boy and one of his earliest teachers was Frank Bridge. At sixteen the prolific teenager's list of completed works included a symphony, six quartets, ten sonatas for piano and several songs. He had also impressed Ralph Hawkes, the renowned publisher, who showed his faith in Britten's potential by offering him a contract before he had graduated from ~c hool. In 1930 Britten was the recipient of a scholarship to the Royal College of Music and he studied there with Arthur Benjamin, John Ireland and Harold Samuel. Soon after graduation he was writing incidental music for everal docu­ mentary films and the scores for theatre works. In 1934 the I. S. C. M. Festival, which was held in Florence, presented his Fantasy Quartet for oboe and strings. It was an instan­ taneous success and other Britten works were subsequently heard at festivals in Barcelona and London. When the second World War broke out, the composer, an ardent pacifist, was in the United States but he returned to England shortly after witnessing a production of his opera, Paul Bunyan, at Columbia University. In Britten's own words, Bunyan "was politely spat at." His first major operatic success was Peter Grimes whose first performance in London, 1945, established him well in the foreground of international composers. Grimes had been commissioned by the Koussevitsky Foundation and it had its first American performance at the Berkshire Festival at Tanglewood in 1947. In discussing Britten's operatic works and his parables it is of interest to quote the composer's own words regarding his ideas on the relation between music and its creator. "It is all largely a matter of when one was born. Had I been born in 1813 instead of 1913 I should have been a romantic, primarily concerned to express my personality in music. Before Beethoven music served things greater than itself. For example the glory of God, or the glory of the State, or the composer's social environment. It had a defined social func­ tion. After Beethoven the composer became the center of his own universe. The romantics became so intensely personal that it looked as though we should reach a point where the composer would be the only man who understood his own music! Then Stravinsky and Picasso loosened up music and painting, freed them from the tyranny of the purely per­ sonal ... I do not see why I should lock myself inside a narrow personal idiom. I write in the manner best suited to the words, theme or dramatic action which I happen to be hand­ ling.'' Britten also stated in a recent interview for the New York Times that "Lyricism is my life's blood, too. My usc of tonality is different from Mahlers', but that is because we are different people-not because of the 50 years that separate us in time." That Britten has succeeded in writing lyrically and in a manner best suited to the words is evidenced in the success of his creations and the praise of many critics and musicologists. It is also noted that composers whom Britten lists among his genuine friends-Copeland, Henze and Shos­ takovitch-are all musicians whose ideals coincide with his; art is for those who come to listen or see. Art is not for art's sake. Britten's and Shostakovitch's mutual admiration establishes itself for posterity in their dedications: Shostakovitch's 14th Symphony to Britten and The Prodigal Son to the Soviety composer. Today Britten is considered by many to be the most important British composer of works for the operatic stage since Henry Purcell. His unique gifts for lyric and dramatic expression-plus his talents for sustaining interesting melodic lines and extraordinarily clear rhythmic pattern are an important part of all his operas and parables. No accounting of his creativity as a lyric composer would be complete without listing The Rape of Lucretia ( 1946), Albert Herring (1947), a new realization of The Beggers' Opera (1948), Billy Budd (1951), Gloriana ( 1951), The Turn of th e Screw ( 1954) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1960). His astonishing ability to obtain theatrical and sonorous effects- in all these works- with small forces of instruments has undoubtedly added to their being heard many times outside the grandiose confines of the world's large oper<.t theatre:,. His command of orchestral as well as vocal effect is immediately brought to our attention in his three Parables for Church Performance, Curle\'\. River, The Burning Fiery Furnace and The Prodigal Son. The para­ bles were composed and premiered during the years 1964 to 1968. The genesis of Britten\ parables, grew out of the composer's visit to the Far East more than twelve years ago. He was deeply moved by the Japanese No Theatre. Particularly by the cool severity and economy of the actors' words and gestures. When he decided to devise a transfer of this essentially Japanese idiom into an operatic form that would be acceptable to the Western world he was most fortunate in his choice of a collaborator-William Plomcr. The dis­ tinguished novelist and poet, had spent several years in Japan when he was a young man and he, too, was intrigued with Britten's plan for creating a new theatre form. Together, they decided that the ideal meeting place between the worlds of the East and the West might possibly be at the crossroads of the Christian medieval Mystery plays. Curlew River, the first of the parables, was an immediate success. It has had performances in Aldeburgh, London, all over Europe, at Canada's Expo '67 and Thomas Scherman's Little Orchestra Society production toured the United States for two seasons, bringing their realization to more than fifty communities from coast to coast. The Burning Fiery Furnace which fol­ lowed has been heard on the continent, in England and received its American premiere at the Cararnoor Festival. The Prodigal Son which was completed in 1968, was also first heard at the Caramoor Festival. Britten became enamoured of the subject matter for this third part of his trilogy after seeing Rembrandt's The Return of tile Prodigal in Leningrad's Her­ mitage Museum. He responded immediately to the possibilities of its colorful story of temptation, reconciliation and forgiveness. Although the forces of the third parable re­ semble its predecessors and both the drama and the music develops quite freely from them, there is a noticeable and fuller function of the chorus. The Prodigal Son is in essence the familiar New Testament parable. However, it is presented in very deliberate universal terms- not Christian ones. The name of Jesus, for example, is never mentioned. Not even in the final blessing of the congregation by the Abbot. In The Prodigal Son the Younger Son and the Tempter are both . The Elder Son a baritone and the Father a bass­ baritone. The principal players and the chorus (3 tenors, 3 baritones, 2 basses) are accom­ panied by alto flute (doubling on piccolo), trumpet, horn, viola, double-bass, harp, percussion and chamber organ. One can easily hear a modest usage of eastern-influenced heterophonic relationships between the voices and the instruments, as in the other two parables, and Britten's masterful "heightened conversational" setting of the English lan­ guage is again paralleled by his ingenious writing for individual instruments. The viola part writhes and winds with the confused mind of the younger son and the percussion part brilliantly represents the steps of the son's journey to and from the city. Like its predeces­ sors, The Prodigal Son opens with a distant, haunting plainsong. The singer-actors enter in procession with the instrumentalists who will accompany them. They are robed as monks, lay brothers and acolytes. When the drama has been enacted and the moral drawn, the procession leaves. The plainsong disappears in the darkness. Following church perform­ ances, for which the parables were expressly created, there is no applause. THOMAS SCHERMAN

Imagination in programming, introduction of both established and new artists to the New York mu ical scene plus revivals of rarely heard operatic and symphonic master­ pieces have placed The Little Orchestra Society and its Music Director, Thomas Scherman. in the foreground of musical activities in this country. Nationwide and overseas tours by the ensemble have also brought critical acclaim and opportunities for the public to experience exciting live performances previously available only by way of recordings. The Little Orchestra Society is celebrating its twenty-second season in New York and in addition to its series of orchestral, oratorio and operatic concerts in Philharmonic Hall, the Society will be among the major musical organizations which will be a part of the I 969-70 season in the magnificent new Alice Tully Hall. Both governments of Italy and France have joined in recognizing Maestro Scherman's many contributions to the musical scene by honoring him with the titles of Cavaliere Officiale dell'Ordine and Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. respectively. The Society's ever-popular Concerts for Young People will again be presented in Philharmonic Hall, highlighted by the appear­ ance of the unique Shinichi Suzuki Violinists and the inimitable drawings of Lis! Weil.

JOY ZORNIG

Mezzo soprano Joy Zornig is the most recent winner of the Joy of Singing award. As tl s recipient she was presented in recital in Alice Tully Hall on October 7, 1969. She was born in Brockton, Massachusetts and as a youngster studied the violin. Her first vocal teacher was Wilma Thompson at Boston University. She is now continuing her studies with Herta Glaz. Miss Zornig has sung major roles with the New Haven Opera Company and she is currently appearing in leading roles in productions of Cenerentola and The Old Maid and the Thief- a series of special performances in schools under a Title III grant. This past April she sang the role of Viola in David Amram's Twelfth Night at Hunter College and in November she performed Villa-Lobo's Suite for Voice and Violin in Town Hall. STEVEN KIMBROUGH

Steven Kimbrough's professional singing career began in 196 7 with a concert at Carnegie Hall. In just two and one half years the young baritone has appeared twice at Carnegie Hall, performed eight leading opera roles, made his European operatic debut as Marcello in Mantova, Italy as winner of The American Opera Auditions, and thi past summer was a guest artist at The Aspen Music Festival. His 1969-70 commitments, in addition to a debut with The Philadelphia Lyric Opera made this fall, include appear­ ances with The London Opera Society and The Cincinnati Summer opera where he will ~ing the role of Germont.

KENNETH RIEGEL

Mr. Riegel made his operatic debut in the 1965 American premiere of Henze's The Stage King a the Sante Fe Opera. Since then he has ·ung a variety of roles including Wilhelm in another Henze American premiere, The Young Lord in San Diego. Seattle has heard him as Rodolfo (Boheme) and 1aquino (Fidelio). He was Mercury in the lavish Kansas City production of Orpheus in the Underworld and he has also sung with the companies of Houston, Cincinnati and Miami. Following his debut with The Little Or­ chestra Society he toured for two scac;on~ in the Society's production of Britten's Curlew ail·cr. 'I his past September he sang the title role in Werther and he ha ~ juc;t made his Nc\\ York. City opera deblll in the revival of Ravel's L'Heure Espagnole. JONATHAN RIGG

Tonight Prodigal Son is Jonathan Rigg. He has studied voice with Robert Korst and Martial Singher. Following his four years at the Curtis Institute of Music he was the winner of the Lotte Lehmann Award at the Music Academy of the West. Mr. Rigg was awarded a Martha Baird Rockefeller Grant in 1966. He has sung with the Studio, the Sante Fe Opera, the Chautauqua Opera, the Turnau Opera and the Brevard Music Festival. He is equally successful as a recitalist and oratorio singer and has appeared with the St. Louis Bach Society and the Marlboro Music Festival and the Alliance Francaise of Philadelphia. His repertoire includes all the standard works as well as the title role in Pelleas et Mellsande.

WILLIAM METCALF ~1r. Metcalf was a leading member of the American premiere casts of Britten's Curlew R11·er and The Prodigal Son at the Caramoor Festival. He has made many appearances with The Little Orchestra Society and toured in its production of Curlew River. He is a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts and received his musical training at the New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School. He is a member of the and he has sung with the major symphonic organizations of the United States. With Bernstein he has performed Stravinsky's Lu Noces, Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem with Abravanel and Orff's with the Chicago Symphony. He was the baritone soloist in the Kansas City Philharmonic's performances of Britten's The War Requiem and he has sung with the opera companies of Cincinnati, Sante Fe, Philadelphia and the Opera Society of Washington.

SAMUEL RAMEY Bass-baritone Samuel Ramey is from Colby, Kansas. He was a voice student of Arthur Newman at the Wichita State University and is now working with Herta Sperber. He has toured in leading roles with the National Grass Roots Opera Company and has sung with the opera companies of Santa Fe and Central City. His performance as the Elder Son in tonight's Prodigal Son marks his debut with The Little Orchestra Society. Mr. Ramey's repertoire includes another Britten work, A tv!idsummer Night's Dream, as well as Berg's Wozzek, Smetana's, The Bartered Bride, Verdi's Falstaff, Orff's Der Mond, Mozart's Figaro and Cosi and Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann. FORTHCOMING CONCERTS IN THIS SERIES SUNDAY EVENING, APRIL 5. 8:00 P.M. A Program of Instrumental Chamber Music with CHRISTOPHER PARKENING Brilliant young Guitar virtuoso Performing Ca~te1nuovo-Tede s co Concerto No. 2

ALVARO CASSUTO. Assistant Conductor WILLARD STRAIGHT. Vocal preparation PETER DIMITRIADES. Concert Master GEORGE KOUTZEN, Personnel BERNARD JOY, Stage Manager RICHARD CASLER, Lighting HERBERT B \RRETT, Manager THOMAS MATTHEWS, Associate Manager MARKS LEVINE, Consultant The Little Orchestra Society 1860 Broadway, NC\\ York, N.Y. 10023 PL 7-3460