BOSTON ^ SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOUNDED IN 1881 BY HENRY LEE HIGGINSON TUESDAY EVENING SERIES ^sv-c: . \^> EIGHTY-THIRD SEASON 1963-1964 f HP mMmMm ".;; :-;'' : TAKE NOTE The precursor of the oboe goes back to antiquity — it was found in Sumeria (2800 bc) and was the Jewish halil, the Greek aulos, and the Roman tibia • After the renaissance, instruments of this type were found in complete families ranging from the soprano to the bass. The higher or smaller instruments were named by the French "haulx-bois" or "hault- bois" which was transcribed by the Italians into oboe which name is now used in English, German and Italian to distinguish the smallest instrument • In a symphony orchestra, it usually gives the pitch to the other instruments • Is it time for you to take note of your insurance needs? • We welcome the opportunity to analyze your present program and offer our professional service to provide you with intelligent, complete protection. We respectfully invite your inquiry i . , . , CHARLES H. WATKINS & CO. /oBRION, RUSSELL & CO. Richard P. Nyquist — Charles G. Carleton / ii7 milk street boston 9, Massachusetts/ Insurance of Every Description 542-1250 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 S. Norman Shirk Rosario Mazzeo James J. Brosnahan Assistant Manager Orchestra Personnel Manager Business Administrator Assistant Administrators Sarah M. Hempel Harry J. Kraut Harry S. Beall SYMPHONY HALL BOSTON [3] ^^i; The Boston Symphony under Erich JPeinsdorf's direction "The Aristocrat of Orchestras" under Erich Leinsdorf s direction has met the challenge of a towering Beethoven masterpiece, Symphony No. 3, the "Eroica." Captured in the new Dynagroove system, the performance is breath- taking. Another new Dynagroove album presents Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream," with chorus, soloists Arlene Saunders and Helen Vanni, and narration by Inga Swenson. In addition to the regular album, a deluxe, limited edition is available with rare and unusual engravings suitable for framing. BEETHOVEN/"EROICA" SYMPHONY RC* VlOOB BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCH./ERICH LEINSDOBF Mendelssohn tMe&kutomt^&rdtMm ^£fc\ A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ERICH LEINSDORF <Mt <§4ritltixKit^®rde<itm RCA VICTOR £3|THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN SOUND [4] CON TEN T S Program 9 3lu cfoiiss«au36ouse ofcSoston N o l e s Berlioz (Overture "Le Corsaire" 11 Beethoven (Symphony No. 2) . 20 jEntr'ac t e The Old Family Piece (./. N.J3.) . 35 Notes Tchaikovsky (Symphony No. 6) . 49 EXHIBITION The exhibition of paintings opening this week in the Gallery has been loaned by the Shore Galleries of 179 Newbury Street. Included among paint- ings by various prominent artists are sketches by Donald Greason made at Or- chestra rehearsals when Charles Munch and when Erich Leinsdorf were con- ducting. SUBSCRIBERS' EXHIBITION The annual exhibition of paintings by subscribers, Friends and members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra will take place from November 22 through De- cember 9. For further information see page 52. • • THE YOUTH CONCERTS The Youth Concerts at Symphony Hall, played by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the conduc- torship of their colleague, Harry Ellis Dickson, will enter their fifth season on November 2. As before, there will be six concerts on Saturday mornings from eleven o'clock until noon. Each of three programs is repeated at a later date, to For that hint of chill in the air form two series of three concerts each. our negligee of embroidered Tickets are obtained by subscription to albatross ... in Pink or Blue. either of the series, and the subscriber Sizes 8-20. $69.95 is provided with reserved seats. (A single price prevails—a total of four dol- 416 BOYLSTON STREET 54 CENTRAL STREET BOSTON 16 WELLESLEY lars for three concerts.) Each concert- KEnmore 6-6238 CEdar 5-3430 goer receives an annotated program, as in the adult series. But, additionally, Mr. [5] Dickson makes brief informative re- marks, and has the players illustrate particular points of a score before its performance in full. The programs avoid playing down to youth and inexperience. They form an introduction to the regular symphonic repertory of music past and present. The audiences come from pub- lic, parochial, and private schools—from Grades V through Junior High and High School—from points throughout Massa- chusetts, and extending to New Hamp- shire. So ably has Mr. Dickson satisfied his listeners, that last season's two series sold out in advance of the first concert, and indications are for a similar result JLabel this season. As is his custom, Mr. Dickson is giv- assures yon ing a definite character to each of his programs. The first bears the title, the finest in "What Is a Symphony?", the second, "What Is Program Music?". For the fashion last there will be the "Annual Festival Program." The Boston Symphony Or- chestra musicians will be joined in part of the program by High School instru- mentalists, and by a school soloist chosen by competition. An original composition by a Newton High School student also will be heard. An interesting association with the history of the Boston Symphony Orches- tra exists in Mr. Dickson's series. As early as 1888-89, the seventh season of the Orchestra, its regular conductor, Wilhelm Gericke, presented Young Peo- Distinctive ple's Concerts. These were continued by Clothes his successor, Arthur Nikisch. After a and lapse, the idea was resumed by Pierre Accessories Monteux, Serge Koussevitzky, and Rich- for the well dressed woman ard Burgin. From 1939 to 1948, musi- cians of this Orchestra were conducted in Youth Concerts by Wheeler Beckett, composer-conductor. Eleven years after the cessation of that enterprise, Harry Ellis Dickson founded the present series. 1213 BOYLSTON STREET . CHESTNUT HILL It has flourished with his musical re- STREET . BOSTON 125 NEWBURY sourcefulness and the diligence of com- mittee workers headed by Mrs. Anthony Kutten, Executive Director, and Mrs. Manuel P. Kurland, Ticket Chairman. Henry B. Cabot is Chairman of the or- ganization as a whole. SSSi m 'ism suave suede sheath Butter soft leather, beautifully detailed, simply styled in a shirt shift with slot seams, hand pricked edges. One from a wondrous collection of suede and leather dresses 9 in Filene s French Shops, seventh floor, Boston $iao 71 Perfect pitch Many people think that perfect pitch is a sure sign of musical talent. Not nec- essarily so. While plenty of musicians do have it, plenty of people who also have perfect pitch can't even play a comb. At Old Colony Trust Company, none of the specialists claims to have perfect pitch when it comes to invest- ing. But together, these men make a 39-part harmony that's hard to beat. Their sound advice is the result of years of experience and first-hand knowledge; they travel over 350,000 Colony miles every year to get it. Why don't Old Trust Company you stop in soon at Number One Federal Street and talk things over? Meanwhile, you might want to send for a compli- mentary copy of "Managing Your Money." It describes some of the ways Old Colony can be of help to you. [8] EIGHTY-THIRD SEASON • NINETEEN HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE -SIXTY-FOUR Second Program TUESDAY EVENING, November 5, at 8:30 o'clock RICHARD BURGIN, Conductor lii.Ri.io/ Overture, "The Corsair," Op. 21 Beethoven Symphony No. 2, in D major, Op. 36 I. Adagio molto; Allegro con brio II. Larghetto III. Scherzo: Allegro IV. Allegro molto I N l E R \i 1 s s I o N Tchaikovsky . *Symphoiiy No. 6, in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathetique" I. Adagio; allegro non troppo IT. Allegro con grazia 111.- Allegro molto vivace IV. Finale: Adagio lamemoso BALDWIN PIANO RCA VICTOR RECORDS # BOSTON • CHESTNUT HILL • SOUTH SHORE PLAZA [10] OVERTURE, "LE CORSAIRE," Op. 21 By Hector Berlioz Born in Cote-Saint-Andre, December 11, 1803; died in Paris, March 8, 1869 The Overture is supposed to have been written in February 1831. It was revised in 1844, and first performed in Paris, January 19, 1845, at the Champs Elysees, when Berlioz conducted from the manuscript. There was a second performance April 1, 1855, at a concert of the St. Cecilia Society in Paris. The score was again revised and first published in this year. The first performance in Boston was by the Boston Sym- phony Orchestra, January 10, 1896. There were further performances October 13, 1916, November 18, 1949 and November 28-29, 1958. The score calls for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, ophicleide (or bass tuba), timpani and strings. The Overture is dedicated "To my Friend, Davison."* T Tans von Bulow, after conducting The Corsaire Overture at Mein- **- - ingen, wrote that it "went like a shot from a pistol," plainly allud- ing to the sharp staccato chords for the full orchestra that punctuate light lyrical passages. It is a dashing and debonair overture, enlivened by the wit of brilliant string writing. The title incites one to find in this overture the musical embodiment of the reckless adventurer of Byron's poem.