BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC The Little Orchestra Society THOMAS SCHERMAN, Music Director MILAN HORVAT, Guest Conductor ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION SERIES-SEASON 1967-68 Second Concert-Series A-Sunday Afternoon, November 12, 1967 at 2:30 HERBERT BARRETT, Manager ERNEST BLOCH ...................................... SACRED SERVICE Part I Meditation (Prelude)-Ma Tovu Part II Sanctification-Kedusha Part III Silent Devotion (Prelude) Part IV Returning the Scroll to the Ark Part V Adoration-Va'anachnu Closing Hymn-Adon Olom Soloist: SEYMOUR SCHWARTZMAN, baritone -INTERMISSION- ZOLTAN KODALY ......... .... .... ... .... PSALMUS HUNGARICUS OP. 13 Soloist: WILLIAM LEWIS, tenor Baldwin Piano PROGRAM NOTES By BERNARD JACOBSON BLOCH Avodath Hakodesh (Morning Service) (1880-1959) Ernest Bloch's Sacred Service, as it is usually called, was composed between 1930 and 1933. lt was thus the first large-scale work by a major composer to be written for Jewish worship-Milhaud, with his Sabbath Morning Service of 1947, is among those who have followed suit. A vodath Hakodesh is one of several Bloch works on specifically Jewish subjects. The most important of the others are the Hebrew rhapsody for cello and orchestra entitled Sche/omo and the Israel Symphony, both completed in 1916, and perhaps the most popu­ lar is Baal Shem (three Pictures of Chassidic Life for violin and piano, I 923). But as Eric Blom has pointed out, in spite of its subject, the actual music of Avodath Hakodesh is less Jewish and more universal in character than that of these earlier pieces. Insofar as there is ethnic or local coloring in this powerful score, it is of the kind that suggests a certain affinity between the Jewish Middle East and the Eastern Europe of Kodiily's Hungary. For here, as in the Psalmus Hungaricus, are to be found the same emphasis on fourths and fifths (Bloch's harmony leans much more decisively on these intervals than on the thirds and sixths typical of Western European music), and the same liking for Scotch-snap rhythms. The theme - stated at the outset and transformed with particularly ingenious effect toward the culmination of Part 11--on which the entire work is based gives another clue to the origins of the inspiration drawn on by this Swiss-born, American-naturalized com­ poser. The similarity of its first four notes to those of the famous motif in the finale of Mozart's "Jupiter'' Symphony is merely superficial. Far more significant is the fact that the first three of these notes suggest one of the most common melodic formulations of the ancient Gregorian chant. This music, indeed, is as universal in time as it is in place. It is not old-fashioned, and yet it is not exactly modern either. The important thing is that it was written by a composer of vivid individuality, and any echoes it may call up are fully assimi lated in its own very potent musical and emotional atmosphere. English version of the Hebrew text PART I Meditation (Prelude)-Ma Tovu How goodly are thy tents, 0 Jacob, thy dwellings, 0 Israel! Through Thy great mercy, 0 God, I come to Thy house and bow down in Thy holy temple in the fear of Thee. 0 Lord, I love the place of Thy house and the abode in which Thy glory dwelleth. And so I bow down and adore Thee, 0 God, my Maker. May my prayer be offered in an acceptable time; mayest Thou, in the greatness of Thy mercy, answer me according to Thy faithfulness. Bor'chu Praise ye the Lord to whom all praise is due. Praised be the Lord to whom all praise is due forever and ever. Sh'ma Yisroel Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Praised be His name whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever. V'ohavto Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart. Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt speak of them when thou sittest in thy house, when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou riscst up. Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. Thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house and upon thy gates: That ye may remember and do all My commandments and be holy unto your God. Mi Chomocho Who is like unto Thee, 0 Lord? Who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, awe­ inspiring, working wonders? Tzur Yisroel 0 Rock of Israel, be pleased to redeem those who are oppressed, and deliver those that are persecuted. Praised be Thou, our Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. PART II Kedusha (Sanctification) We sanctify Thy name on earth, as the heavens declare Thy glory; and in the words of the prophet we say: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. God our Strength, God our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth. Praised be the glory of God in all the world. Our God is one; He is our Father, He is our King, He is our Helper and in His mercy He will answer our prayers in the sight of all the living. The Lord will reign forever, thy God, 0 Zion, from generation to genera­ tion. Hallelujah! PART III Silent Devotion (Prelude) Response-Yihyu L'rotzon May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, 0 Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen. Seu Sh'orim Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts; He is the King of glory. Taking the Scroll from the Ark (Interlude) Torah Tzivolz The Torah, which God gave through Moses, is the heritage of the Congregation of Jacob. 0 House of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Sh'ma Yisroel Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. L'cho Adonoy Thine, 0 Lord, is the greatness and the power, the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, 0 Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all. PART IV Returning the Scroll to the Ark 0 magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. Hodo AI Eretz His glory is in the earth and in the heavens. He is the strength of all His servants, the praise of them that truly love him, the hope of Israel, the people He brought nigh to Himself-Hallelujah! Toras Adonoy The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. Behold, a good doctrine has been given unto you; forsake it not. Etz Chayim (A Peace Song) It is a tree of life to them that hold fast to it, and its supporters are happy. Its ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace. PARTY Va' anachnu (Adoration) We bow our heads in reverence, and worship the King of Kings, the Holy One, praised be He. On that Day the Lord shall be One and His name shall be One. Kaddish (Memorial Service) Magnified and sanctified be His great name in the world which He hath created ac­ cording to His will. May He establish His kingdom during your life and during your days, and during the life of all the house of Israel, speedily and soon and say ye, Amen. Let His great name be blessed forever and to ali eternity. Blessed, praised and glorified, exalted, adored and honored, extolled and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He; though He be high above all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations, which are uttered in the world; and say ye, Amen. He who makes peace in His high places, may He make peace for us and for all Israel; and say ye, Amen . Adon 0/om (Closing Hymn) The Lord of all did reign supreme Ere yet this world was made and formed. When all was finished by His will, Then was His name as King proclaimed. And should these forms no more exist, He still will rule in majesty. H e was, He is, He shall remain; His glory never shall decrease. And One is He, and none there is To be compared or joined to Him. He ne'er began, and ne'er will end, To Him belongs dominion's power. He is my God, my li vi ng God; To Him I flee when tried in grief; My banner high, my refuge strong, Who hears and answers when I call. My spirit I commit to Him, My body, too, and all I prize; Both when I sleep and when I wake, He is with me, I shall not fear. Benediction May the Lord bless thee and keep thee, Amen. l\fay the L0rd let His countenance shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace. Amen. KODALY Psalmus Hungaricus, Op. 13 {1882-1967) Composed in 1923 and first performed on November 19 of that year, the Psalm us Hungaricus is one of Zoltan Kodaly's finest achievements.