SYMPHONY HALL, BOSTON HUNTINGTON AND MASSACHUSETTS AVENUES Branch Exchange Telephones, Ticket and Administration Offices, Commonwealth 1492 TM1&L INC. Dr. SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor .FIFTY-FIRST SEASON, 1931-1932 WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NOTES BY PHILIP HALE COPYRIGHT, 1931, BY BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, INC. THE OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES OF THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Inc. FREDERICK P. CABOT President BENTLEY W. WARREN Vice-President ERNEST B. DANE Treasurer FREDERICK P. CABOT ARTHUR LYMAN ERNEST B. DANE WILLIAM PHILLIPS N. PENROSE HALLOWELL EDWARD M. PICKMAN § M. A. DE WOLFE HOWE HENRY B. SAWYER FREDERICK E. LOWELL BENTLEY W. WARREN W. H. BRENNAN, Manager G. E. JUDD, Assistant Manager 509 THE COR ANGLAIS 1 N appearance, the cor anglais differs from the oboe in only two respects. It ends in a ball instead of a bell; and the mouthpiece is held by a slim crooked pipe. Strange as it may seem, the English played no part in its development. The word anglais has been said to be a corruption of the word angle, meaning bent, which in olden times' described the obtuse angle of the bend that then existed in its long tube. Its immediate ancestor is the oboe di caccia, or hunting oboe. The last century has witnessed great changes in the instrument both from the standpoint of mech- anism and construction. Yet, like the oboe, it has kept intact its old family voice distinguished for its curious plaintiveness. The cor anglais is really an alto, or tenor, oboe. It stands in the key of F, yet its music is written in a key a fifth above that in which it plays. It has been called "an oboe in mourning," and unquestionably has the most melancholy voice in the orchestra. French composers popularized the cor anglais, yet others made great use of it . Beethoven, Meyerbeer, Dvorak, and Strauss. Perhaps its most famous solo is in Act III of Tristan and Isolde, where it plays the plaintive melody of the Shepherd's pipe. * * * * Wl ANY people who wish to free themselves from the care of their investments so as to devote more time to the pursuit of business, or the enjoyment of leisure, are appoint- ing Old Colony Trust Company Trustee under a Living Trust Agreement. Old Colony Trust Company 17 COURT STREET, BOSTON ^Affiliated with The First National Bank of Boston 510 Fifty-first Season, 1931-1932 Dr. SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor Violins. Burgin, R. Elcus, G. Gundersen, R. Sauvlet, H Cherkassky, P. Concert-master Kreinin, B. Kassman, N. Hamilton, V. Eisler, D. Theodorowicz, J. Hansen, E. Lauga, N. Fedorovsky P. Leibovici, , J. Pinfield, C. Mariotti, V. Leveen, P. Tapley, R. Thillois, F. Zung, M. Knudson, C. Gorodetzky, L. Mayer, P. Diamond, S. Zide, L. Fiedler, B. Bryant, M. Beale, M. Stonestreet, L. Messina, S. Murray, J. Del Sordo, R Erkelens, H. Seiniger, S. Violas. Lefranc, J. Fourel, G. Bernard, A. Grover, H. Fiedler, A. Artieres, L. Cauhape, J. Van Wynbergen, C. Werner , H. Avierino, N. Deane, C Gerhardt, S. Jacob, R. Violoncellos. Bedetti, J. Langendoen, J. Chardon, Y. Stockbridge, C. Fabrizio, E. Zighera, A. Barth, C. Marjollet, L Droeghmans, H. Warnke , J. Basses. Kunze, M. Lemaire, J. Ludwig, O. Girard, H. Moleux, G. Vondrak, A. Oliver, F. Frankel, I. Dufresne, G. Kelley, A. Flutes. Oboes. Clarinets. Bassoons. Laurent, G. Gillet, F. Polatschek, V. Laus, A. Bladet, G. Devergie, J. Mimart, P. Allard, R. Amerena, P. Stanislaus, H. Arcieri, E. Panenka, E. Allegra, E. (E-flat Clarinet) Piccolo. English Horn Bass Clarinet. Contra-Bassoon. Battles, A. Speyer, L. Bettoney, F. Piller, B. Horns. Horns. Trumpets. Trombones. Boettcher, G. Valkenier, W Mager, G. Raichman, J. Pogrebniak, S. Schindler, G. Lafosse, M. Hansotte, L. Van Den Berg, C. Lannoye, M. Grundey, T. Kenfield, L. Lorbeer, H. Blot, G. Perret, G. Adam, E. Voisin, R. Mann, J. Tubas. Harps. Timpani. Percussion. Sidow, P. Zighera, B. Ritter, A. Sternburg, S. Adam, E. Caughcy, E. Polster, M. White, L. Organ. Celesta. Librarian. Snow, A. Fiedler, A. Rogers, L. J. 511 — CfjanMrr Sc €a. BOSTON COMMON TREMONT AT WEST STREET Velvet Evening Wraps make a perfect gift 16 50 . — . especially when they are as lovely as these With wide armholes and deep wraps — ideal for the woman — with fur or self trim in cunning, abbreviated styles for that niece of yours — smart tucked affairs for daughter at school. The gorgeous colors range from rich warm red to the highly sophisticated ivory. There are blues, greens, corals—that add that necessary dash of clear color to your costume there is black . always smart . always becoming. Street Floor 512 FIFTY-FIRST SEASON, NINETEEN HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE AND THIRTY-TWO FRIDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 18, at 2.30 o'clock SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 19, at 8.15 o'clock Mozart Requiem I. Requiem. VII. Lacrimosa. II. Dies Irae. VIII. Domine Jesu. III. Tuba Mirum. IX. Hostias. IV. Rex tremendae. X. Sanctus. V. Recordare. XI. Benedictus. VI. Confutatis. XII. Agnus Dei. BACH CANTATA CLUB (G. Wallace Woodworth, Conductor) SOLOISTS GERTRUDE EHRHART, Soprano. JOSEPH LAUTNER, Tenor. MARIE MURRAY, Contralto. DAVID BLAIR McCLOSKY, Baritone There will be no intermission The works to be played at these concerts may be seen in the Allen A. Brown Music Collection of the Boston Public Library one week before the concert 513 Kequiem Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Born at Salzburg on January 27, 1756; died at Vienna on December 5, 1791) In July, 1791, a stranger called on Mozart, and, pledging him to secrecy, commissioned him to write a Requiem for someone un- named. It was learned after Mozart's death that the visitor was one Leutgab, steward to Count Franz von Walsegg of Ruppach. Walsegg's wife Anna Edlen von Flammberg had died on February 14, 1791. The Count was an amateur musician who wished to be known as a great composer. It was his purpose to have the Requiem performed as his own work. The messenger offered Mozart 50, some say 100, ducats. Though hard at work on "The Magic Flute," Mozart gladly accepted the stranger's offer. Then came an invita- tion to compose an opera for the coronation of Leopold II. at Prague. As Mozart was about to begin the journey, the mysterio*Us stranger appeared by the side of the carriage and asked about the Requiem. Mozart said he would do his best on his return. The opera "La Clemenza di Tito" was performed at Prague on the evening of the coronation day, September 6, 1791. The Emperor did not like it. Mozart returned to Vienna. He was not in good health when he went to Prague; he returned still suffering. "The 514 Magic Flute" was produced at Vienua on September 30, 1791. Mozart could now give Ms whole time to the Requiem, but the strain, the disappointment, added to his poverty and the belief that he was unappreciated in Vienna, were too much for him. He had fainting fits; he was greatly depressed, and he said to his wife, with tears in his eyes, that he was writing the Requiem for himself. "I feel certain that I shall not live long ; someone has poisoned me, I am convinced. I cannot shake off the idea." (Salieri was most unjustly suspected of poisoning Mozart; he was indig- nant at the charge, which was cruel and baseless.) The score of the Requiem was taken from Mozart. He rallied sufficiently to com- pose and conduct a cantata for his Lodge ; but he was soon obliged to take to his bed. He learned that Hungarian noblemen were to guarantee him a yearly sum; and there was a subscription at Amsterdam. It was too late. He would follow the performance of "The Magic Flute" when the time came for performance; his mind was full of the Requiem. On December 4, the score was brought to his bed. He sang the alto part in a passage; his brother- in-law, Hofer, took the tenor part; Schack and Gerl, from the theatre, the soprano and the bass. When they began the first measures of the "Lacriinosa," he burst out crying; he knew he ARTHUR FOOTE Some Practical Things in Piano Playing A handbook giving musical precepts and principles of artistic playing. Discusses the mechanism of the piano, relaxation, touch, pedalling, voice leading, etc., and contains numerous illustrations as well as practical exercises. Price, 60 cents net Modulation and Related Harmonic Questions A concise statement of the various means of modulation found in music from Bach to the present time ; such problems as are offered by certain composers of the past few years, however, have not been dealt with, for in their works tonality is of set purpose made increasingly negligible. The volume includes a set of exercises to be both written and played at sight. Extract from the Preface. Price, $1.25 net Songs From Recent Concert Programs MEMNON LILAC TIME Sung by Sung by JOHN McCORMACK DAVID BLAIR McCLOSKY = The ARTHUR P. SCHMIDT CO., 120 Boylston St. 515 should not finish the work, and so he put away the score. That evening he gave some directions to Siissmayer about the Requiem; "Even while dozing he puffed out his cheeks as if trying to imitate the drums. Towards midnight he suddenly sat up with his eyes fixed; then he turned his head on one side, and appeared to fall asleep. By one o'clock in the morning of December 5, 1791, his spirit had fled." He died of malignant typhus fever. On the 6th his body was borne to St. Stephen's. The service was in the open air, the custom with the poorest class of funerals. Van Swieten, though he was well-to-do, ordered that the strictest economy should be observed in the arrangements.