SYMPHONY HALL, BOSTON HUNTINGTON AND MASSACHUSETTS AVENUES Branch Exchange Telephone, Ticket and Administration Offices, Com. 1492 FIFTY-FOURTH SEASON, 1934-1935 CONCERT BULLETIN of the Boston Symphony Orchestra INCORPORATED Dr. SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor Richard Burgin, Assistant Conductor with historical and descriptive notes By Philip Hale and John N. Burk COPYRIGHT, 1934, BY BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Inc. The OFFICERS and TRUSTEES of the BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Inc. Bentley W. Warren President Henry B. Sawyer Vice-President Ernest B. Dane Treasurer Allston Burr Roger I. Lee Henry B. Cabot William Phillips Ernest B. Dane Henry B. Sawyer N. Penrose Hallowell Edward A. Taft M. A. de Wolfe Howe Bentley W. Warren H. Brennan, Manager G. E. Judd, Assistant Manager [97] • Old Colony Trust Company 17 COURT STREET, BOSTON ft * mftJjESr I .'S^^^^L. 3? »J Executor • Trustee Guardian Conservator • Agent ^Allied with The First National Bank of Boston [98] __^_^__-__^^__ Contents Title Page Page g> Programme 101 Analytical Notes: Bruckner Symphony in E major, No. 7 103 The Life of Bruckner 112 Ravel " Ma Mere VOye " (" Mother Goose ") Five Children's Pieces 12: Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 130 Entr'acte: Competition Festival for Song Birds . 122 The Next Programme *37 Special Concert Announcements . 138-140 Teachers' Directory 141-144 Personnel Opposite page 144 [99] Chandler & (Eb. Tremont St. at West > . - I mi , ; v:iW>:W:''''-'v lltllll - - < ^ ^ >> •; mm* STOCKINGS are darker this season—to be perfect they must be CqId STripe . .'a'.^T' »V - A CHIFFONS FREE FROM RINGS! $4.00 FREE FROM SHADOWS! 1 [100] ^^M^^MMMB m^mbmhm FIFTY-FOURTH SEASON, NINETEEN HUNDRED THIRTY-FOUR AND THIRTY-FIVE Third Programme FRIDAY AFTERNOON, October 26, at 2:30 o'clock SATURDAY EVENING, October 27, at 8:15 o'clock Bruckner Symphony in E major, No. 7 I. ALLEGRO MODERATO 11. adagio: Sehr feierlich und langsam in. scherzo: allegro, trio: Etwas langsamer iv. finale: Bewegt, doch nicht schnell INTERMISSION Ravel " Ma Mere l'Oye " f Mother Goose ") Five Children's Pieces I. PAVANE DE LA BELLE AU BOIS DORMANT (Pavane of Sleeping Beauty) II. PETIT POUCET (Hop o' My Thumb) III. L AIDERON N ETTE, IMPERATRICE DES PAGODES (Laideronette, Empress of the Pagodes) IV. LES ENTRETIENS DE LA BELLE ET DE LA BETE (Beauty and the Beast Converse) V. LE JARDIN FEERIQUE (The Fairy Garden) RlMSKY-KORSAKOV . Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 I. ALBORADA II. VARIATIONS III. ALBORADA IV. SCENE AND GYPSY SONG V. FANDANGO OF THE ASTURIAS The works to be played at these concerts may be seen in the Allen A. Brown Music Collection of the Boston Public Library one week before the concert [101] IORDAAI V\ j$sxims*&*. Originals from Letty Lee Designer to Hollywood's most glamorous stars. More and more the smart world turns to Hollywood for fashion inspiration . and Hollywood turns to Letty Lee. For this young designer cuts her clothes with the flair of a born dramatist. There's something exciting about her simplest daytime wool while her formal costumes are de- signed to dazzle. Watch the College Shop for new arrivals from Letty Lee . .her fresh originality will charm you. Hers is the knack of adding great wearability to the unusual. THE COLLEGE SHOP SECOND FLOOR mv.i i MAIN STORE [102] — -~ — Mi . SYMPHONY IN E MAJOR, NO. 7 By Anton Bruckner Born at Ansfelden, in Upper Austria, September 4, 1824; died at Vienna, October 11, 1896 Bruckner's Symphony in E major was composed in the time be- tween September, 1881, and September, 1883. The first movement was completed December 29, 1882; the third, October 16, 1882; the fourth, September 5, 1883. The symphony is dedicated "To His Majesty the King, Ludwig II. of Bavaria, in deepest reverence," and was published in 1885. The statement is often made that the Adagio was composed as funeral music in memory of Richard Wagner. As a matter of fact, this Adagio was completed in October, 1882.* Wagner died February 13, 1883. The singular statement has been made that a premonition of Wagner's death inspired Bruckner to compose a dirge, — this Adagio. * Dr. W. Niemann in his analysis of this symphony says the second movement was completed April 21, 1883, and gives as authority autographic notes of Bruckner in the score in the Imperial Library at Vienna. Rudolf Louis, in his Life of Bruckner (p. 206), says that the Adagio was completed in October, 1882, and that Bruckner's wish for conductors to acquaint their audiences with the fact that the news of Wagner's death led him to compose the Adagio is, to say the least, singular. SELECTED CHORAL WORKS FOR CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS For Women's Voices Net For Mixed Voices Net MARION BAUER MABEL W. DANIELS Three Noels 25 The Christ Child (Just GENA BRANSCOMBE Issued) 12 the Hail ye Tyme of Holie- Through the Dark 12 dayes (Trio) 12 Dreamers Came The Holy Star .20 T. FREDERICK H. CANDLYN A Holiday Fantasy 35 In Excelsis Gloria (Trio) . .12 GUSTAV HOLST W. DANIELS MABEL Four Old English Carols. .16 The Holy Star 20 MARGARET RUTHVEN LANG Through the Dark the In Praesepio (In the Dreamers (Trio) . .12 Came Manger) 12 GUSTAV HOLST For Men's Voices Four Old English Carols. .16 GENA BRANSCOMBE MARGARET RUTHVEN LANG Hail ye Tyme of Holie- The Heavenly Noel 25 dayes 12 In Praesepio (In the WM. LYNDON WRIGHT Manger) 12 Four Christmas Carols Tryste Noel (Trio) 12 (Traditional) 12 FRANCES McCOLLIN Unison 'Twas the Night Before GUSTAV HOLST Christmas (Two-part) ... .60 The Saviour of the World 10 JULIUS RONTGEN BORIS LEVENSON Six Old Dutch Carols 35 Stars were Jewels in the VARIOUS COMPOSERS Sky .10 Three Christmas* Carols . .12 HAROLD V. MILLIGAN (Kitson, Northcote, Colburn) Three Christmas Carols . 12 The ARTHUR P. SCHMIDT CO., 120 Boylston St. 10 [ 3] Bruckner, who had what the Germans call " peasant cunning," may have agreed to this in the presence of those who were thus affected by the thought, but he himself knew, as will be seen by his letters to £1 Felix Mottl in 1885 concerning the first performance at Carlsruhe, that the movement had not in all respects the character of a dirge. Indeed, he pointed out the measures of the funeral music: " At X in the Adagio (Funeral music for tubas and horns,) " etc.; also, "Please take a very slow and solemn tempo. At the close, in the Dirge (In memory of the death of the Master) , think of our Ideal! . Kindly do not forget the /// at the end of the Dirge." Bruckner wrote to Mottl in a letter published February 10, 1900: " At one time I came home and was very sad; I thought to myself, it is impossible that the Master can live for a long time, and then the Adagio in C-sharp minor came into my head." The first performance of the symphony was at Leipzig, December 30, 1884, when Mr. Nikisch conducted the work at a theatre concert in aid of a Wagner Monument Fund as some say, though the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik (1885, p. 17) , reviewing the performance, said nothing about any purpose for which the concert was given. The com- poser was present. The symphony was performed at Munich, March 10, 1885, With Levi as conductor, and at Vienna at a Philharmonic Concert led by Richter, March 21, 1886. Dr. Muck conducted the IF IT'S FURS Where in all New Eng- land is there a name that means as mucn as ours.'? WE DOOUKPAKT y U JuunSiOI{arul wd '" :;: ! 'in' ij 3o4 Boylston at Arlington Streets Quality for Quality— Nobody Undersells Lamson & Hubbard m [104] '/' III I, HLUil! -'- ~-"-- - " —*" ~x^-^—*L^^~~—^— MMHMam symphony at Graz on March 14, 1886, — the first performance in Austria, — and in Berlin, January 6, 1894. Bruckner was present at each performance. Richter produced it in London, May 23, 1887.* The symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, four tubas, one double-bass tuba, a set of three kettledrums, triangle, cymbals, strings. First movement: Allegro moderato, E major, 2-2. The first theme is announced by horn and violoncellos against the violins, tremolo, and clarinets, violas, and violoncellos add a subsidiary theme. The chief theme appears in a richer orchestral dress. There is a crescendo based on the subsidiary theme, and the whole orchestra enters, but there is quickly a diminuendo, and the mood becomes more nervous, more uncertain. The second theme, one of complaint, is given to oboe and clarinet, with horns and trumpet in the accompaniment. This theme with its peculiar instrumentation and its changing tonality is in marked opposition to the first. This second chief theme is developed at length. (The first assumes greater importance later.) In this de- * The first performance in the United States was at Chicago by Theodore Thomas's Orchestra, July 29, 1886. Thomas conducted the symphony in New York at a concert of the Philharmonic Society, November 13, 1886. The first performance in Boston was at a Symphony Concert led by Mr. Gericke, Febru- ary 5, 1887. Dr. Muck conducted the work at a concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston, December 1, 1906; Mr. Fiedler, at a concert on February 12, 1910; Dr. Muck on Janu- ary 4, 1913. Dr. Koussevitzky has hitherto performed here Bruckner's Eighth Symphony in C minor (March 22, 1929; April 22, 1932); The Fourth Symphony (" Romantic "), October 14, 1932. r II STERLING SILVER FOXES" — THERE IS NOTHING MORE ELEGANT THAN A FINE SILVER FOX ON A BLACK COAT OF IMPORTED FABRIC — INTERESTINGLY WOVEN — STYLED WITH A SMARTNESS THAT IS DEFINITELY "THIS YEAR" AND TAILORED WITH AN EXCELLENCE THAT IS TYPICALLY "HURWITCH" — HurMtch^roa J^6^ Wi«»WiRfil»l: iiMyjjim [105 velopment there are evidences in the manner of leading the voices of Bruckner's partiality for the organ.