§>atttor0 ®lj*atre, dambrt&g? [Harvard University] % BOSTON N ^S SYAPHONY ORCHESTRA FOUNDED IN 1881 DY HENRY L. HIGGINSON SIXTY-FIRST ^ SEASON ^Jj 1941-1942 [6J / 'A Thursday Evening, February 26 at 8 o'clock VICTOR RED SEAL RECORDS by the Boston Symphony Orchestra SERGE KOUSSEV1TZKY, Conductor Also Sprach Zarathustra Strauss Bolero RaveJ Capriccio ( Jestis Maria Sanroma, Soloist) Stravinsky Classical Symphony Prokofieff Concerto for Orchestra in D major K. P. E. Bach Concerto in D major ( Jascha Heifetz, Soloist) Brahms Concerto No. 2 (Jascha Heifetz, Soloist) Prokofieff Concerto No. 12 — Larghetto Handel Damnation of Faust : Minuet — Waltz — Rakoczy March Berlioz Danse Debussy-Ravel Daphnis et Chloe — Suite No. 2 Ravel filegie (Violoncello solo : Jean Bedetti) Faure "Enchanted Lake" Liadov Fair Harvard Arr. by Koussevitzky Frfihlingsstimmen — Waltzes (Voices of Spring) Strauss Gymnopedie No. 1 Erik Satie-Debussy "Khovanstchina" Prelude Moussorgsky La Valse Ravel "La Mer" ("The Sea") Debussy "Lieutenant Kije" Suite Prokofieff Love for Three Oranges — Scherzo and March Prokofieff Ma Mere L'Oye (Mother Goose) Ravel Missa Solemnis Beethoven Passion According to Saint Matthew (Three Albums) Bach "Peter and the Wolf" Prokofieff Pictures at an Exhibition Moussorgsky-Ravel Pohjola's Daughter Sibelius "Romeo and Juliet," Overture-Fantasia Tchaikovsky Rosamunde — Ballet Music Schubert Sal6n Mexico, El Aaron Copland San Juan Capistrano — 2 Nocturnes Harl McDonald Sarabande Debussy-Ravel Song of Volga Boatmen Arr by Stravinsky "Swanwhite" ("The Maiden with Roses" f Sibelius Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major ("Spring") Schumann Symphony No. 2 in D major Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D major Sibelius Symphony No. 3 Harris Symphony No. 4 in A major ("Italian" ) Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 in E minor Brahms Symphony No. 4 in F minor Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major Sibelius Symphony No. 6 in B minor ( "Pathetique" ) Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 8 in F major Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in B minor ("Unfinished") Schubert Symphony No. 29 in A major Mozart Symphony No. 34 in C major Mozart Symphony No. 94 in G major ( "Surprise") Haydn Symphony No. 102 in B-flat major Haydn Tapiola ( Symphonic Poem ) Sibelius Waltz (from String Serenade) Tchaikovsky Wiener Blut — Waltzes (Vienna Blood) Strauss Cantors Stjpatr? • Harvard University • (EambrtigF SIXTY-FIRST SEASON, 1941-1942 Boston Symphony Orchestra SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor RlCHARD Burgin, Assistant Conductor Concert Bulletin of the Sixth Concert THURSDAY EVENING, February 26 with historical and descriptive notes by John N. Burk The OFFICERS and TRUSTEES of the BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Inc. Ernest B. Dane President Henry B. Sawyer .... Vice-President Ernest B. Dane ...... Treasurer Henry B. Cabot N. Penrose Hallowell Ernest B. Dane M. A. De Wolfe Howe Reginald C. Foster Roger I. Lee Alvan T. Fuller Richard C. Paine Jerome D. Greene Henry B. Sawyer Bentley W. Warren G. E. Judd, Manager C. W. Spalding, Assistant Manager [1] The Continuing Language B efore the ill-fated attempt to build the Tower of Babel, "the whole earth was of one language, and one speech." Then came the confounding of language, "that they may not understand one another's speech." With divergent tongues the peoples of the world went their several ways, and their failures to understand one another's speech, and much besides, have been the cause of infinite disaster, of which the wars now tearing the world asunder are the latest tokens. Of the one language and one speech that prevailed before the confusion of tongues an imperishable remnant still exists. That is the speech of music, the language under- stood by peoples of every tongue. In the world as we look out upon it today, it is more important than ever be- fore that this remaining' bond of unity should be preserved. The Boston Symphony Orchestra counts it a privilege to contribute as it may to the con- tinuance of this unifying influence. It is a privilege, moreover, in which everyone may share by enrolling as a Friend of the Orchestra. Reginald C. Foster Chairman, Friends of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. [2] &mib?VB (Hfjpatr? • Harvard University • (Uambnig? Boston Symphony Orchestra SIXTY-FIRST SEASON, 1941-1942 SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor SIXTH CONCERT THURSDAY EVENING, February 26 Programme RICHARD BURGIN Conducting:& Haydn Symphony in D major. No. 104 I. Adagio — Allegro II. Andante III. Menuetto: Allegro IV. Allegro spiritoso Mozart Cavatina, "Porgi Amor," from "Le Nozze cli Figaro" II) ( (Act Weber. .Recitative and Aria ("Leise, Leise") from "Der Freischiitz" (Act II) INTERMISSION Sibelius Symphony No. 1 in E minor. Op. 39 I. Andante ma non troppo; allegro energico II. Andante ma non troppo lento III. Allegro IV. Finale (Quasi una Fantasia): Andante; allegro molto SOLOIST POLYNA STOSKA Soprano [3] SYMPHONY IN D MAJOR, NO. 104 By Franz Joseph Haydn Born at Rohrau, Lower Austria, March 31, 1732; died at Vienna, Mav 31. irtog This, the last of the symphonies which Haydn composed, although numbered the seventh in the London series of twelve, was first performed May 4, 1795, in the audi- torium of the King's Theatre, London. It is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. The most recent performance at the concerts of the Boston Symphony Orchestra was March 18, 1938, when Georges Enesco conducted. The previous performance was April 1, 1932, when, in a Haydn programme commemorative of the two hun- dredth anniversary of the composer's birth, the first and last of his symphonies were performed. Haydn, visiting London in 1791, with six symphonies written for performance at the concerts of Johann Peter Salomon there, re- turned to Vienna in the summer of 1792. The English public, who had idolized him, and Salomon, who had profited by this popularity, made it evident that his return would be both welcome and profitable. Salo- mon invited him to write a second set of six symphonies, and Haydn arrived once more in London in February of 1794 for a sojourn which lasted sixteen months. The composer wrote this symphony in London, and supervised its first performance at the last concert given for his benefit. The Symphony is numbered as seven in the London series of twelve, but we know that it was the last in order, for the autograph bears the legend "The twelfth which I have composed in England."* Ferdinand Pohl in his biography of Haydn names the final two — the Symphony of the "drum roll" in E-flat, and the Symphony in D major, No. 104 — as the highest point, the "crowning works" of Haydn's con- tribution to the form. The concert at which the symphony was brought out was given on May 4, 1795, in the King's Theatre, the famous house where David * When Haydn wrote this inscription upon the manuscript, he gave an unquestionable chronology to at least this one of the symphonies, and since the careful ordering of Mandyczewski for the newer Breitkopf and Hartel edition discloses exactly 104 symphonies, it necessarily bears that number. But so bewildering has been the ordering of Haydn's symphonies these many years that even this one has possessed various identifications. It was first thought that Haydn's symphonies reached the number of 180. a number gradually reduced by the study and sifting of legitimate manuscripts. The by no means inconsider- able number of 104 is not quite all inclusive, for several more early symphonies have since been found. The fact that this symphony has long been known as Number 2 in the earlier Breitkopf and Hartel listing, that it was previously 144 in the thematic cata- logue of Wotquenne (1902), 75 in the catalogue of Zulehner, 109 in that of Pohl, the 7th in the listing of the London Philharmonic Society, and the 118th in Haydn's own catalogue of his works, will show how difficult it has been for a person to speak of his favorite symphony of Haydn with any confidence that his neighbor will know which one he is talking about. Another past method of identification was that of attaching letters of the alphabet from A to W to certain of the symphonies (so long as the alphabet lasted). A resort of desperation, perhaps, was the tagging of certain symphonies with special names. This one. for example, was known as the "London" Symphony. The new Breitkopf and Hartel numbering, now generally adopted, bears encouraging signs of proving definitive. [4] Garrick, Mrs. Siddons, Charles Dickens (as an amateur player) and many other celebrities had performed, and where still more, such as Edmund Kean, were to be seen. This concert was a notable occa- sion, for the violinist Viotti and an array of singers of considerable fame displayed their talents. The programme opened with the first movement of the "Military Symphony" (also of the London series), continued with an air by Signor Rovedino, an oboe concerto, a duet by Mile. Morichelli and Signor Morelli. The first part of the pro- gramme was concluded with the performance of the new symphony. In the second part, the second, third and fourth movements of the Military Symphony were performed, after which Morelli, Viotti, and another prima donna, Mile. Banti, continued the programme, which was rounded off by a "finale" of Haydn. Haydn wrote in his diary: "The hall was filled with a picked audience. The whole company was delighted and so was I. I took in this evening 4000 gulden [about $2,000]. One can make as much as this only in England." The Austrian added in English about the singing of Banti: "She sang very scanty" — a remark which speaks better for the composer's command of English than for his gallantry toward a singer who was one of the best known and admired of her century.