Table of Contents | Week 18 7 bso news 15 on display in symphony hall 16 the boston symphony orchestra 19 completing the circle: wagner’s brave new world in the concert hall by thomas may 25 this week’s program Notes on the Program 26 The Program in Brief… 27 Paul Hindemith 35 Sergei Rachmaninoff 43 Béla Bartók 51 To Read and Hear More… Guest Artists 55 Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos 56 Lang Lang 58 sponsors and donors 72 future programs 74 symphony hall exit plan 75 symphony hall information program copyright ©2013 Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. design by Hecht Design, Arlington, MA cover photo of BSO assistant principal viola Cathy Basrak by Stu Rosner BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, MA 02115-4511 (617)266-1492 bso.org bernard haitink, lacroix family fund conductor emeritus, endowed in perpetuity seiji ozawa, music director laureate 132nd season, 2012–2013 trustees of the boston symphony orchestra, inc. Edmund Kelly, Chairman • Paul Buttenwieser, Vice-Chairman • Diddy Cullinane, Vice-Chairman • Stephen B. Kay, Vice-Chairman • Robert P. O’Block, Vice-Chairman • Roger T. Servison, Vice-Chairman • Stephen R. Weber, Vice-Chairman • Theresa M. Stone, Treasurer William F. Achtmeyer • George D. Behrakis • Alan Bressler† • Jan Brett • Susan Bredhoff Cohen, ex-officio • Richard F. Connolly, Jr. • Cynthia Curme • Alan J. Dworsky • William R. Elfers • Thomas E. Faust, Jr. • Nancy J. Fitzpatrick • Michael Gordon • Brent L. Henry • Charles W. Jack, ex-officio • Charles H. Jenkins, Jr. • Joyce G. Linde • John M. Loder • Nancy K. Lubin • Carmine A. Martignetti • Robert J. Mayer, M.D. • Susan W. Paine • Peter Palandjian, ex-officio • Carol Reich • Arthur I. Segel • Thomas G. Stemberg • Caroline Taylor • Stephen R. Weiner • Robert C. Winters life trustees Vernon R. Alden • Harlan E. Anderson • David B. Arnold, Jr. • J.P. Barger • Leo L. Beranek • Deborah Davis Berman • Peter A. Brooke • Helene R. Cahners† • John F. Cogan, Jr. • Mrs. Edith L. Dabney • Nelson J. Darling, Jr. • Nina L. Doggett • Mrs. John H. Fitzpatrick • Dean W. Freed • Thelma E. Goldberg • Mrs. Béla T. Kalman • George Krupp • Mrs. Henrietta N. Meyer • Nathan R. Miller • Richard P. Morse • David Mugar • Mary S. Newman • Vincent M. O’Reilly • William J. Poorvu • Peter C. Read • Edward I. Rudman • Richard A. Smith • Ray Stata • John Hoyt Stookey • Wilmer J. Thomas, Jr. • John L. Thorndike • Dr. Nicholas T. Zervas other officers of the corporation Mark Volpe, Managing Director • Thomas D. May, Chief Financial Officer • Suzanne Page, Clerk of the Board board of overseers of the boston symphony orchestra, inc. Susan Bredhoff Cohen, Co-Chair • Peter Palandjian, Co-Chair • Noubar Afeyan • David Altshuler • Diane M. Austin • Lloyd Axelrod, M.D. • Judith W. Barr • Lucille M. Batal • Linda J.L. Becker • Paul Berz • James L. Bildner • Mark G. Borden • Partha Bose • Anne F. Brooke • Stephen H. Brown • Gregory E. Bulger • Joanne M. Burke • Ronald G. Casty • Richard E. Cavanagh • Dr. Lawrence H. Cohn • Charles L. Cooney • William Curry, M.D. • James C. Curvey • Gene D. Dahmen • Jonathan G. Davis • Paul F. Deninger • Michelle A. Dipp, M.D., Ph.D. • Dr. Ronald F. Dixon • Ronald M. Druker • Alan Dynner • Philip J. Edmundson • Ursula Ehret-Dichter • John P. Eustis II • Joseph F. Fallon • Judy Moss Feingold • Peter Fiedler • Steven S. Fischman • John F. Fish • Sanford Fisher • Jennifer Mugar Flaherty • Robert Gallery • Levi A. Garraway • Cora H. Ginsberg • Robert R. Glauber • Stuart Hirshfield • Susan Hockfield • Lawrence S. Horn • Jill Hornor • William W. Hunt • Valerie Hyman • Everett L. Jassy • Stephen J. Jerome • Darlene Luccio Jordan, Esq. • Paul L. Joskow • Stephen R. Karp • John L. Klinck, Jr. • week 18 trustees and overseers 3 photos by Michael J. Lutch Peter E. Lacaillade • Charles Larkin • Robert J. Lepofsky • Jay Marks • Jeffrey E. Marshall • Robert D. Matthews, Jr. • Maureen Miskovic • Robert Mnookin • Paul M. Montrone • Sandra O. Moose • Robert J. Morrissey • J. Keith Motley, Ph.D. • Cecile Higginson Murphy • Joseph J. O’Donnell • Joseph Patton • Ann M. Philbin • Wendy Philbrick • Claudio Pincus • Lina S. Plantilla, M.D. • Irene Pollin • Jonathan Poorvu • Dr. John Thomas Potts, Jr. • William F. Pounds • Claire Pryor • James M. Rabb, M.D. • John Reed • Robin S. Richman, M.D. • Dr. Carmichael Roberts • Susan Rothenberg • Joseph D. Roxe • Kenan Sahin • Malcolm S. Salter • Diana Scott • Donald L. Shapiro • Wendy Shattuck • Christopher Smallhorn • Michael B. Sporn, M.D. • Nicole Stata • Margery Steinberg • Patricia L. Tambone • Jean Tempel • Douglas Thomas • Mark D. Thompson • Albert Togut • Diana Osgood Tottenham • Joseph M. Tucci • Robert A. Vogt • David C. Weinstein • Dr. Christoph Westphal • James Westra • June K. Wu, M.D. • Patricia Plum Wylde • Dr. Michael Zinner • D. Brooks Zug overseers emeriti Helaine B. Allen • Marjorie Arons-Barron • Caroline Dwight Bain • Sandra Bakalar • George W. Berry • William T. Burgin • Mrs. Levin H. Campbell • Earle M. Chiles • Carol Feinberg Cohen • Mrs. James C. Collias • Ranny Cooper • Joan P. Curhan • Phyllis Curtin • Tamara P. Davis • Mrs. Miguel de Bragança • JoAnneWalton Dickinson • Phyllis Dohanian • Harriett Eckstein • George Elvin • Pamela D. Everhart • J. Richard Fennell • Lawrence K. Fish • Myrna H. Freedman • Mrs. James Garivaltis • Dr. Arthur Gelb • Robert P. Gittens • Jordan Golding • Mark R. Goldweitz • Michael Halperson • John Hamill • Deborah M. Hauser • Carol Henderson • Mrs. Richard D. Hill • Marilyn Brachman Hoffman • Roger Hunt • Lola Jaffe • Martin S. Kaplan • Mrs. S. Charles Kasdon • Mrs. Gordon F. Kingsley • Robert I. Kleinberg • David I. Kosowsky • Robert K. Kraft • Farla H. Krentzman • Benjamin H. Lacy • Mrs. William D. Larkin • Edwin N. London • Frederick H. Lovejoy, Jr. • Diane H. Lupean • Mrs. Harry L. Marks • Joseph B. Martin, M.D. • Joseph C. McNay • Albert Merck • Dr. Martin C. Mihm, Jr. • John A. Perkins • May H. Pierce • Dr. Tina Young Poussaint • Daphne Brooks Prout • Patrick J. Purcell • Robert E. Remis • John Ex Rodgers • Alan W. Rottenberg • Roger A. Saunders • Lynda Anne Schubert • Mrs. Carl Shapiro † • L. Scott Singleton • Gilda Slifka • Samuel Thorne • Paul M. Verrochi • Robert A. Wells† • Mrs. Joan D. Wheeler • Margaret Williams-DeCelles • Richard Wurtman, M.D. † Deceased week 18 trustees and overseers 5 BSO News BSO Archives Spotlights Paul Hindemith and his “Konzertmusik” for Strings and Brass Being played here this week, Paul Hindemith’s Konzertmusik for Strings and Brass—a BSO 50th-anniversary commission given its world premiere by Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in April 1931—was one of four Hindemith works given pre- mieres by Koussevitzky and the orchestra: the others were the Concerto for Orchestra, an American premiere in March 1926; the Concerto for Violin, an American premiere in April 1940, with then concertmaster Richard Burgin as soloist; and the Concerto for Cello, a world premiere in February 1941, with Gregor Piatigorsky as soloist. A special display case set up by the BSO Archives, audience-right at the stage end of the Brooke Corridor (the orchestra-level Massachusetts Avenue corridor), includes Hindemith’s original manuscript of the Konzertmusik along with a program book and reviews from the premiere performance; a sketchbook for the Cello Concerto, and a 1944 letter from Hindemith to longtime BSO annotator John N. Burk, among other things. BSO Symposium Series for Music Educators New this year from the BSO’s Department of Education and Community Engagement, a free “Symposium Series for Music Educators” offers music teachers the opportunity to learn instrumental methods and techniques from BSO musicians in a focused workshop setting, thereby providing opportunities for teachers and BSO musicians to interact directly; affording BSO players the opportunity to serve as a direct resource for the advancement of quality music education in New England schools; and building an informal network of support and collaboration among area teachers from a wide variety of districts and back- grounds. The next session, scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, from 4:30-6 p.m. at Sym- phony Hall, is entitled “Triangle to Timpani: Percussion Methods with BSO Percussionists Daniel Bauch and Kyle Brightwell.” Please note that symposium sessions are intended for band and orchestra directors at the middle and high school levels, although non-educators are welcome to audit on a space-available basis. There is no fee, but because space is limited, participants must register in advance. Further information, and the registration form, can be found at bso.org, under the “Education & Community” tab on the BSO’s home page. BSO Community Chamber Concerts The BSO is happy to continue offering free Community Chamber Concerts by BSO musicians on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. in locations throughout the greater Boston area, specifically for communities whose access to the BSO is limited by distance or economics. The Com- munity Chamber Concerts are designed to build personal connections to the BSO and orchestral music, allowing community members to become more deeply engaged with the week 18 bso news 7 BSO over time. Each program lasts about an hour and is followed by a coffee-and-dessert reception for the audience and musicians. Upcoming concerts include performances at the Strand Theater in Dorchester on March 3 (Beethoven and Schubert), and at the Kennedy School in Somerville (Hindemith and Mozart) on March 10. In addition, both of these con- certs will feature a special pre-performance by community musicians beginning at 2:30 pm. These free concerts are made possible in part by a generous grant from the Lowell Institute. For tickets, please call SymphonyCharge at 1-888-266-1200. Free Chamber Music Concerts Featuring BSO Musicians at Northeastern University’s Fenway Center on St. Stephen Street Once again this season, the Boston Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with Northeastern University is pleased to offer free chamber music concerts by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra on selected Friday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. at the Fenway Center at Northeastern University, 77 St. Stephen St. (at the corner of St.