American symphony orchestra in Boston, MA
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Tim Rinehart is the Principal Double Bassist of the Oregon Symphony. A graduate of Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, Tim studied with Paul Ellison while also earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He is the winner of the 2025 International Society of Bassists Orchestral Division Competition and has performed with numerous prestigious orchestras including the Boston Symphony, London Symphony, and Houston Symphony. Tim shares his journey through multiple auditions in a single season, revealing the breakthrough preparation strategies that led to winning his current. He discusses mental performance techniques, systematic practice methods, committee expectations, his education with Paul Ellison at Rice University, and his new role with the Oregon Symphony. Connect with Tim: Website Instagram YouTube Oregon Symphony profile Connect with DBHQ: Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast: Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Thank you to our sponsors! Upton Bass - From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations. Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today! Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio is a valued part of an innovative fine arts community in a top research university. Students receive weekly private lessons and solo classes with Micah Howard, and Peter Guild teaches weekly Orchestral Literature and Repertoire. They encourage students to seek lessons and guidance from local bassists. Members of the Symphony, the Opera, and the Ballet provide annual classes and individual attention. Visit Micah's website to sign up for a free online trial lesson here. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
durée : 01:58:41 - Quatre grands trompettes solos - par : Christian Merlin - Suite de nos portraits de grands musiciens d'orchestre. Cette semaine place à la trompette : Roger Voisin du Boston Symphony (1918-2008), Adolph Herseth du Chicago Symphony (1921-2013), Maurice Murphy du London Symphony (1935-2010), et surtout Roger Delmotte, qui fête cette semaine ses 100 ans ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:28:27 - Quatre grands trompettes solos (4/4) : Maurice Murphy - par : Christian Merlin - Suite de nos portraits de grands musiciens d'orchestre. Cette semaine place à la trompette : Roger Voisin du Boston Symphony (1918-2008), Adolph Herseth du Chicago Symphony (1921-2013), Maurice Murphy du London Symphony (1935-2010), et surtout Roger Delmotte, qui fête cette semaine ses 100 ans ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:28:33 - Quatre grands trompettes solos (3/4) : Roger Delmotte - par : Christian Merlin - Suite de nos portraits de grands musiciens d'orchestre. Cette semaine place à la trompette : Roger Voisin du Boston Symphony (1918-2008), Adolph Herseth du Chicago Symphony (1921-2013), Maurice Murphy du London Symphony (1935-2010), et surtout Roger Delmotte, qui fête cette semaine ses 100 ans ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:28:40 - Quatre grands trompettes solos (2/4) : Adolph Herseth - par : Christian Merlin - Suite de nos portraits de grands musiciens d'orchestre. Cette semaine place à la trompette : Roger Voisin du Boston Symphony (1918-2008), Adolph Herseth du Chicago Symphony (1921-2013), Maurice Murphy du London Symphony (1935-2010), et surtout Roger Delmotte, qui fête cette semaine ses 100 ans ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:28:34 - Quatre grands trompettes solos (1/4) : Roger Voisin - par : Christian Merlin - Suite de nos portraits de grands musiciens d'orchestre. Cette semaine place à la trompette : Roger Voisin du Boston Symphony (1918-2008), Adolph Herseth du Chicago Symphony (1921-2013), Maurice Murphy du London Symphony (1935-2010), et surtout Roger Delmotte, qui fête cette semaine ses 100 ans ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
2025 is the 20th anniversary of 90.9 WRCJ and would be the 150th birthday of conductor Pierre Monteux. He led orchestras like the Boston Symphony and the Metropolitan Opera but had a unpopular debut in Paris of the Rite of Spring. Hear more in this feature from our very own Christa Grix.
The Trombone Corner Podcast is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass and The Brass Ark. Join hosts Noah and John as they interview Amanda Stewart, of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. About Amanda: Amanda Stewart is currently the Associate Principal Trombonist of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, a position she began in the Fall of 2014. Born in Oakland, Maryland, she began playing the trombone at the age of six. Her studies started with Harold Hudnall and continued with Dr. H. Keith Jackson, current Dean of the College of Creative Arts of West Virginia University. She received her bachelor of music degree from The Juilliard School, studying with Joseph Alessi. As an orchestral musician, Ms. Stewart has played with numerous orchestras. She was Principal trombonist of the San Antonio Symphony for eight seasons, Assistant Principal trombonist of the Lyric Opera of San Antonio for four seasons, and Associate Principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic for two seasons. Ms. Stewart has also been a regular substitute and extra player with the Boston Symphony and has toured with them internationally. She has also performed with the Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, National, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Toronto Symphonies. Ms. Stewart has also spent several summers performing in the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. In other performing capacities, Ms. Stewart is a current member of the trombone ensemble, STL Trombones. She has also performed as a member of the Burning River Brass and the San Antonio Brass. During her tenure as a member, Ms. Stewart performed twice as a soloist with the San Antonio Symphony. She has also appeared as a guest artist at the International Trombone Festival and the International Women's Brass Conference. As an educator, Ms. Stewart currently teaches at Washington University in St. Louis, and has taught privately at several other universities, namely Our Lady of the Lake University, St. Mary's University, Rutgers University, Trinity University, and McKendree University. For part of the 2025 Spring Semester, she served as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Music at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. Also, Ms. Stewart has also given masterclasses at many national universities and conservatories, including the New England Conservatory, Rice University, and The Juilliard School. Ms. Stewart is an Edwards artist, performing on Edwards trombones and Griego Mouthpieces.
The Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features Robert Watt, former Assistant Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Robert Lee Watt was born in Neptune, New Jersey the 4th child of seven. His father, Edward Watt Jr. played trumpet professionally in a Jazz ensemble, “The New Jersey Squires of Rhythm.” When Robert was eight years old he got curious about his father's trumpet, kept high on a shelf. Too short to reach it, Robert conscripted his little brother Tony to help. But with Tony on his shoulders he lost his balance, causing both of them to fall to the floor, trumpet in hand. Robert then attempted to fix the dents in the instrument by using a hammer. The badly damaged trumpet was the way Robert's father discovered his interest in horns. After a serious reproach, Robert's father tried to teach him trumpet. However, it wasn't until years later that Robert discovered the instrument he really wanted to play. While helping his father clean out a room in the basement Robert discovered some old 78 recordings. The curious Robert gave the old recordings a spin. It was the “William Tell Overture” on hearing the French horns on that recording he asked his father what instrument came in after the trumpet. His father informed him that it was a “French horn” “A middle instrument that never gets to play the melody like the trumpet…why, do you like that horn?” His father asked. Robert replied, “It gives me chills when I hear it, I love it. That's what I want to play.” His father informed the young Robert that it really wasn't the instrument for him. Explaining that it was an instrument for thin-lipped white boys. “Your lips are too thick to play that small, thin, mouthpiece. You'd be better suited for the trumpet like you father.” Upon reaching high school Robert seriously pursued the French horn. Approaching the band director of his high school in Asbury Park, Robert was again told that his lips were too thick to play the French horn. After being persistent, the band director gave Robert an old French horn that barely worked. Nevertheless, Robert advanced quickly and was soon winning auditions for honor bands and orchestras throughout the state of New Jersey, bringing great honor to his high school. After high school Robert was accepted to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he majored in music and studied French horn with Harry Shapiro of the Boston Symphony. Mr. Shapiro took great interest in Robert pushing him hard. At the end of his first year Mr. Watt was asked to perform the Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1, with the Boston Pops Orchestra under Arthur Fiedler. The following summer he received a fellowship to the Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood. Returning to the Conservatory for his third year Mr. Watt was informed by the president's office that the Conservatory had financial problems and that all scholarships would be canceled for the coming year. At the end of his junior year at the Conservatory Mr. Watt was informed by his French horn teacher that it was time for him to audition for a position in a major symphony orchestra. On the advice of his teacher, Mr. Watt chose Los Angeles and Chicago. When Mr. Watt returned from his audition journey, he had made the finals at both auditions. Two months later The Los Angeles Philharmonic offered him the position of Assistant First Horn. Making him the first African American French horn player hired by a major symphony orchestra in the United States. Mr. Watt joined the ranks of only a handful of African Americans playing in symphony orchestras in these United States. According to the American Symphony Orchestra League, that represented less than 2% of the total, out of twenty-six top orchestras. Mr. Watt held his position until 2007, a career spanning 37 years. Mr. Watt performed several times as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta and several orchestras in the Los Angeles area as well as the Oakland Symphony performing the Richard Strauss Second Horn Concerto While a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Mr. Watt has performed with principal and guest conductors that included: Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, Eric Leinsdrof, Carla Maria Giulini, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, Henry Lewis, James De Priest, Michael Tilson Thomas, Herbert Blumstedt, Andre Previn, Marin Alsop, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Christoph Von Dohnányi. Included among the many world renown artists he has performed with were: Yo-Yo Ma, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Wynton Marsalias, Henry Mancini, Gladys Night, Isaac Hayes, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Barry White, Rihanna, Paula Abdul, Herbie Hancock, Lalo Schifrin, The Carpenters, Benny Carter, Quincy Jones, Bon Jovi, Elton John and film composer, John Williams. He has played on film scores of: Spiderman II, Rush Hour, Mission Impossible, Spike Lee's “Miracle at St. Anna, Golf and many others. Mr. Watt has played the music for the Twentieth Century Fox cartoons, The Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy and King of the Hill for the past three years. He played on the five hour TV special “The Jacksons, an American Family” under Harold Wheeler, and played for several years for the TV program “Startrek Voyager.” In the late 80's Mr. Watt helped organize an African American Brass Quintet, “The New Brass Ensemble” which performed throughout the United States and abroad. Mr. Watt has done public speaking lecturing on music and African history in the Los Angeles area. He was hired as guest professor at Los Angele City College teaching the course, “Music of Black Americans”. Recently Mr. Watt executive produced a short film in memory of his friend Miles Davis. The film is based on the musical composition “Missing Miles” by Todd Cochran, commissioned by Mr. Watt, for French horn and piano. The short film was chosen by the Pan African Film Festival and the Garden State Film Festival. Mr. Watt is a licensed airplane pilot with an instrument rating. He is a saber fencer and he speaks German and Italian.
Tom Morris is the author of Always the Music, a book I consider a must-read for anyone looking to understand the ins and outs of the classical music business—how it operates, its challenges, and the fascinating personalities involved. Tom has had an extraordinary journey in the world of music, having experienced it all from multiple perspectives. He started as a percussionist, performing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and eventually became the General Manager of the same institution. Later, he served as the Executive Director of the Cleveland Orchestra for 17 years, where he made a lasting impact. Most recently, he was the Artistic Director of the renowned Ojai Music Festival, a position he held from 2004 to 2019. In our conversation, we delve into many aspects of his book and his life, a life filled with passion, dedication, and invaluable insights into the classical music world.In Part 1, we explore Tom's early musical journey, beginning as a percussion student and the significant influence of Vic Firth, the legendary timpanist of the Boston Symphony. From there, Tom moved into a pivotal role as the General Manager of the BSO. Along the way, he formed lasting friendships with some of the most influential figures in classical music, including composer Oliver Knussen, conductor John Williams—who joined the Boston Pops in 1980—and the visionary Pierre Boulez. We also discuss Tom's time at the Cleveland Orchestra, where he made a lasting impact, especially through successful European tours and innovative programming that helped elevate the orchestra's profile.In Part 2 [Subscriber Content], we turn to an influential figure who shaped Tom's approach to leadership and problem-solving: author Jim Collins, best known for his book Good to Great. Tom shares how he brought Collins in to help refine the Cleveland Orchestra's strategy, offering a fascinating insight into his thinking on organizational development. We also discuss a significant shift in how conductors approach programming, with many now focusing on the concert as a whole rather than simply selecting individual pieces. Finally, we wrap up with Tom reflecting on his time as Artistic Director of the Ojai Music Festival, where his leadership left a lasting legacy.Would you like more inspirational stories, suggestions, insights, and a place to continue the conversations with other listeners? Visit anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com to learn more! As a Contributing Listener of "Anthony Plog on Music," you'll have access to extra premium content and benefits including: Extra Audio Content: Only available to Contributing Listeners. Podcast Reflections: Tony's written recaps and thoughts on past interviews, including valuable tips and suggestions for students. Ask Me Anything: Both as written messages and occasional member-only Zoom sessions. The Show's Discord Server: Where conversations about interviews, show suggestions, and questions happen. It's a great place to meet other listeners and chat about all things music! Can I just donate instead of subscribing? Absolutely! Cancel at anytime and easily resubscribe when you want all that extra content again. Learn more about becoming a Contributing Listener @ anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com!
In this interview with Tom Morris, a veteran of orchestra management whose career included leadership roles with the Boston Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes provides a comprehensive look at the inner workings of orchestral institutions, the evolution of their management, and the crucial role of music in their success. Morris's journey from a percussionist to a top-level administrator offers a unique perspective, and his reflections provide valuable lessons for anyone interested in the performing arts. One of the most compelling aspects of the interview is Morris's discussion of how his musical background shaped his management philosophy. He emphasizes his deep understanding of musicians' lives, having experienced firsthand the challenges and demands of performing in an orchestra. This empathy enabled him to build trust with musicians and approach labor negotiations with a unique perspective. Morris's belief that "ultimately these institutions are about the music" underscores the importance of passion and artistic integrity in organizational leadership. The episode also explores the historical evolution of orchestra management, particularly the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Morris recounts how, before the 1970s, the orchestra relied on simple postcards for subscription renewals. He explains that over the seventies and eighties, the percentage of the budget earned from ticket sales gradually fell. This shift necessitated the development of marketing and fundraising departments, leading to a significant increase in administrative staff. Morris shares fascinating insights about the Boston Pops, emphasizing that it was founded in 1885, before Arthur Fiedler became its 17th conductor in 1929. The Boston Symphony created the Pops to provide more employment for musicians and to perform lighter music for a broader audience. He discusses how the Boston Symphony transformed Symphony Hall into a "beer hall" to accommodate a more informal setting for the Pops concerts. He explains that in the early days the Pops sold blocks of tickets to community groups and did not have to focus on individual ticket sales. He also recounts how the popularity of Arthur Fiedler was enhanced even further by the "Evening at Pops" television series. Morris details the process of selecting John Williams as Fiedler's successor, explaining that Williams was chosen for his musical integrity and knowledge of the symphony orchestra. Furthermore, the interview addresses the crucial dynamic between management, the music director, and the board of directors, which Morris refers to as the "Bermuda Triangle.” Morris suggests that this structure can function perfectly if the right people are in those roles and are bound by a common vision. He also emphasizes that having a collaborative culture is essential, but that collaborative decision-making should be avoided. Morris stresses the importance of clear lines of authority and not settling for "good enough" when hiring. He also shares that when hiring he uses Jim Collins' three C's: competence, character, and chemistry. These points underscore the need for strong leadership and a shared vision in any successful organization. Morris also touches on the importance of thoughtful programming. He humorously mentions his collection of "dumb programs" and emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the combination of pieces in a concert. He contrasts examples of bad programming with one of his favorites, a concert he organized with Christoph von Dohnányi, which combined pieces by Ligeti, Wagner, and Bruckner. This conversation highlights that thoughtful artistic direction is an essential element in the success of an orchestra. Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Special thanks to Thomas Morris for sharing his life and leadership. You can pick up a copy of Always the Music: How a Lifelong Passion Framed a Future for Orchestras wherever you get your books. For a list of recordings played on today's episode, please check out our show notes. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.podbean.com or DevinPatrickHughes.com, including a virtual tip jar if you'd like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the podcast! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music. https://www.alwaysthemusic.com Featured Music All music selections for this episode feature the Boston Pops. Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48: Waltz. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler, from the album Fiedler: Greatest Hits. L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2: Farandole. Composed by Georges Bizet. Conducted by Arthur Fielder, from the album Fiedler: Greatest Hits. “Manhattan Skyline.” From the album Disco Inferno / Manhattan Skyline. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler. “I Got Rhythm, Embraceable You.” From the album Boston Pops Salutes Astaire, Kelly, Garland. Composed by George and Ira Gershwin. Conducted by John Williams. “Flying Theme” from E. T. Composed by John Williams. Performed live by John Williams conducting the Boston Pops in 2002. “America Medley: America.” From the album Salute to America. Composed by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Conducted by John Williams. “None But The Lonely Heart.” From the album Pops a la Russe. Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Conducted by John Williams. The Snow Maiden - Suite - Danse des Bouffons. Composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. From the album Pops a la Russe. Conducted by John Williams. Holst: The Planets, op.32: 3. Mercury, The Winged Messenger. From the album Boston Pops Orchestra: John Williams. Conducted by John Williams. Overture from The Merry Wives of Windsor. From the album Fiedler: Greatest Hits. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler. “Pizzicato Polka.” From the album 100 Fiedler Favorites. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler. “Funeral March of a Marionette.” From the album 100 Fiedler Favorites. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler.
Over the course of 34 years, Thomas W. Morris worked at the top levels of the symphony orchestra world, running two of the biggest and most famous, the Boston Symphony and The Cleveland Orchestra.Throughout, though, he developed a sense of institutional malaise, on how classical music is presented these days.He capped his career becoming artistic director of California's Ojai Music Festival. There, Thomas reimagined music experiences by challenging all aspects of making music and producing concerts.Thomas's book, Always The Music is the story of his growth through the highest levels of the world of classical music, his learning and insights into how storied musical institutions function, how great artists create, and how audiences engage. The book's final chapter offers a thoughtful prescription for the American orchestra. Mostly, though, this is the story of one man's lifelong love affair with great music and the people who make it.Like the book, this is an instructive and entertaining episode!
Edwin Barker is recognized as one of the most gifted bassists on the American concert scene. In this wide-ranging interview, you'll hear about how when he was still a student, he won a job with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and then at age 22, he was appointed to the position of Principal Bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position he has now held for nearly 50 years. He shared memories of his mentors, and his valuable perspectives on learning and teaching the bass, playing in orchestra, conductors, auditions, acoustics and more. We're featuring his wonderful recent album of solo bass music, Basso Profundo, both J.S. Bach's Suite no. 5 and Weinberg's Sonata Op. 108. You can also watch this on my YouTube, and I've also linked the transcript, everything linked here to my website. It's a joy to bring these inspiring episodes to you every week, and I do all the many jobs of research, production and publicity. Please consider either buying me a coffee on my Ko-fi page, or ordering some of my merchandise. This weekly podcast is in Season 5 and I send out an email newsletter where you can get access to exclusive information about upcoming guests! Navona records link to album: https://edwinbarker.com Weinberg biography I think you may also enjoy these episodes: Mark Deutsch Thomas Cabaniss Jeeyoon Kim Rachel Mercer Hillary Simms Gail Archer Jessica Cottis and so many more ! photo of Edwin Barker: Sam Brewer Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:23) Ed's start on the bass in school music program, Angelo LaMariana (05:33) Henry Portnoi, Peter Mercurio (09:25) New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony (12:37) David Perlman, different schools of bass playing (17:28) Basso Profundo album, Bach suite adaptation for the bass (21:58) Courante from Bach Suite no. 5, from Basso Profundo (link in description) (24:14)bass history, Dragonetti (27:53) Ed's first week in Boston, Mahler 1 (30:28) Seiji Ozawa, orchestra conductors (34:26) composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg, solo bass repertoire (37:34) 3rd movement of the Weinberg Sonata op. 108 (link in description) (40:13) connection between the Bach Suite and the Weinberg sonata (42:01) excerpt of the 5th movement, Lento, of Weinberg sonata (42:56) Weinberg's life (46:43) excerpt of the 6th movement Weinberg sonata (47:22) other episodes you will find interesting, ways to support this series (48:14) the joys and challenges of orchestral playing (56:59) the influence of the acoustics of the hall on an orchestras sound (01:03:13) orchestra auditions (01:10:32) teaching the bass, playing Principal
Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers The weather on Monday January 9th, 1956 warmed throughout the day. It hit forty degrees Fahrenheit by nightfall. The front cover of The New York Daily News featured a photo of patrolman Ray Cusack, who rescued many children from a fire in Hempstead, New York. Dwight Eisenhower was still undecided on whether or not to seek a second term, while Democrat hopeful Adlai Stevenson claimed Ike's recent State of the Union Address was merely a veiled State on the Republican party. Meanwhile the families of both US diplomats and UN officials fled from the Jordanian sector of Jerusalem after violent anti-western riots broke out for the second day in a row. If you turned on your radio at 8:15PM eastern time, you'd have heard a Boston Symphony concert on NBC, and Metropolitan Opera auditions on ABC. WOR aired True Detective, but if you wanted the best in radio detective fiction you'd have turned on CBS, where Bob Bailey was starring in Jack Johnstone's production of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, written by E. Jack Neuman. The prison where Vance served time is Sing Sing, originally opening in Ossining, New York in 1825. Among the executions in their electric chair were Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, on June 19th, 1953, for Soviet espionage. A good mink coat cost about twenty-five-hundred dollars in 1956. Both Orin Vance and Don Freed were voiced by Lawrence Dobkin. By 1956 Dobkin was a radio legend with experience in both New York and Hollywood. The Westin Hotel Chain was launched in 1930 by Severt W. Thurston and Frank Dupar as Western Hotels. They were the first hotel chain to introduce credit cards in 1946. Today the chain, called Westin since 1981, is owned and operated by Mariott. There are Westin Hotels in both the Times Square and Grand Central area. In January of 1956, 57th street was home to various art exhibitions like Kay Sage's surrealist paintings at the Catherine Viviano gallery, a contemporary Greek Art exhibition at Sagittarius gallery, a European group show at the Matisse gallery, and art and artifacts of various Central African tribes at 57th and Lexington. The Sutton theater, also on 57th street, was showing The Night My Number Came Up starring Michael Redgrave and Sheila Sim. Gloria Tierney's fictional apartment at 1231 East 57th is an impossibility. The address would put it in the East River.
This week on the podcast is part two of our interview with renowned lyric tenor, Matthew Polenzani. He performs regularly with the Metropolitan Opera and appears in opera houses around the world such as the Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, and Teatro Real in Madrid. Matthew is continuously in demand for concert engagements with the world's most influential conductors, and with premiere ensembles such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the Munich Philharmonic.Join us for this mini-master class in career development for any aspiring musician! https://matthewpolenzani.com/
Today we release part one of our interview with renowned lyric tenor, Matthew Polenzani. He performs regularly with the Metropolitan Opera and appears in opera houses around the world such as the Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, and Teatro Real in Madrid. Matthew is continuously in demand for concert engagements with the world's most influential conductors, and with premiere ensembles such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the Munich Philharmonic.Join us for this mini-master class in career development for any aspiring musician! https://matthewpolenzani.com/
In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with renowned composer Pierre Jalbert to explore Jalbert's musical journey, creative process, and the spiritual influences that shape his work. Jalbert shares intimate stories about his childhood in Vermont, his collaborations with world-class musicians, and the importance of resonance and reverberation in his compositions. He also pays tribute to his mentor, the late Larry Rachleff, and discusses his genre-bending project with the Apollo Chamber Players. Throughout the interview, Jalbert offers insights into the challenges and rewards of writing for both chamber groups and large ensembles and reveals how he strives to create music that serves the audience. Join us for a fascinating glimpse into the mind of one of today's best composers. Earning widespread notice for his richly colored and superbly crafted scores, Pierre Jalbert's music has been described as “immediately captures one's attention with its strong gesture and vitality” by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Among his many honors are the Rome Prize, the BBC Masterprize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Fromm Foundation commission. Jalbert's music has been performed worldwide in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Barbican. Recent orchestral performances include those by the Boston Symphony, the National Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He has served as Composer-in-Residence with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the California Symphony, and Music in the Loft in Chicago. Select chamber music commissions and performances include those of the Ying, Borromeo, Maia, Enso, Chiara, Escher, Del Sol, and Emerson String Quartets, as well as violinist Midori. Three new CDs of his music have been recently released: Violin Concerto, Piano Quintet and Secret Alchemy, and Piano Trio No. 2. Jalbert is Professor of Music at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in Houston, and he is a co-founder of Musiqa, a Houston-based new music collective. His music is published by Schott Helicon Music Corporation, New York. Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Pierre Jalbert for sharing her music and stories. You can find more info at https://www.pierrejalbert.com. Pierre Jalbert composed all music featured in this episode, with one exception. String Theory was performed live by the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra. Mystical and With Great Energy, from Secret Alchemy, from the album Music From Copland House performed by Curtis Macomber, Danielle Farina, Alexis Pia Gerlach and Michael Boriskin. The first movement from From Dusk to Starry Night “The Night in Silence” on a text by Walt Whitman features Sasha Cooke and the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. Violin Concerto, featuring Steven Copes on violin. Performed by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with Thomas Zehetmair as the conductor. “Fiddle Dance” from L'espirit du nord. Performed by the Apollo Chamber Players. Mozart Piano Concerto K488 in A major, first movement improvised cadenza performed by Robert Levin with the Cluj-Nacopa Philharmonic in Romania with Nicole Moldovenau as the conductor. “Chanson de Lisette” from Le'spirit du nord. Performed by the Apollo Chamber Players. “Music of air and fire” performed by the Houston Youth Symphony conducted by Michael Isadore. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you'd like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!
Neil is a renowned percussionist, accomplished music educator, imaginative product innovator, and successful entrepreneur. He is the founder and president of Grover Pro Percussion Inc., a market leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of world-class percussion instruments. At the young age of 23, Neil was appointed Principal Percussionist of the Opera Company of Boston, a position he held for seven seasons. As his career progressed, he found himself in demand for all musical genres, including symphony, chamber music, ballet, opera, and commercial recordings. Highlights of his collaborations include the Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Music from Marlboro, Indianapolis Symphony, Boston Musica Viva, and the Empire Brass. He was chosen to record the percussion tracks for Phillip Glass' film soundtrack for Mishima. In addition, Neil appears as a Boston Pops percussionist in the hit movie Blown Away, starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. He has toured with Music From Marlboro, Boston Symphony, Henry Mancini, Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and the Broadway production of The Pirates of Penzance. Since 1977, he has performed, recorded, and toured with the world-famous Boston Pops, where he has made music under the batons of Maestros Arthur Fiedler, John Williams, and Keith Lockhart. Having performed regularly in the percussion section of the Boston Symphony for over 35 years, he has worked with Maestros Seiji Ozawa, James Levine, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Colin Davis, Charles Dutoit, Colin Davis, Neemi Jaarvi, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Bernard Haitink. It is noteworthy that Neil has performed in over 1,500 concerts as a percussionist with the BSO & Boston Pops. Neil's percussive talents have been heard by thousands at renowned venues, such as Boston's Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, Chicago's Orchestra Hall, and festivals at Tanglewood, Hollywood Bowl, Wolf Trap, Blossom, and Ravinia. In addition, he has performed for millions of listeners through television and radio broadcasts on the NBC, CBS, NHK, PBS, A&E and NPR networks. At the request of composer John Williams, Neil joined the multi-media musical extravaganza, “Star Wars in Concert”, serving as Principal Percussionist on two legs of their North American Tour. Neil Grover has written/co-authored five publications: Four Mallet Primer, Four Mallet Fundamentals, Art of Triangle & Tambourine Playing, Percussionist's Cookbook, and The Art of Percussion Playing, all published by Meredith Music. Neil's innovative designs and cutting edge manufacturing techniques have set a new standard for the ergonometric functionality of modern day percussion instruments. Neil and his company have been featured in many publications, including: Percussive Notes, Modern Drummer, School Band & Orchestra, Musical Merchandise Review and on two episodes of the Discovery Channel's series How It's Made. Formerly the Chair of the Percussion Programs at both The Boston Conservatory and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, today, Neil's students occupy leading positions in many top performing, educational and music business organizations. Things That Came Up: -1:45 Owning ALL the percussion instruments -3:50 The magic of Zelda -6:00 Studied with the same teacher as Dom Famularo -7:00 Studying with Vic Firth -11:10 “Classical musicians play with their eyes and jazz musicians play with their ears” -12:10 “Talent got you this far, perseverance will carry you through.” -12:45 Took AFM pension at age 65 -13:50 Contracting, composing and arranging as a new life chapter -15:10 Bradley Cooper's “Maestro” -16:35 Being a frustrated stand-up -17:40 Fred Buda: “Playing drum set in an orchestra is like swinging an elephant” -19:40 How union pensions work -26:05 At Tanglewood at the same time as Kenny Aronoff, with Leonard Bernstein conducting! -27:40 Playing bongos for Bernstein's “West Side Story” -30:50 Star Wars Tour: Drum Tech, 7 percussionists, 3 conductors and music from all 6 Star Wars films -38:00 Follow your dreams, no matter what! -40:00 “The Accidental Entrepreneur” -41:00 The FIRST Grover Triangle -48:20 Allowing Redmond to help develop the “Studio Pro Series” pop tambourines -54:00 Selling Grover Percussion to RBI Music -60:40 On screen percussionist in the “Blown Away” film, starring Tommy Lee Jones -61:30 Authoring Books -63:30 Aerosmith! Glocks! -69:30 Neil's favorite axe is the piatti (cymbals) -74:00 “The Fave 5” Follow: www.groverpro.com Email: ngrover@groverpro.com The Rich Redmond Show is about all things music, motivation and success. Candid conversations with musicians, actors, comedians, authors and thought leaders about their lives and the stories that shaped them. Rich Redmond is the longtime drummer with Jason Aldean and many other veteran musicians and artists. Rich is also an actor, speaker, author, producer and educator. Rich has been heard on thousands of songs, over 25 of which have been #1 hits. Rich can also be seen in several films and TV shows and has also written an Amazon Best-Selling book, "CRASH! Course for Success: 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Personal and Professional Life" currently available at: https://www.amazon.com/CRASH-Course-Success-Supercharge-Professional/dp/B07YTCG5DS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=crash+redmond&qid=1576602865&sr=8-1 One Book: Three Ways to consume....Physical (delivered to your front door, Digital (download to your kindle, ipad or e-reader), or Audio (read to you by me on your device...on the go)! Buy Rich's exact gear at www.lessonsquad.com/rich-redmond Follow Rich: @richredmond www.richredmond.com Jim McCarthy is the quintessential Blue Collar Voice Guy. Honing his craft since 1996 with radio stations in Illinois, South Carolina, Connecticut, New York, Las Vegas and Nashville, Jim has voiced well over 10,000 pieces since and garnered an ear for audio production which he now uses for various podcasts, commercials and promos. Jim is also an accomplished video producer, content creator, writer and overall entrepreneur. Follow Jim: @jimmccarthy www.jimmccarthyvoiceovers.com
SynopsisPerhaps there is some poetic justice in the fact that maverick American composers like Charles Ives had a hard time getting performances of their music during their lifetime, only to be both lionized and frequently performed after their deaths. Conversely, many mainstream American composers who were lionized and frequently performed when they were alive seldom show up on concert programs anymore — and in some cases, that's a darn shame.Take Walter Piston, for example, who in his day was regarded as one of America's premier composers. On today's date in 1957, his Viola Concerto received its premiere performance by the Boston Symphony, in a concert conducted by Charles Munch, with soloist Joseph de Pasquale, a Curtis Institute professor and first-chair violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.It's a lovely, lyrical work and a terrific showcase for a great violist. But have you ever heard it in concert — or on the radio, for that matter? A British reviewer, writing in the UK's Gramophone magazine, was bowled over by this music, writing, “Piston's concerto opens pensively, quickly builds to an aching climax … in the final pages, a sweeter lyricism that prepares the listener perfectly for the playful syncopations of the exuberant finale.”Music Played in Today's ProgramWalter Piston (1951-1987): Viola Concerto; Randolph Kelly, viola; Latvian National Symphony; Alexandrs Vilumanis, cond. Albany TROY-558
SynopsisFor most music lovers, the phrase “Italian composers of the 19th and 20th centuries” means, first and foremost, opera composers.But during the 1920s and 1930s, when great Italian opera conductor Arturo Toscanini was music director of the New York Philharmonic, American audiences heard many nonoperatic, symphonic works by modern Italian composers.On today's date in 1929, for example, Toscanini led the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere performance of Concerto dell ‘Estate (Summer Concerto), by contemporary Italian composer Ildebrando Pizzetti.In addition to premieres by Pizzetti, New York audiences heard recent Italian symphonic works by Respighi, Tommasini, Martucci, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Wolf-Ferrari and others.Absent from Toscanini's New York programs were new works by the rising American composers of the day. There were no Toscanini premieres — or even performances — of works by Copland, Harris or Piston. Those composers had to look to the Boston Symphony under Serge Koussevitzky if they wanted a hearing.American composer Daniel Gregory Mason complained in 1931 that the Philharmonic was run by “fashion-enslaved, prestige-hypnotized minds ... totally devoid of any American loyalty to match the Italian loyalty” that was, as Mason admitted, “rather likeable” in the charismatic Italian maestro.Music Played in Today's ProgramIldebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968): Rondo Veneziano; BBC Scottish Symphony; Osmo Vänskä, cond. Hyperion 67084
Welcome to Longtones Episode 11, featuring special guest Ben Wright! In this episode, we explore Ben's journey as a musician, tracing his evolution through various music institutions. Additionally, we delve into his philosophy as an educator, touching upon T5 and the Sound Truth Library. Later, during our Q&A session, we tackle topics such as the concept of 'more air,' behind-the-scenes stories from the BSO on the road, and the process of commissioning pieces from emerging composers. If you're keen on enhancing your audition skills, mastering excerpt practice, and refining your overall performance as a musician, this is the episode you won't want to miss! Don't know much about Ben? Let's catch you up: Over the span of two decades in The Boston Symphony (preceded by his time in the Chicago Symphony), and an instructional role at the New England Conservatory, Ben has cultivated expertise in fostering independent thinking, physical efficiency, problem-solving, and instilling a heightened sense of confidence in trumpet playing. Throughout the years, Ben has navigated and resolved challenges related to physical injuries, career setbacks, performance anxiety, as well as aspects like flexibility and strength. Eager to impart this approach, he coined it T5 – Training Trumpeters To Teach Themselves — which is a philosophy directed towards highly motivated players who want to expedite their goal attainment. Ben later extended that philosophy into his “Sound Truth Library”, which is a collection of nearly 250 video recordings that span from audition excerpts and video tutorials to the Symphony StageTM selections! For more insights and updates, be sure to follow us on Instagram: Ben Wright's Instagram Virtuosity Musical Instruments' Instagram J. Landress Brass' Instagram You can also explore more about our businesses on our websites: Ben Wright's Website J. Landress Brass' Website Virtuosity Musical Instruments' Website
SynopsisLate in 1941, Russian composer Igor Stravinsky was living in Hollywood — at 1260 N. Wetherly Drive, to be precise.Notoriously unflappable, and eminently practical when it came to commissions, Stravinsky apparently did not even bat an eye when he received a phone call from choreographer Georges Balanchine with an offer from Barnum's Circus to write a short musical work for a ballet involving elephants. Again, to be precise, for Barnum's star elephant ballerina, Modoc, who would be accompanied by 50 other elephants and dancers, all in tutus.“For what?” Stravinsky said.“For elephants,” Balanchine said.“How many?” Stravinsky countered.“A lot,” Balanchine replied.“How old?” Stravinsky asked.“Young,” Balanchine assured.”Well, if they're young, I accept,” Stravinsky concluded.Stravinsky's work, Circus Polka, had its debut at Madison Square Garden in New York by the Barnum Circus and was performed by what Stravinsky once called Barnum's “respectable quadrupeds” some 400 times. Stravinsky then arranged his Circus Polka for symphony orchestra and conducted the premiere of that version (minus the elephants) with the Boston Symphony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on today's date in 1944.Music Played in Today's ProgramIgor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Circus Polka; London Symphony; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. RCA 68865
Happy 2024! This January we are joined by Elizabeth Rowe (principal Flute, Boston Symphony & Leadership and High-Performance Coach) to discuss her stepping down from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to pursue coaching full-time, her year of “both/and,” letting go of what no longer serves us, and much more. Elizabeth Rowe is a Leadership and High-Performance coach, working at the intersection of personal and professional development. She helps high achievers across all industries learn to thrive in demanding work environments and successfully navigate career or personal transitions. She is also the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a social justice advocate, and a public speaker. After her landmark equal paylawsuit in 2018 The Boston Globe honored her as a Bostonian of the Year, calling her “The Fighter.” Her ongoing commitment to opening up dialogue about complex subjects led to her TEDx talk, The Lonely Onlys, where she shared her personal story of learning to embrace the powers of imagination and vulnerability to create connection and community. You can learn more about all of this, including following along for her final season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, at iamelizabethrowe.com
SynopsisThe short career of Charles Tomlinson Griffes is one of the more tragic “might-have-beens” of American music history. Griffes died at 35 in 1920 just as his music was being taken up by the major American orchestras of his day.As most American composers of his time, Griffes studied in Germany, and his early works were, not surprisingly, rather Germanic in tone. But beginning around 1911, he began composing works inspired by French impressionism and the art of Asia.The Boston Symphony, under Pierre Monteux, premiered his tone poem The Pleasure Dome of Kubla-Khan and the New York Symphony, under Walter Damrosch, his Poeme for flute and orchestra. On today's date in 1919, the Philadelphia Orchestra, under Leopold Stokowski, premiered four orchestral pieces: Nocturne, Bacchanale, Clouds and one of his best works, The White Peacock. The Philadelphia newspaper reviews of the premieres called Griffes' work “one of the hopeful intimations for the future of American music.”A severe bout of influenza left Griffes too weak to attend these Philadelphia premieres under Stokowski, and he died of a lung infection the following spring.Music Played in Today's ProgramCharles Tomlinson Griffes (1884-1920) The White Peacock; Dallas Symphony; Andrew Litton, cond. Dorian 90224
SynopsisOn today's date in 2000, the Boston Symphony gave the premiere performance of the Second Symphony of American composer John Corigliano. For strings alone, the symphony was a reworking of a string quartet that Corigliano had composed for the farewell tour of the Cleveland Quartet in 1996.The symphony was well received, and the following year was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for music. “I am more than shocked. ... I don't know what to say,” Corigliano said upon receiving the news. “It's one of the great surprises of my life.”Perhaps doubly surprising, since, as a young man, Corigliano pretty much ruled out writing even one symphony, let alone two. “My thought then,” he said, “was that there were so many great symphonies [already]. I could satisfy only my ego by writing yet another. Only the death of countless friends from AIDS prompted me to write my Symphony No. 1. ... A world-scale tragedy, I felt, needed a comparably epic form.“Then the Boston [asked] that I write a second symphony to honor the l00th anniversary of their justly famous Symphony Hall. At first I declined, stating my earlier reservations, but they were quite insistent.”Music Played in Today's ProgramJohn Corigliano (b. 1938) String Quartet; Cleveland Quartet Telarc 80415
Jack T. Leyton has been a lot of things in his life: an Air Force serviceman, a set-construction worker for motion pictures, a postal carrier, a delivery driver, he even attended multiple acting schools for a time. But none of these actually describe who Jack is at heart: a writer, wordsmith, poet and hopeless romantic. This episode offers an intimate conversation with Jack T. Leyton, shedding light on his diverse creative life as a writer and poet. The discussion showcases Leyton's most beloved music and poetry, his time working at Burbank Studios, his musical aspirations, and the deep influence of his military service in the Vietnam War. Leyton shares profound insights on the role of art in society and his personal experiences, including the impact of heartbreak on his work, living in his car, and his travels across Europe. There is also a critical exploration of societal pressures, personal inhibitions, and the need for creativity in shaping his life and art. Moreover, Leyton voices concerns about society's trajectory, particularly through poems like 'The Last Generation on Earth'. The conversation wraps up on a poignant note, exploring themes of love, passion, regret, and the unique challenges of a writer's life. In 2017 Jack approached Steve with an inch and a half tall notebook full of lyrics, a head full of melodies and a demonstration CD with 13 songs arranged by Los Angeles band-leader Chris Glick recorded straight from the demo instruments in Finale. In 2018 Jack decided to go for broke and record as many songs as possible with a live band in a major studio in a short amount of time. The session almost didn't happen: six months before what would become the actual session, a heart attack forced the postponement of our scheduled date. On March 9, 2018, eight session musicians, five singers, eight cameras and various personnel assembled in Burbank California to record five songs from Jack's lyric book and turn them into something people would notice. The resulting album, The Clearlake Sessions included a sixth song, recorded later that year and featured the illustrious Satin Dollz on Sparky's Burgers, a rip roaring 1940's-50's jingle in the style of The Andrews Sisters. Jack and Steve note the difficulty of relying on others to get your musical ideas out (Jack doesn't play an instrument), and Steve shares about how he only recently overcame his difficulty expressing himself through lyrics. Jack found an important outlet in poetry circles, and when asked "Why do you do this?" Jack says “We do this because we can't not write.” Guest Jack T. Leyton Website: http://www.jaxsongs.com/ The Clearlake Sessions https://jaxsongs.bandcamp.com/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thesoundtrackofmydreams Featured Art “Sparky's Burgers” (song), "Honor And Glory" (poem), "Eek!" (poem title), "This Lovely Home" (first poem by Jack T. Leyton, 1967), “You Are Gone Instrumental Reverie” "405" (song demonstration), "A Taste of Seduction" (poem, dedicated to David Allen Foster), "Oh! Zigfield" (song lyric), “Longings'' (song), “We Were Once” (song, duet featuring Desiree De La O-Marr), “Last Generation On Earth” (song, written by Jack T. Leyton and Jim Jeffrey), “Judgment Day Will Be Friday” (poem), “It Didn't Go Well” (poem), “A Time to Write” (poem), “Gateway of Heartache” (song) All songs used courtesy of Jack T. Leyton, Solemint Publishing Episode References Burt Lancaster - Wikipedia link Richard Widmark - Wikipedia link Chris Elchico - episode 9 link, Boston Symphony members link The Satin Dollz - Official website The Andrews Sisters - Wikipedia link Alan Kaplan trombonist - Official website Bob's Big Boy - history The Draft and Vietnam - myretrospect.com Borders Books, Thousand Oaks - Conejo Valley Guide link David Allen Foster poet - Official website Mike Frankovich, producer - Wikipedia link John Ford - IMDB link Winning (racing movie with Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Robert Wagner) - IMDB link Runaway Production - Wikipedia link “We Were Once” music video - YouTube link “Longings” music video - YouTube link Budapest, Hungary - Wikipedia link The Realms of Mindrin board game - Kickstarter link Demotivational Posters (despair.com) The “Gore” Point, impact barriers - Wikipedia link PBS | FRONTLINE: The Power Of Big Oil - pbs.org Jim Jeffrey - Official website Greenpeace - greenpeace.org/usa The Last Generation on Earth music video - earthsongs.world “Gateway of Heartache” song - Apple Music "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" Bing Crosby - YouTube link Episode Credits Honor and Glory Sound Effects by Harshit Khoja at Vrinda Media Lab https://www.vrindamedialab.com/ - Directed by Steven Leavitt Editorial support by Sam Levine About the Host Language of Creativity's host Steven Leavitt enjoys discussing the ins and outs of all aspects of creating, creativity, and life with his fellow creators: artists, inventors, designers, producers and more. Along the way he hopes to gain perspective and multiply our understanding of what we share in common while creating, living, and learning. Personal website and music portfolio - StevenLeavitt.com Music and media production company, creative consulting - I Create Sound Please review this podcast on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Spotify and Stitcher to help other creatives find their tribe! Tags: #writing #lyrics #songwriting #crooner #karaoke #postmodernjukebox #Sinatra #TonyBennett #Jazz #war #airforce #Vietnam #TheDuke #JohnWayne #BurbankStudios #The Valley #JohnnyCarson #BobsBigBoy #MontyPythonsFlyingCircus #FlorenzZiegfeld #ZoeyDeschanel #Doomsday #pinkfloyd #ledzepplin #JohnCleese #MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail #purityculture #zodiac #birthorder #GroundhogsDay #divorce #playingittoosafe #regret #GreenPeace #globalwarming #reiki #homelessness #StChristophersmedal #NatKingCole #Frank Sinatra #DeanMartin
On Saturday November 23rd, 1963, with the country in a state of shock and mourning, Music Director Erich Leinsdorf led the Boston Symphony orchestra in the compositions of Gluck, Wagner, and Beethoven. John Kennedy was the grandchild of former famous Boston mayor John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald. The concert was given at Symphony Hall in honor of the slain son of Boston. Elsewhere, numerous famous people gave statements on the assassination. The next morning, Sunday November 24th, despite being surrounded by a crowd of police officers at the Dallas Police headquarters, Lee Harvey Oswald was shot and mortally wounded by nightclub owner Jack Ruby on live TV while being transported to the Dallas County jail. Ruby shot Oswald in the abdomen, at point blank range, with a .38 caliber revolver. The shooting took place at 11:21 a.m. local time. Oswald was taken into surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital. He died at 1:07 p.m., never to face trial. That Sunday, thousands of people around the world went to Sunday mass in memory of the fallen President. Later an LP called That Day With God was produced with excerpts from several of these inspirational expressions. It included Pope Paul VI, The Archbishop of Canterbury and Richard Cardinal Cushing. I'll let Henry Fonda read the last one.
Composer Steven Mackey has come a long way since his teenage years studying physics at the University of California, Davis, and learning blues-rock riffs on his guitar. Today Mackey stands as a celebrated composer and electric guitarist whose work is regularly performed by orchestras around the world — including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony, and the Boston Symphony. He's taught composition at Princeton University for nearly 40 years and has served as a composer in residence at the Curtis Institute of Music, Tanglewood, and the Aspen Music Festival. On his latest album, Beautiful Passing, Mackey brings together two works inspired by personal experiences that deeply informed his views on memory, life, and death: Mnemosyne's Pool, which Musical America called "the first great American symphony of the 21st century"; and Beautiful Passing, a violin concerto Mackey composed after watching his mother pass away from cancer. Despite the presence of death woven throughout both works, Mackey made sure to find moments for levity and humor in his music. "Part of death is a farewell to this joyous life and the energetic people my parents were," Mackey says on the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast. "There's a depth of emotion that music is really uniquely suited for. Where words are a struggle to come by, music bypasses those language centers and gives you a direct emotional response." In this episode, we talk more about the new album, and Mackey shares the profoundly moving story of his mother's death and how it influenced Beautiful Passing's title. Plus, he discusses the parallels he sees between filmmaking, cooking, and composition, and his go-to spot for Italian food on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Listen to Beautiful Passing on Spotify, Apple Music, Idagio, or wherever you stream and download music. — Classical Post® is a leading podcast based in New York. Our content uncovers the creativity behind exceptional music through dynamic deep-dive interviews with prominent artists in the world today. We are powered by Gold Sound Media® — a creative studio providing omnichannel marketing and public relations services for the classical music industry.
An episode so good, we are sharing it again! If you missed this episode last season, tune in to listen to the former principal flutist of the Boston Symphony, Elizabeth Rowe, as she talks about her career and leading a lawsuit for equal pay in 2018.
Susan Hagen is a Boston native and is extremely active in that city's musical scene. She serves as principal double bassist of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, teaches bass at the Berklee College of Music, and is a regular substitute in the Boston Symphony. She recently updated her remarkable book BASSics of Bass, and we dig into this and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check her 2023 August Recital for some inspiring bass playing! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music Thank you to our sponsors! Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – The School of Music at CMU highly values each and every individual who wants to be a part of an innovative fine arts community immersed in a top research university. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah's website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson. Dorico - Unlock Dorico for iPad – For Life! Want to enjoy all of Dorico for iPad's subscription-only features – including support for unlimited players, freehand annotations in Read mode with Apple Pencil, support for third-party Audio Unit plug-ins, and much more – but don't want to pay a monthly or annual fee? Dorico for iPad now provides a lifetime unlock option, so you can access all current and future subscription-only features for a single, one-off in-app purchase. Visit the App Store today and unlock Dorico for iPad for life! theme music by Eric Hochberg
SynopsisTanglewood is one of America's most famous summer-time classical music festivals and can boast a long and impressive list of premieres and performances by famous American composers and conductors. It takes place each year around this time in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.Tanglewood has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home for more than 60 years, but it wasn't the symphony's first location in the Berkshires. In August of 1936, the first in a three-concert series was performed at Holmwood, a former Vanderbilt estate. The great Russian-born conductor of the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky, moved the festival to Tanglewood and expanded the concert series into a kind of intensive summer camp for young musicians and composers. Among those who particularly benefited were two young composer-conductors named Leonard Bernstein and Lukas Foss.In 1940, the Berkshire Music Center (now the Tanglewood Music Center) opened, and to mark the occasion, American composer Randall Thompson's famous choral work titled Alleluia received its premiere performance. Music Played in Today's ProgramRandall Thompson (1899 – 1984) Alleluia Dale Warland Singers; Dale Warland, conductor. Minnesota Public Radio 201
Tonight in The Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, Giancarlo Guerrero conducts Mahler 1st Symphony and “Her Story” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Bang on a Can co-founder and co-director, Julia Wolfe."Her Story" was written for Lorelei Ensemble and orchestra, and co-commissioned by the Nashville Symphony, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Boston Symphony, and National Symphony Orchestras. Beth Willer is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Lorelei Ensemble and she joins us.
Sixth graders April and Zee are best friends though more like family. They are inseparable until Zee pursues his dream of being first chair in the Boston Symphony. This means a new school for Zee and gives April an opportunity to act on her drumming dreams. While he and April miss being at the same school, they are handling it until a tragic event occurs, and now April must live without Zee forever. Grief and hope... written lyrically in verse. Transcript here
Synopsis On today's date in 1945 Peter Grimes, a new opera by the English composer Benjamin Britten, debuted at Sadler's Wells Theater in London. The libretto was based on George Crabbe's long poem, The Borough, published in 1810, which described life along England's North Sea coast. In the early 1940's, Britten was living in America, and had read Crabbe's poem in California. The commission for the opera was also American, coming from Serge Koussevitzky, conductor of the Boston Symphony and one of the leading music patrons of the day. But Britten's opera is intensely English – evoking, as it does, the images and sounds of the North Sea off the east coast of Suffolk. Britten was born within sight of this seascape, and lived, for the better part of his later life, a little farther down the coast at Aldeburgh – the "Borough," on which George Crabbe had based his poem. From the start, Peter Grimes was an immediate success. Within a week of its June 7th premiere, Britten conducted the London Philharmonic in an orchestral suite of Sea Interludes from his new opera, and these, too, have since firmly established themselves in the concert repertory. Music Played in Today's Program Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976) Sea Interludes, fr Peter Grimes London Symphony; André Previn, conductor. EMI 72658
Synopsis On today's date in 1892, the Adamowski Quartet gave a concert in Boston that included two movements from a String Quartet by a 32-year old composer named Charles Martin Loeffler. For the past 10 years, Loeffler had been the associate concertmaster of the Boston Symphony, and just the previous year they had premiered his first orchestral piece. Loeffler told people he was born in the Alsace region of France in 1861, which would account for his French manners and the French titles he gave some of his pieces. In fact, Loeffler was born in Berlin, but he never forgave the Prussians for the political persecution and imprisonment of his father, and left Berlin for Paris as soon as he could. In 1881, at the age of 20, Loeffler came to the United States, where, as he put it, he found Americans “quick to reward genuine musical merit and to reward it far more generously than Europe.” In 1887, he became an American citizen, and in short order established himself as one of our leading composers. After his death in 1935, Loeffler's music fell into neglect for many decades, but his elegant and well-crafted music is attracting renewed interest—and recordings—today. Music Played in Today's Program Charles Martin Loeffler (1861 – 1935) String Quartet in a DaVinci Quartet Naxos 8.559077
Synopsis The Boston Symphony premiered a new symphony on today's date in 1984—a commission for its Centenary Celebrations. It was the Symphony No. 1 by the then 45 year-old American composer, John Harbison. Like many composers who teach, Harbison does most of his composing in the summer months, usually spent on a farm in Token Creek, Wisconsin. The academic year is usually spent in Boston, teaching at MIT. In the case of his first symphony, Harbison worked on the piece both in Wisconsin (where he was also finishing up an Italian language song-cycle), and during a residency year at the American Academy in Rome. "Just as it felt very right to be working on Italian songs in the Midwest," commented Harbison, "it was natural to work on this American-accented symphony in Italy. I have always found the view from the distance to be clearest." Harbison's father, a Princeton history professor and amateur composer, also was a big influence on him. The younger Harbison, like his father, has an abiding passion for and fluency in American jazz as well as the modern classical idiom. Harbison dramatically fused both styles in one of his most ambitious ventures to date, the opera, The Great Gatsby, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1999. Music Played in Today's Program John Harbison (b. 1938) Symphony No. 1 Boston Symphony; Seiji Ozawa, conductor. New World 80331
Synopsis Two interesting symphonies had their premieres on today's date just eight years apart. Oddly enough, they were composed nearly ninety years apart. The first was the Symphony in C by George Bizet, written in 1855 when the composer was only 17. It was mislaid in his papers, ignored by Bizet himself as a naive youthful exercise, and not revived until 1935. It was performed for the first time on the 26th of February that year in Basel, Switzerland under the baton of Felix Weingartner, who found a copy of the score that had been kept in the Paris Conservatory. The other work that premiered today was the Fifth Symphony of the American composer Roy Harris. It was written in 1942, during the Second World War, and was reportedly inspired by reports of heroic resistance by the Soviet Union to the Nazi invasion. Harris dedicated this symphony to the Red Army in honor of its 25th anniversary. The first performance—given by Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony on February 26th, 1943—was broadcast via short wave to the Soviet Union. Ironically, despite Harris's unquestionable credentials as a loyal American and enthusiastic patriot, his pro-Soviet Symphony No. 5 was to become something of an embarrassment when our one-time Soviet allies became Public Enemy No. 1 during the long Cold War period that followed the end of the Second World War. Music Played in Today's Program Georges Bizet (1823 - 1892) Symphony No. 1 in C ORTF Orchestra; Jean Martinon, conductor. DG 437 371 Roy Harris (1899 - 1979) Symphony No. 5 Louisville Orchestra; Robert Whitney, conductor. Albany 012
Synopsis On this day in 1934, an excited crowd of locals and visitors had gathered in Hartford, Connecticut, for the premiere performance of a new opera entitled Four Saints in Three Acts. The fact that the opera featured 16 saints, not 4, and was divided into 4 acts, not 3, was taken by the audience in stride, as the libretto was by the expatriate American writer, Gertrude Stein, notorious for her surreal poetry and prose. The music, performed by players from the Philadelphia Orchestra and sung by an all-black cast, was by the 37-year old American composer, Virgil Thomson, who matched Stein's surreal sentences with witty musical allusions to hymn tunes and parodies of solemn, resolutely tonal music. Among the locals in attendance was the full-time insurance executive and part-time poet, Wallace Stevens, who called the new opera (quote): "An elaborate bit of perversity in every respect: text, settings, choreography, [but] Most agreeable musically… If one excludes aesthetic self-consciousness, the opera immediately becomes a delicate and joyous work all around." The opera was a smashing success, and soon opened on Broadway, where everyone from Toscanini and Gershwin to Dorothy Parker and the Rockefellers paid a whopping $3.30 for the best seats—a lot of money during one of the worst winters of the Great Depression. Music Played in Today's Program Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) Four Saints in Three Acts Orchestra of Our Time; Joel Thome, conductor. Nonesuch 79035 On This Day Births 1741 - Belgian-born French composer André Grétry, in Liège; 1932 - American composer and conductor John Williams, in New York City; Deaths 1709 - Italian composer Giuseppe Torelli, age 50, in Bologna; 1909 - Polish composer Mieczyslaw Karlowicz, age 32, near Zakopane, Tatra Mountains; Premieres 1874 - Mussorgsky: opera “Boris Godunov”, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, with bass Ivan Melnikov in the title role, and Eduard Napravnik conducting; This was the composer's own revised, nine-scene version of the opera, which originally consisted of just seven scenes (Julian date: Jan.27); 1897 - Kalinnikov: Symphony No. 1 (Gregorian date: Feb. 20); 1904 - Sibelius: Violin Concerto (first version), in Helsinki, by the Helsingsfors Philharmonic conducted by the composer, with Victor Novácek as soloist; The revised and final version of this concerto premiered in Berlin on October 19, 1905, conducted by Richard Strauss and with Karl Halir the soloist; 1907 - Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No. 1 in Vienna, with the Rosé Quartet and members of the Vienna Philharmonic; 1908 - Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in St. Petersburg, with the composer conducting (Julian date: Jan. 26); 1909 - Liadov: “Enchanted Lake” (Gregorian date: Feb. 21); 1910 - Webern: Five Movements, Op. 5, for string quartet, in Vienna; 1925 - Cowell: "Ensemble" (original version for strings and 3 "thunder-sticks"), at a concert sponsored by the International Composers' Guild at Aeolian Hall in New York, by an ensemble led by Vladimir Shavitch that featured the composer and two colleagues on "thunder-sticks" (an American Indian instrument also known as the "bull-roarer"); Also on program was the premiere of William Grant Still's "From the Land of Dreams" for three voices and chamber orchestra (his first concert work, now lost, dedicated to his teacher, Edgard Varèse); 1925 - Miaskovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 7, in Moscow; 1934 - Virgil Thomson: opera "Four Saints in Three Acts" (libretto by Gertrude Stein), in Hartford, Conn.; 1942 - Stravinsky: "Danses concertantes," by the Werner Janssen Orchestra of Los Angeles, with the composer conducting; 1946 - Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3 (completed by Tibor Serly after the composer's death), by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting and György Sándor as the soloist; 1959 - Elie Siegmeister: Symphony No. 3, in Oklahoma City; 1963 - Benjamin Lees: Violin Concerto, by the Boston Symphony, with Erich Leinsdorf conducting and Henryk Szeryng the soloist; 1966 - Lou Harrison: "Symphony on G" (revised version), at the Cabrillo Music Festival by the Oakland Symphony, Gerhard Samuel condicting; 1973 - Crumb: "Makrokosmos I" for amplified piano, in New York; 1985 - Earle Brown: "Tracer," for six instruments and four-track tape, in Berlin; 1986 - Daniel Pinkham: Symphony No. 3, by the Plymouth (Mass.) Philharmonic, Rudolf Schlegel conducting; 2001 - Sierra: "Concerto for Orchestra," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting; Others 1875 - American composer Edward MacDowell admitted to the Paris Conservatory; 1877 - German-born (and later American) composer Charles Martin Loeffler admitted to the Paris Conservatory; 1880 - German opera composer Richard Wagner writes a letter to his American dentist, Dr. Newell Still Jenkins, stating "I do no regard it as impossible that I decide to emigrate forever to America with my latest work ["Parsifal"] and my entire family" if the Americans would subsidize him to the tune of one million dollars. Links and Resources On Virgil Thomson More on Thomson
Synopsis On today's date in 1948, Leonard Bernstein, age 29, conducted the Boston Symphony in the premiere of a new orchestral work by Harold Shapero, age 27. This was Shapero's “Symphony for Classical Orchestra,” a work modeled on Beethoven but sounding very much like one of the Neo-Classical scores of Igor Stravinsky. This was exactly what Shapero intended, but some found the music perplexing. Aaron Copland, for one, wrote: “Harold Shapero, it is safe to say, is at the same time the most gifted and baffling composer of his generation.” That comment by Copland, one should remember, came at a time when Shapero's generation included the likes of Barber, Bernstein, Menotti and Rorem. But Copland continued, “Stylistically, Shapero seems to feel a compulsion to fashion his music after some great model. He seems to be suffering from a hero-worship complex – or perhaps it is a freakish attack of false modesty.” “Copland was so original,” Shapero responded, “that he just couldn't understand anyone who wasn't.” Even so, Shapero's superbly crafted orchestral imitations suffered many decades of neglect. In the 1980s, however, conductor and composer Andre Previn fell in love with Shapero's Symphony, performing and recording it with the LA Philharmonic, and declared its Adagietto movement the most beautiful slow movement of any American symphony. Music Played in Today's Program Harold Shapero (b. 1920) Symphony for Classical Orchestra Los Angeles Philharmonic; André Previn, conductor New World 373 On This Day Births 1697 - German composer and flutist Johann Joachim Quantz, in Oberscheden, Hannover; 1861 - French-born American composer Charles Martin Loeffler, in Alsace; 1862 - German-born American composer and conductor, Walter Damrosch, in Breslau; Deaths 1963 - French composer Francis Poulenc, age 64, in Paris; Premieres 1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 81 ("Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?") performed on the 4th Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24); 1735 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 14 ("Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit") performed in Leipzig on the 4th Sunday after Epiphany; 1892 - Rachmaninoff: “Trio élégiaque” No. 1 in G minor (Gregorian date: Feb. 11); 1893 - Brahms: Fantasies for piano Nos. 1-3, from Op. 117 and Intermezzo No. 2, from Op. 117, in Vienna; 1917 - Zemlinsky: opera "A Floretine Tragedy," in Stuttgart at the Hoftheater; 1920 - Frederick Converse: Symphony in c, by the Boston Symphony, Pierre Monteux conducting; 1942 - Copland: Orchestral Suite from "Billy the Kid" ballet, by the Boston Symphony; 1948 - Harold Shapero: "Symphony for Classical Orchestra," by the Boston Symphony conducted by Leonard Bernstein; 1958 - Walton: "Partita" for orchestra, in Cleveland; 1959 - Hindemith: "Pittsburgh Symphony," by the Pittsburgh Symphony, conducted by the composer; 1970 - William Schuman: "In Praise of Shahn," in New York; 1985 - Libby Larsen: Symphony ("Water Music"), by the Minnesota Orchestra, Sir Neville Marriner conducting. Links and Resources On Harold Shapero
Synopsis Today marks the birthday of the American pianist and composer Donald Shirley, who was born in Pensacola, Florida, in 1927, to Jamaican immigrant parents: a mother who was a teacher and a father an Episcopalian priest. Young Donald was a musical prodigy who made his debut with the Boston Pops at age 18, performing Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. If Shirley had been born 20 years later, he might have had the career enjoyed by Andre Watts, who born in 1946. But in the late 1940s, when Shirley was in his 20s, impresario Sol Hurok advised him that America was not ready for a black classical pianist, so instead Shirley toured performing his own arrangements of pop tunes accompanied by cello and double-bass. His Trio recorded successful albums marketed as “jazz” during the 1950s and 60s, but Shirley also released a solo LP of his piano improvisations that sounds more like Debussy or Scriabin, and he composed organ symphonies, string quartets, concertos, chamber works, and a symphonic tone poem based on the novel Finnegans Wake by James Joyce. The 2018 Oscar-winning film “Green Book” sparked renewed interest in Shirley's career as a performer, but those of us curious to hear his organ symphonies and concert works hope they get a second look as well. Music Played in Today's Program On This Day Births 1715 - Austrian composer Georg Christoph Wagenseil, in Vienna; 1782 - French composer Daniel-François-Esprit Auber, in Caen; 1852 - British composer Frederic Hymen Cowen, in Kingston, Jamaica; 1862 - English composer Fritz (Frederick) Delius, in Bradford, Yorkshire; 1876 - English composer Havergal Brian, in Dresden, Staffordshire; 1924 - Italian composer Luigi Nono, in Venice; Deaths 1946 - British composer Sydney Jones, age 84, in London, age 84; 1962 - Austrian composer and violinist Fritz Kreisler, age 86, in New York City; Premieres 1728 - Gay & Pepusch: ballad-opera, “The Beggar's Opera,” at Lincoln's Inn Fields, London; This work, mounted by the London impresario John Rich, proved so popular that it was staged 62 times that season; As contemporary wags put it, the wildly successful work “made Gay Rich and Rich Gay&rdquo(Gregorian date: Feb. 9); 1781 - Mozart: opera, "Idomeneo" in Munich at the Hoftheater; 1826 - Schubert: String Quartet in D minor, "Death and the Maiden," as a unrehearsed reading at the Vienna home of Karl and Franz Hacker, two amateur musicians; Schubert, who usually played viola on such occasions, could not perform since he was busy copying out the parts and making last-minute corrections; 1882 - Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "The Snow Maiden," in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 10); 1892 - Chadwick: “A Pastoral Prelude,” by the Boston Symphony. Arthur Nikisch conducting; 1916 - Prokofiev: "Scythian" Suite ("Ala and Lolly"), Op. 20, at the Mariinsky Theater in Petrograd, with the composer conducting (Julian date: Jan. 16); 1932 - Gershwin: "Second Rhapsody" for piano and orchestra, in Boston, with the Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky and the composer as soloist; 1936 - Constant Lambert: "Summer's Last Will and Testament" for chorus and orchestra, in London; 1981 - John Williams: first version of Violin Concerto (dedicated to the composer's late wife, actress and singer Barbara Ruick Williams), by Mark Peskanov and the St. Louis Symphony conducted by Leonard Slatkin; Williams subsequently revised this work in 1998; This premiere date is listed (incorrectly) as Jan. 19 in the DG recording featuring Gil Shaham; Links and Resources On Donald Shirley
Synopsis Late in 2013, the musical world was gearing up to celebrate the 70th birthday of British composer John Tavener, but sadly he died, so his 70th birthday, which fell on today's date in 2014, became a memorial tribute instead. Tavener had suffered from ill health throughout his life: a stroke in his thirties, heart surgery and the removal of a tumor in his forties, and two subsequent heart attacks. In his early twenties, Tavener became famous in 1968 with his avant-garde cantata entitled The Whale, based loosely on the Old Testament story of Jonah. That work caught the attention of one of The Beatles, and a recording of it was released on The Beatles' own Apple label. Tavener converted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977, and his music became increasingly spiritual. Millions who watched TV coverage of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, were deeply moved by his “Song for Athene,” which was performed to telling effect as Diana's casket left Westminster Abbey. Taverner was knighted in 2000, becoming Sir John Tavener In 2003, Tavener's Ikon of Eros, commissioned for the Centennial of the Minnesota Orchestra, and premiered at St. Paul's Cathedral—the one in St. Paul, Minnesota, that is, not the one in London—and Tavener came to Minnesota for the event. Music Played in Today's Program Sir John Tavener (1944-2013) Ikon of Eros Jorja Fleezanis, vn; Minnesota Chorale; Minnesota Orchestra; Paul Goodwin, conductor. Reference Recording 102 On This Day Births 1791 - French opera composer Louis Joseph F. Herold, in Paris; 1898 - Italian-American composer Vittorio Rieti, in Alexandria, Egypt; 1944 - British composer Sir John Tavener, in London; Deaths 1935 - Russian composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, age 75, in Moscow; 1947 - Venezuelan-born French composer Reynaldo Hahn, age 72, in Paris; Premieres 1725 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 92 ("Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn") performed on Septuagesimae Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25); 1828 - Schubert: Piano Trio in Bb, Op. 99 (D. 898), at a private performance by Ignaz Schuppanzigh (violin), Josef Linke (cello), and Carl Maria von Bocklet (piano); 1830 - Auber: opera "Fra Diavolo" in Paris at the Opéra-Comique; 1876 - Tchaikovsky: "Serenade mélancolique" for violin and orchestra, in Moscow (Julian date: Jan. 18); 1897 - Glazunov: Symphony No. 5, in London; 1915 - Ravel: Piano Trio in a, in Paris, by Gabriel Wilaume (violin), Louis Feuillard (cello), and Alfredo Casella (piano); 1916 - Granados: opera "Goyescas," at the Metropolitan Opera in New York; 1927 - Copland: Piano Concerto, by the Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, with the composer as soloist; 1941 - Copland: "Quiet City," at Town Hall in New York City by the Little Symphony conducted by Daniel Saidenberg; This music is based on incidental music Copland wrote for Irwin Shaw's play of the same name produced by the Group Theater in New York in 1939; 1944 - Bernstein: Symphony No. 1 ("Jeremiah"), at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by the composer, with mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel as vocal soloist; 1972 - Scott Joplin: opera "Treemonisha" (orchestrated by T.J. Anderson), in Atlanta; 1990 - Joan Tower: Flute Concerto, at Carnegie Hall in New York, with soloist Carol Wincenc and the American Composers Orchestra, Hugh Wolff, conducting; 1995 - Elinor Armer: “Island Earth” (to a text by Sci-Fi writer Usula K. Le Guin), at the University of California, Berkeley, by the various San Francisco choirs and the Women's Philharmonic, conducted by JoAnn Falletta; On the same program were the premiere performance's of Chen Yi's “Antiphony” for orchestra and Augusta Read Thomas's “Fantasy” for piano and orchestra (with piano soloist Sara Wolfensohn); 1997 - Morten Lauridsen: “Mid-Winter Songs” (final version) for chorus and orchestra, by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, John Currie conducting; Earlier versions of this work with piano and chamber orchestra accompaniment had premiered in 1981, 1983, and 1985 at various Californian venues; 2000 - André Previn: "Diversions," in Salzburg, Austria, by the Vienna Philharmonic, the composer conducting; Others 1742 - Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin (and the author of "Gulliver's Travels"), objects to the cathedral singers taking part in performances of Handel's works while the composer is in that city (Gregorian date: Feb. 8); Rehearsals for the premiere performance of Handel's "Messiah" would begin in April of that year, involving the choirs of both Christ Church and St. Patrick's Cathedrals in Dublin; 1971 - William Bolcom completes his "Poltergeist" Rag (dedicated to Teresa Sterne, a one-time concert pianist who was then a producer for Nonesuch Records); According to the composer's notes, the "Poltergeist" Rag was written "in a converted garage next to a graveyard in Newburgh, N.Y." Links and Resources On Tavener
Synopsis In 1933, Aaron Copland introduced Roy Harris to Serge Koussevitzky, the famous conductor of the Boston Symphony in those days. Now, Koussevitzky was one of the great patrons of American music and was always looking for new American music and new American composers. Roy Harris had been described to him as an "American Mussorgsky," which probably intrigued the Russian-born conductor. When Koussevitzky learned that Harris had been born in a log cabin in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, on Abraham Lincoln's birthday, no less – well, perhaps he hoped the 41-year old Harris might produce music equally all-American in origin. "Write me a big symphony from the West," asked Koussevitzky, and Harris responded with a three-movement orchestral work titled: "Symphony, 1933," which had its premiere performance on today's date in 1934 with the Boston Symphony under Koussevitzky's direction. Koussevitzky loved it. "I think that nobody has captured in music the essence of American life -- its vitality, its greatness, its strength -- so well as Roy Harris," enthused the famous conductor, who recorded the piece at Carnegie Hall in New York just one week after its premiere. And it was Koussevitzky's Boston Symphony that would subsequently premiere Harris's Second, Third, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies as well. Music Played in Today's Program Roy Harris (1898 – 1979) Symphony 1933 (No. 1) Louisville Orchestra; Jorge Mester, conductor Albany 012 On This Day Births 1924 - American composer Warren Benson, in Detroit, Michigan; Deaths 1795 - German composer Johann Christioph Friedrich Bach, age 62, in Bückeburg 1993 - American composer and teacher Kenneth Gaburo, age 66, in Iowa City; Premieres 1732 - Handel: opera "Ezio" (Julian date: Jan.15); 1790 - Mozart: opera, "Così fan tutte," in Vienna at the Burgtheater; 1873 - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2, in Moscow (Gregorian date: Feb. 7); 1882 - Borodin: String Quartet No. 2 in D, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 7); 1905 - Schoenberg: symphonic poem "Pelleas und Melisande," in Vienna, with the composer conducting; 1908 - Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 8); 1911 - Richard Strauss: opera, “Der Rosenkavalier,” in Dresden at the Hofoper, conducted by Ernst von Schuch, with vocal soloists Margarethe Siems (Marschallin), Eva von der Osten (Octavian), Minnie Nast (Sophie), Karl Perron (Baron Ochs), and Karl Scheidemantel (Faninal); 1920 - Prokofiev: "Overture on Hebrew Themes," in New York by the Zimro Ensemble, with the composer at the piano; 1922 - Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 3 "Pastoral," by the Royal Philharmonic, London, Sir Adrian Boult conducting; 1934 - Roy Harris: Symphony No. 1, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1952 - Ernst von Dohnányi: Violin Concerto No. 2, in San Antonio, Texas; 1957 - Bernstein: "Candide" Overture (concert version), by New York Philharmonic conducted by the composer; The musical "Candide" had opened at the Martin Beck Theater in New York City on December 1, 1956; 1957 - Poulenc: opera, "Les dialogues des carmélites" (The Dialogues of the Carmelites) in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala, Nino Sanzogno conducting; 1962 - Diamond: Symphony No. 7, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; 1966 - Dominick Argento: Variations for Orchestra and Soprano (The Masque of Night"), at the St. Paul Campus Student Center of the University of Minnesota, by the Minneapolis Civic Orchestra, Thomas Nee conducting, with soprano Carolyn Bailey; A second performance took place on Jan. 27th at Coffmann Memorial Union on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota; 1967 - Frank Martin: Cello Concerto, in Basel, Switzerland; 1994 - Elisabetta Brusa: “La Triade” for large orchestra, by the Tirana (Albania) Radio and Television Orchestra, Gilberto Serembe conducting; 1994 - Christopher Rouse: Cello Concerto, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by David Zinman, with Yo-Yo Ma the soloist; 1995 - Joan Tower: "Duets for Orchestra," by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Christoph Perick conducting. Links and Resources On Roy Harris
Synopsis On today's date in 1909, Richard Strauss's opera Elektra had its premiere in Dresden. The libretto, a free adaptation of the grim, ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles, was by the Austrian poet and playwright Hugo von Hofmannsthal. In ancient Greek tragedies, violence occurred off-stage, and for his libretto, Hofmannsthal honored that tradition. But the music of Strauss evoking the tragedy's violence unleashed a huge orchestra with a ferocity that stunned early listeners. After its American premiere, one New York critic wrote of “a total delineation of shrieks and groans, of tortures physical in the clear definition and audible in their gross realism . . .Snarling of stopped trumpets, barking of trombones, moaning of bassoons and squealing of violins.” Even Strauss himself later admitted Elektra (quote) “penetrated to the uttermost limits of … the receptivity of human ears,” and what he called his “green horror” opera might cause him to be type-cast as a purveyor of creepy-crawly music. And so, Strauss prudently suggested to Hofmansthal “Next time, we'll write a MOZART opera.” Almost two years later to the day, on January 26, 1911, their “Mozart” opera, Der Rosenkavalier, or the The Rose Bearer premiered. It's set in 18th century Vienna, and for this opera Strauss included anachronistic, but eminently hummable waltz tunes. Music Played in Today's Program Richard Strauss (1864 –1949) Elektra Alessandra Marc, sop.;Vienna Philharmonic; Giuseppe Sinopoli, conductor. DG 453 429 Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Waltz Suite Philadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, conductor. Sony 60989 On This Day Births 1851 - Flemish composer Jan Blockx, in Antwerp; 1886 - German composer and conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, in Berlin; 1911 - American composer and pianist Julia Smith, in Denton, Texas; 1913 - Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski, in Warsaw; 1921 - American composer and conductor Alfred Reed, in New York City; Premieres 1817 - Rossini: opera, "La Cenerentola" (Cinderella), in Rome at the Teatro Valle; 1902 - Franz Schmidt: Symphony No. 1, in Vienna; 1909 - R. Strauss: opera "Elektra," in Dresden at the Hofoper, conducted by Ernst von Schuch, with soprano Annie Krull in the title role; 1946 - R. Strauss: "Metamorphosen," in Zürich; 1957 - Walton: Cello Concerto, by the Boston Symphony conducted by Charles Munch, with Gregor Piatigorsky the soloist; 1963 - Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Symphony No. 8, by the West German Radio Symphony, Rafael Kubelik conducting; 1987 - Paul Schoenfield: "Café Music" for piano trio at a St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concert. Links and Resources On Richard Strauss More on Richard Strauss
Synopsis Today's date in 1904 marks the birthday of Richard Addinsell, a versatile British musician who became one of the most famous film score composers of his generation. Addinsell was born in London, studied music at the Royal College of Music, and pursued additional studies in Berlin and Vienna before heading off to America in 1933 for some practical education at Hollywood film studios. He put both his theoretical and practical learning to good use when he returned to England, where he began composing for a series of successful British movies, like the Oscar-winning 1939 film “Goodbye, Mr. Chips.” Addinsell also became a popular songwriter and accompanist for British comediennes and cabaret singers of the day. But Addinsell is best known as the composer of the Warsaw Concerto, a piano concerto consciously modeled on the big Romantic scores of Rachmaninoff. This music originally appeared in the 1941 British adventure film “Dangerous Moonlight,” retitled “Suicide Squadron” when it was released in the States in 1942. After that mega-hit, Addinsell's fluent and versatile writing continued to grace a goodly number of Post-War British films and TV dramatizations, ranging from historical epics to psychological thrillers, gritty “slice-of-life” dramas, and whimsical, light-hearted comedies. Addinsell died in London at the age of 73 in 1977. Music Played in Today's Program Richard Addinsell (1904 –1977) Goodbye Mr. Chips BBC Concert Orchestra; Kenneth Alwyn, conductor. Marco Polo 8.223732 Richard Addinsell (1904 –1977) Warsaw Concerto Cristina Ortiz, piano; Royal Philharmonic; Moseh Atzmon, conductor. London 414 348 On This Day Births 1690 - German composer Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, in Grünstadtl; 1866 - Russian composer Vassili Sergeievitch Kalinnikov, in Voin (Julian date: Jan 1.); 1904 - British composer Richard Addinsell, in London; Deaths 1864 - American composer Stephen Foster, age 37, in Bellevue Hospital, New York; 1980 - Russian-born American conductor and arranger André Kostelanetz, age 78, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Premieres 1726 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 32 ("Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen") performed on the 1st Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1725/27); 1775 - Mozart: opera "La finta giardiniera" (The Feigned Gardener), in Munich at the Opernhaus St. Salvator; 1873 - Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "The Maid of Pskov" (first version) in St. Petersburg, Napravnik conducting; This was Rimsky-Korsakov's first opera (Julian date: Jan.1); 1904 - Bartók: tone-poem “Kossuth,” in Budapest; Bartók's parody of the German national hymn in this work caused an uproar at the work's premiere; 1944 - Stravinsky: "Circus Polka" (concert version) and "Four Norwegian Moods," in Cambridge at the Garden Theatre, with the Boston Symphony conducted by the composer; 1945 - Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5, by the Moscow State Philharmonic, with the composer conducting; 2000 - Danielpour: "Voices of Remembrance" for string quartet and orchestra, in Washington, D.C. with the Guarneri String Quartet and the National Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting. Others 1910 - Lee De Forest relays experimental Met Opera performances via a radio transmitter (see also Jan. 12). Links and Resources On Richard Addinsell Richard Addinsell filmography
Synopsis If the late 18th century is the “Classical Age,” and the 19th “The Romantic,” then perhaps we should dub our time “The Eclectic Age” of music. These days, composers can—and do—pick and choose from a wide variety of styles. The American composer William Bolcom was loath to rule anything out when he approached the task of setting William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience to music. Bolcom calls for a large orchestra, multiple choruses, and more than a dozen vocal soloists versed in classical, pop, folk, country, and operatic styles. There are echoes of jazz, reggae, gospel, ragtime, country and rock idioms as well. As Bolcom put it: "At every point Blake used his whole culture, past and present, high-flown and vernacular, as sources for his many poetic styles. All I did was use the same stylistic point of departure Blake did in my musical settings.” The massive work received its premiere performance in Stuttgart, Germany, on today's date in 1984. Most of the work was completed between 1973 and 1982, after Bolcom joined the faculty of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and it was there that the work received its American premiere a few months following its world premiere in Germany. Music Played in Today's Program William Bolcom (b. 1938) Songs of Innocence and of Experience Soloists; Choirs; University of Michigan School of Music Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, conductor. Naxos 8.559216/18 On This Day Births 1792 - American composer and educator Lowell Mason, in Medford, Massachusetts; 1812 - Swiss composer and pianist Sigismond Thalberg, in Pâquis, near Geneva; 1896 - Czech composer Jaromir Weinberger, in Prague; 1899 - Russian-born American composer Alexander Tcherepnin (Gregorian date: Jan. 21); 1905 - Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi, in La Spezia; 1924 - Russian-American composer Benjamin Lees (née Lysniansky), in Harbin, Manchuria; 1924 - Austrian-born American composer Robert Starer, in Vienna; 1935 - The charismatic rock 'n' roll performer Elvis Presley is born in Tupelo, Miss.; 1937 - American composer Robert Moran, in Denver; Deaths 1713 - Italian composer and violinist Arcangelo Corelli, age 59, in Rome; 1831 - Moravian-born composer and violinist Franz Krommer, age 71, in Vienna; 1998 - British composer Sir Michael Tippett, age 93, in London; Premieres 1705 - Handel: opera "Almira" in Hamburg; This was Handel's first opera (see also Dec. 5 & 30 for related contemporary incidents); 1720 - Handel: opera "Radamisto" (2nd version), in London (Julian date: Dec. 28, 1720); 1735 - Handel: opera "Ariodante" in London at the Covent Garden Theater (Gregorian date: Jan. 19); 1843 - Schumann: Piano Quintet in Eb, Op. 44, at Leipzig Gewandhaus with pianist Clara Schumann; 1895 - Brahms: Clarinet Sonata, Op. 120, no. 1 (first public performance), in Vienna, by clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, with the composer at the piano, as part of the Rosé Quartet's chamber music series; The first performance ever of this work occurred on September 19, 1894, at a private performance in the home of the sister of the Duke of Meiningen at Berchtesgaden, with the same performers; Brahms and Mühlfeld also gave private performances of both sonatas in Frankfurt (for Clara Schumann and others) on November 10-13, 1894; at Castle Altenstein (for the Duke of Meiningen) on Nov. 14, 1894; and on Jan. 7, 1895 (for members of the Vienna Tonkünstler Society); 1911 - Florent Schmitt: "La tragédie de Salomé" for orchestra, in Paris; 1927 - Berg: "Lyric Suite" for string quartet, in Vienna, by the Kolisch Quartet; 1928 - Hindemith: "Kammermusik" No. 7, Op. 46, no. 2, in Frankfurt, with Ludwig Rottenberg conducting and Reinhold Merten the organist; 1940 - Roger Sessions: Violin Concerto, by the Illinois Symphony conducted by Izler Solomon, with Robert Gross as soloist; The work was to have been premiered by Albert Spalding with the Boston Symphony under Koussevitzky in January of 1937, but did not take place); 1963 - Shostakovich: opera "Katerina Izmailova" (2nd version of "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District"), in Moscow at the Stanislavsky-Nemirovich-Dachenko Music Theater; 1971 - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15, in Moscow, by the All-Union Radio and Television Symphony, with the composer's son, Maxim, conducting; 1987 - Christopher Rouse: "Phaethon" for orchestra, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti conducting; 1988 - Schwantner: "From Afar . . . " (A Fantasy for Guitar and Orchestra), by guitarist Sharon Isbin with the St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting; Others 1923 - First broadcast in England of an opera direct from a concert hall, Mozart's "The Magic Flute" via the BBC from London; Links and Resources More on Wiiliam Bolcom More on William Blake
Synopsis The American composer Ned Rorem liked to classify music as being either French or German – by “French” Rorem meant music that is sensuous, economical, and unabashedly superficial; by “German” Rorem meant music that strives to be brainy, complex, and impenetrably deep. On today's date the Boston Symphony gave the premiere performances of two important 20th century piano concertos. The first, by Francis Poulenc, had its premiere under the baton of Charles Munch in 1950, with the composer at the piano. Poulenc's Concerto is a light, entertaining with no pretension to profundity. It is quintessentially “French” according to Rorem's classification. The second Piano Concerto, by the American composer Elliott Carter, had its Boston premiere in 1967, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf, with soloist Jacob Lateiner. Carter's Concerto was written in Berlin in the mid-1960s when the Wall dividing that city was still new. Carter said he composed it in a studio near an American target range, and one commentator hears the sounds of machine guns in the work's second movement. Carter himself compared woodwind solos in the same movement to the advice given by three friends of the long-suffering Job in the Bible. Needless to say, Rorem would emphatically classify Carter's Concerto as “German” to the max! Music Played in Today's Program Francis Poulenc (1899 –1963) Piano Concerto Pascal Roge, piano; Philharmonia Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, conductor. London 436 546 Elliot Carter (b. 1908) Piano Concerto Ursula Oppens, piano; SWF Symphony; Michael Gielen, conductor. Arte Nova 27773
Synopsis In 1885, a 20-year old violinist named Franz Kneisel came to America to become concertmaster of the Boston Symphony. That same year he formed the Kneisel Quartet, the first professional string quartet in America. For the next 30 years, their concerts were major musical events. On today's date in 1894, this review of a Kneisel Quartet performance appeared in the Boston Globe: “It was one of the most interesting concerts ever given in Chickering Hall. First on the program was the Dvořák Quartet in F Major, which has never before been played in public. It was given a private performance in New York recently, and the composer was so pleased with the playing of the Kneisels that he gave them the manuscript which they used last night.” “This composition,” the reviewer continued, “was written last summer and … the melodious parts strongly recall the type of music that the composer says he had in mind when he wrote the quartet … [The performance] was exceptionally good, and the listeners were stirred to a high pitch of enthusiasm. It is safe to say that the Dvořák quartet is a success.” Not a bad “morning after” review for the premiere of Dvořák's famous American Quartet, Op. 96. Music Played in Today's Program Antonín Dvořák (1841 –1904) String Quartet, Op 96 (American) Keller Quartet Warner 44355
Synopsis On New Year's Eve, 1948, Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra gave the first performance of the Symphony No. 5 by the American composer George Antheil. Now, in his youth, Antheil was something of a wild man, composing a Ballet mechanicque for a percussion ensemble that included electric bells, sirens, and airplane propellers. It earned him a reputation, and Antheil titled his colorful 1945 autobiography what many called him: "The Bad Boy of Music." But the great Depression and World War II changed Antheil's attitude. Rather than write for small, avant-garde audiences, Antheil found work in Hollywood, with enough time left over for an occasional concert work, such as his Symphony No. 5. In program notes for the premiere, Antheil wrote: "The object of my creative work is to disassociate myself from the passé modern schools and create a music for myself and those around me which has no fear of developed melody, tonality, or understandable forms." Contemporary critics were not impressed. One called Antheil's new Symphony "nothing more than motion-picture music of a very common brand" and another lamented its "triviality and lack of originality," suggesting it sounded like warmed-over Prokofiev. The year 2000 marked the centennial of Antheil's birth, and only now, after years of neglect, both Antheil's radical scores from the 1920s and his more conservative work from the 1940s is being performed, recorded and re-appraised. Music Played in Today's Program George Antheil (1900-1959) Symphony No. 5 (Joyous) Frankfurt Radio Symphony; Hugh Wolff, conductor. CPO 999 706 On This Day Births 1894 - Anglo-Irish composer Ernest John Moeran, in Heston, Middlesex; 1899 - Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, in Santiago, Papasquiaro; 1962 - American composer Jennifer Higdon, in Brooklyn, New York; Deaths 1950 - French composer Charles Koechlin, age 83, in Canadel, France; 1970 - British composer Cyril Scott, age 91, in Eastbourne, England; Premieres 1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 122 ("Das neugeborne Kindelein") performed on the Sunday after Christmas as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25); 1842 - Lortzing: opera "Der Wildschütz" (The Poacher), in Leipzig at the Stadttheater; 1865 - Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 1, in St. Petersburg, with Balakirev conducting (Julian date: Dec. 19); 1879 - Gilbert & Sullivan: operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York, with the composer conducting (see also Dec. 30 above); 1943 - Martinu: Violin Concerto (No. 2), by the Boston Symphony with Serge Koussevitzky conducting and Micsha Elman the soloist; 1948 - Antheil: Symphony No. 5, by Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; 1948 - Howard Hanson: Piano Concerto, by the Boston Symphony with the composer conducting and Rudolf Firkusny the soloist. Links and Resources On George Antheil More on Antheil
On this day in 1808 at Vienna's Theater-an-der-Wien one of the most famous concerts in the history of classical music took place. It was an all-Beethoven concert, with the composer himself featured as both conductor and piano soloist. The program included the premieres of both Beethoven's Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. Beethoven's Fourth Piano was also on the program—along with additional piano and vocal selections, including portions of Beethoven's Mass in C. At the last moment, Beethoven felt this still might not be quite enough music, so, considering the forces he had booked, he hastily composed his Choral Fantasy, a work that begins with a solo piano, then adds full orchestra and chorus to the mix. The concert began at 6:30 p.m. and lasted over four hours. Contemporary reviews were mixed—but apparently Beethoven's Fifth proved popular with its first night audience, and rapidly established itself worldwide as one of classical music's greatest hits. A less successful symphonic work had its premiere on this day in 1960, when Charles Munch conducted the Boston Symphony in the first performance of Die Natali by American composer Samuel Barber. This orchestral piece used familiar Christmas carols as themes, which are treated to a series of variations. Barber later expressed his own dissatisfaction with this score and withdrew it, but recycled his variations on Silent Night as a separate piece for solo organ. Music Played in Today's Program Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 5 Concertgebouw Orchestra; Bernard Haitink, conductor. Philips 442 076 Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Chorale Prelude on Silent Night Jeremy Fisell, organ GMCD 7145
Synopsis On today's date in 1955, the Boston Symphony was celebrating its 75th anniversary season with the premiere performance of a brand-new symphony—the sixth—by the American composer Walter Piston. At the time, Piston was teaching at Harvard, and his association with the Boston Symphony went back decades. Even so, Piston paid the orchestra an extraordinary compliment, crediting its musicians as virtual partners in its composition: “While writing my Sixth Symphony,” Piston wrote, “I came to realize that this was a rather special situation. I was writing for one designated orchestra, one that I had grown up with, and that I knew intimately. Each note set down sounded in the mind with extraordinary clarity, as though played immediately by those who were to perform the work. On several occasions it seemed as though the melodies were being written by the instruments themselves as I followed along. I refrained from playing even a single note of this symphony on the piano.” This symphony may have been tailor-made for the Boston players, but Piston was practical enough to know other orchestras would be interested, and so added this important footnote: “The composer's mental image of the sound of his written notes has to admit a certain flexibility.” Music Played in Today's Program Walter Piston (1894-1976) Symphony No. 6 Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, conductor. Delos 3074
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