Abilene Philharmonic Playbill: November 25, 1975 Page: 4
6 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.View a full description of this pamphlet.
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THE ABILENE PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION
Twenty-Sixth Season Second Subscription Concert Tuesday, November 25, 1975
MARY COSTA, Soprano
PROGRAM
OVERTURE, "The Roman Carnival" Op. 9 _.. _..- Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
The Roman Carnival Overture was composed as an overture to the second act of Berlioz's
opera, Benvenuto Cellini, some years after the opera was first produced at the Paris Opera
in 1838. Based on episodes in the' life of the great Florentine sculptor, which Berlioz had
drawn from the rather salty memories of Cellini and entrusted to Leon de Wailly and Auguste
Barbier for a libretto, the opera had little success and the overtures alone remain in the
performing repertoire. The Roman Carnival Overture is dominated by a vivacious Italian
saltarello and a sustained aria played by English horn. Berlioz was very sensitive about
the tempo of the saltarello and he literally quarrelled with the famous conductor Francois
Habeneck over the matter. Later he wrote the following account:
If only I could have conducted myself! But in France authors are not allowed to direct
their own works in theatres. Years later I conducted my Carnaval romain. where that
very saltarello comes in, without the wind instruments having any rehearsal at all; and
Habeneck, certain that I should come to grief, was present. I rushed the allegro at
the proper time and everything went perfectly . . . I met Habeneck as we went out,
and threw four words at him over my shoulder: "That's how it goes." He did not reply!
SYMPHONY IN D MAJOR, No. 86 -----------Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
I. Adagio; allegro spiritoso
II. Capriccio: largo
Ill. Minuetto
IV. Finale
By the year 1785 Haydn had spent some twenty-four years in the service of the Esterhazy
family, producing by then over eighty symphonies and a huge quantity of chamber music
and operettas for the court entertainment. The Prince followed a rather liberal policy with
his favored composer, allowing him to publish and compose commissioned works for his
ever widening audience abroad, for the works of Haydn were becoming known in England,
France and Spain. It was in 1784 that the prestigeous Concerts de la Loge Olympique in
Paris requested Haydn to provide six symphonies for their concerts between 1785 and 1789.
This concert series was supported by subscribers from the elite of Parisian society. Queen
Marie Antoinette and her court were frequently in attendance and it is reported that the
fourth of Haydn's six Paris symphonies, subsequently called La Reine was a favorite of the
Queen's. The series was brought to an abrupt end with the revolution of 1789.
The Symphony in D major, No. 86, is the fifth of the six symphonies and is scored for one
flute, two oboes, two bassoons, ,wo horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. The instru-
mentation is of some sicnificance as it is approaching tho complement of instrument- com-
mon by the time of Feethoven's first works for orchestra, with only the clarinets missing.
The introductory adagio, which Haydn had used occasionally earlier, is present, and will
be a regular feature of the last twelve of his one hundred and four symphonies. In this
period Haydn is influenced by the works of the youthful Mozart, whom he had come to
know very well since their meeting in 1781 - the two often joining with Mozart's father,
Leopold, and other colleagues in evenings of quartet playing.
Another feature of the symphony is the use of the term "Capriccio" for the slow movement.
Haydn evidently regarded the unusual modulations and changes of mood as "capricious".
All of the six Paris symphonies are alike in having a Minuetto as the third movement, by
this period an almost standard device, in deference to the most popular dance of the day.
SONG TO THE MOON (RUSALKA) ________ --Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
The opera Rusalka is the most well-known of Dvorak's nine stage works. It was produced
in 1901 in Prague. Dvorak had returned to the Conservatory in Prague after a three year
period of teaching in New York. During this last period of his composition, around 1900,
he composed three operas. Rusalka, based on a story of a water-sprite who falls in love
with a man, was composed to a libretto by the poet-dramatist Josef Kvapil.
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Abilene Philharmonic. Abilene Philharmonic Playbill: November 25, 1975, pamphlet, November 1975; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623166/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Philharmonic.