New England Conservatory of Music - Neume Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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i61f nd Cons( tory o ' Music Previous to the year 1897, the vioHn students of the Conservatory had practised, in a class, music for string orchestra under the direction of their teachers and occasionally concerts had been given of such music. When the present Director assumed his duties in 1 897, these classes were consolidated under his own direction, and used in combination with the organ, which supplied the wind parts. The organ students were instructed in reading and playing from the orchestral score, and the orchestra, in this rudimentary form, was used to accompany the simpler concertos and arias. The next year, 1 898, the chorus was added, and among other things Rossini ' s Stabat Mater was given, accompanied by the strmgs and organ. The rehearsals were held in the small hall of the old Conservatory building and created so much interest among the students that the Director began to have applications from wind-instrument players who desired to join the orchestra. In 1 899, a canvass among the students of the school devel- oped fairly efficient players of the flute, clarinet, cornet, and trombone. Professional oboe and bassoon players were engaged, but the organ was still used for the missmg horn parts. From this time, interest in the study of wind instruments grew rapidly and students of the horn, oboe, bassoon, began to be developed from the clarinet, cornet and pianoforte players. In 1901 the orchestra had grown to nearly forty members, which was a much larger number than could be accommodated on the stage of the hall. The wind players had to be seated on the floor or in the gallery. It became evident, if the orchestra was to become a permanent factor in the institu- tion, that a better place for rehearsals and concerts must be provided. At the first rehearsal in October, 1 90 1 , at which the orchestra was complete without the assistance of the organ, the Director made a short address in which he expressed the hope that the event might prove to be a significant one and that the rehearsal then held would be the first of a series which would last as long as the Conservatory existed. At this rehearsal Beethoven ' s Overture to Egmont and Haydn ' s Symphony in D major were studied. On March 2, 1902, the orchestra gave its first public concert as a complete organi- zation. The program was as follows: Beethoven, Symphony in D major (first movement). Reinecke, Concerto in F sharp minor (first movement). Mozart, Quintet from Cosi fan tutti. Spohr, Concerto in D major (violin). Beethoven, Overture to Egmont. At the Commencement Concert of June 18, 1902, which was held in Tremont Temple, the orchestra played all the accompaniments for the graduates and also the Over- ture to Ruy Bias by Mendelssohn, and acquitted themselves very creditably. With the removal of the Conservatory to the present building, a great increase of enthusiasm took place. The inspiring surroundings, the beautiful hall for rehearsals, the conveniences of a special library, tuning room, lockers for instruments, etc., all added materially to the growth of the orchestra. From this time the orchestra has gradually grown in efficiency as well as in numbers. The present members represent the most ad- vanced students among the string and wind instruments, and there is a waiting list of

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GEORGE W. CHADWICK Director

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;icl candidates for the vacancies in each department. Three rehearsals a week are held, one of which is for wind instruments alone under the direction of Mr. Lenan. Students of the Conservatory are encouraged to attend rehearsals, one of which is largely devoted to accompaniments. The teachers of the wind instruments attend the rehearsals and help the students over peculiar difficulties in their parts. In this way the student gains the practical experience and necessary routine as a member of a symphony or opera orchestra. Of course the student membership necessarily changes from year to year, but most of the players acquire an experience of three or four years before they leave the Conservatory. The repertoire of the orchestra was at first confined chiefly to the works of the classic period, but gradually as the orchestra grew in efficiency more modern works were studied and eventually a number of works of this character were performed by the orchestra for the first time in Boston. The Library of the orchestra now contains more than one thousand sets of parts, in- cluding many choral works and some operas. The scores are, for the most part, kept in the main Library of the Conservatory, where they may be studied when not in use by the orchestra. The Library has been materially augmented by gifts of parts by the Harvard Musical Association and the Philharmonic Society, and by individuals, and it is being continually enlarged. This orchestra reaches the artistic life of the school at every point. In the first place, members of the orchestra gain here a routine and experience which fit them for positions in the best symphony and opera orchestras of this country and such positions are now being filled by our students in the Boston Symphony and other Symphony Orchestras of the country. Secondly, every student who can sing or play, conduct or compose, may use the orchestra as his laboratory, provided such use is warranted by his ability. Students who learn score reading and playing are given every opportunity actually to conduct the orchestra and are coached by the Director at the rehearsals. Students of composition may have their work rehearsed and performed if of sufficient merit. The privileges are also extended to the students of Harvard University who are taking the courses in music and special rehearsals are held from time to time for the purpose of illustrating the Harvard Course in Appreciation of Music. The Instrumentation Class has its studies demonstrated by the orchestra, where the errors are made evident to the ear as well as to the eye. A successful public performance as soloist with the orchestra before an audience of genuine music-lovers gives a young student such confidence that future engagements of the same kind (no matter how important) need have no terrors for him. At the orchestra rehearsals on Tuesday afternoons, to which all students are welcome, they not only have the opportunity of listening to many of the finest orchestral masterpieces, but are given a continual example of how the artistic details of a composition should be studied out and of the infinite pains indispensable to the perfection of technique and expression. During the past fifteen years upwards of one hundred twenty-five concerts have been given, including choral works and operatic performances. Some of these concerts have been conducted by students of the conducting class, and in the season of 1 905- 1 906, during the absence of the Director in Europe, the orchestra was in charge of Mr. Wallace Goodrich. Mr. Arthur Shepherd and Mr. Clement Lenan ' have also conducted. With these exceptions, all of the concerts have been conducted by Mr. Chadwick.