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

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GEORGE W. CHADWICK Director

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lonnr Soil WILFORD BARTENFELD THEOPHILUS BEARSE ALCIDE BELANGER RIAL BENJAMIN THEODORE BERNARD IVAN BISHOP MAURICE BLACK MILTON H. BROWN MARIO CARMOSINO FRANK L. CHOUR BYRON CLARK FRED CLARK WILLIAM W. CORTELYOU HENRY McL. CRITCHFIELD WILLIAM E. DONOVAN WILLIAM J. DUFFY WILLIAM E. DUNCAN LEE T. ESTABROOK CLIFFORD FERGUSON MORTIER FORBE OSCAR H. FRYE AT WOOD H. GROVE WILLIAM HADDON GEORGE HATHAWAY RAYMOND HEAD ALBERT HEILMAN PAUL F. HENDERSON PAUL E. HOLLISTER STUART HOPPIN FRANK T. HUNTER GEORGE C. JONES FREDERICK KACHLER GEORGE KENNEALLY GLADWIN LAMB HERMAN LEIGHTON ARTHUR A. LEVEE RONALD McCUTCHEON WILLIAM J.McCROSSAN ELLSWORTH MacLEOD ARTHUR MOLL JOHN D. MURRAY GEORGE W. MURDOCK SEMEON MUSCANTO CHARLES W. NELSON EARL OLIVER LEE M. PATTISON FREDERICK PIERCE WILLIAM S. PONTIN GREENE G. QUARKER SAM ROBERTS EDWARD RYAN RICHARD S. SEYMOUR GEORGE W. SHAW LUDWIG W. STAATLER EDWIN STECKEL HAROLD STEWART HAROLD SUNDT GUSTAVE A. SWANSTROM ARCHIBALD G. SWIFT DANIEL TOPJIAN WILLIAM R. TOWER LYLE P. TRUSSELLE FRANK L. VENTRE ADOLPH VOGEL REUBEN WILLIS OSWALD WILSON

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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