– Boston Symphony In Rehearsal – Charles Munch, conductor – January 20, 1951 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
Once again this weekend, the Boston Symphony in rehearsal. This time it’s two firsts – Saint-Saëns‘ overture to La Princesse Jaune, played for the first time by the BSO, and the world premier of Peter Mennin‘s Symphony Number 5. They were both rehearsed on January 20, 1951. As usual, Ben Grauer narrates the goings-on and a lively time is had by all, especially the Triangle player in the Saint-Saëns.
From the BSO’s website:
Possibly the best-loved among past Boston Symphony leaders, Charles Munch was valued for his human qualities as for his superior musicianship. His Alsatian background and connection with the celebrated Schweitzer family assured him of a footing in both French and German cultures, and the first half of his life was passed largely, though not exclusively, in a German setting. From 1933 onward he was based in Paris, directing all of the major French orchestras and cultivating his relationship with the younger French composers whose work he was to introduce to the United States during his fourteen years as BSO Music Director and successor to Koussevitzky. Boston audiences appreciated the spontaneity of his performances no less than his charm of manner, and took pride in his leadership of the orchestra’s first epoch-making tours of Europe in 1952 and 1956 and of Australia and the Far East in 1960.
Only a half-hour, but what a half-hour.
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