New England Conservatory; #2 (Reel 1)

For. This is going to show her. As president of the New England Conservatory of Music. I invite you to listen to this series of concerts which represents some of our more interesting efforts in recent months. These concerts involve both faculty and students. And encompass a wide variety of performing groups soloists and types of concerts. The New England Conservatory proudly boasts

a very broad curriculum encompassing many directions and manifestations of music often considered peripheral by traditional music educational institutions. This curriculum is taught by a faculty which identifies with such a broad educational spectrum. Therefore these concerts can only give a partial glimpse of the wide range of performances available to our conservatory audiences and the Greater Boston concert going public. We hope however that such a sampling may demonstrate. That although the New England Conservatory is the oldest conservatory in the United States it is in its educational philosophy and in its attitudes. One of the youngest. I hope you will enjoy this series. Don't we present another concert in the 1968 69 season in the Jordan Hall the New England Conservatory of Music. These concerts are heard each week

over the stations through the facilities WGBH in Boston. Tonight's program is being tape recorded on January the 10th 1969 for later broadcast. Featured on tonight's program. Russell Sherman chairman of the piano faculty here at the new conservatory of music. Mr. Sherman was born in New York City in 1980 and a graduate of Columbia University. He studied composition with Perry. We talk Carmen and piano with that barge boy or man Julia. He made his debut in town hall at the age of 15 and subsequently appeared in recycles throughout the United States. Mr. Sherman has appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic Los Angeles but Amani and the Detroit Symphony he has given premier performances of works by going to shorter stuff than we do no know. And he has also distinguished himself through his outstanding lecture recital series on the complete piano sonatas and the Bach Well-Tempered

Clavier. He has held faculty positions at Pomona College Claremont Graduate School and the University of Arizona. He is now as I said chairman of the piano department here at the New England Conservatory of Music. An interesting program this evening. The first half will be devoted to music of the 20th century. Opening with two piano pieces of vinyl Schoenberg followed by Edvard story mom's suite for piano then staff and volunteers form Milton Babbitt's partitions and Alexander scree are beings sent out on a return Opus 70 the following intermission. Simply 24 preludes of his twenty eight figure like short by. Now and what you and it was. A.

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hear the send out a number 10 over 70 in our Alexander screen having composed in 1912 1913. In the last two years of this composer's life. It's creating a genuine innovator in harmony. After an early period of strongly felt influences experience with the with shore power list and Wagner he gradually evolved his own melodic and harmonic style marked by extreme chromaticism. The key signature is dispensed with in these later works chromatic alterations and compound appoggiaturas create a harmonic web of such complexity that all distinction between consonance and dissonance that issues. In a few moments Russell Sherman will be returning to the stage and we will send out a number 10 Opus 70. Alexander. To eat and.

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In a few moments the 24 preludes opens Twenty eight of. Them will continue with the second half of tonight's Jordan Hall concert. But right now it's my pleasure to present Russell Sherman the piece by Mr. Storm on which we heard on the first part of the program the suite for piano is the work which Mr. Sherman studied with Mr. Storm on here used to recollect that period of study. Mr. Sherman. Thank you. I remember when we worked out this piece that this destroyer a man who despite his consistent devotion to the cause of modern music. Did not teach contemporary music in nearly as explicit a manner as he taught classical music.

Nevertheless with this piece. Which he had composed he was extremely fussy with many of the details and complexities. And it is a very complex piano style. In fact I think that is one of the more attractive things about the piece. That on a emotional and psychological level it is very direct and fact I remember a phrase that one of the critics of the New York Times used to describe. A work by destroying man for string quartet seven waltzes for string quartet. And I believe the critic said something about the motives in the melodies that went straight to the heart. A kind of phrase that one doesn't often associate with the texture. Of a 12 tone music. Nevertheless in this work to this piano suite I think also there's a very

personal and poignant element. Which is somehow is orchestrated into a very rich. Piano style that involves a great deal of changes of register or the hands are frequently moving around each hand has frequently at least two two. Or even three different themes or motives that it must clarify. And we worked on these things in a very. Are plotting an energetic wave towards making. As I remember the recording of this suite. And I believe the first performance of it at that time. Perhaps I could go on and see a few more things about the method of Mr

Strawman. Who I believe was a very great teacher in fact was my great fortune to come to him when I was 11 years of age. And in that sense he was practically my only teacher. And he of course settled in New York after he left the UK. The continent in the 30s.