BEGINS WITH THE OBOE A History of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
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BEGINS WITH THE OBOE A History or the Toronto Symphony Orchestra RICHARD S. WARREN UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS Toronto Buffalo London
www.utppublishing.com Estate of Richard S. Warren, 2002 Published by University of Toronto Press Incorporated Toronto Buffalo London Printed in Canada ISBN 0-8020-3588-4 Printed on acid-free paper National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data Warren, Richard S. Begins with the oboe : a history of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra / Richard S. Warren. Included bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8020-3588-4 1. Toronto Symphony Orchestra. I. Title. ML205.8.T72T73 2002 785'.06'2713541 C2002-901111-6 Photographs are from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra archives, or are used with kind permission of Dr Fred Fallis, Frank Harmantas, and Brian Pickell. University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial support for its publishing activities of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP).
To Marian
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Contents Foreword - Sir Andrew Davis ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii ONE Prelude 3 TWO 1922-1931: Luigi von Kunits 9 THREE 1931-1945: Sir Ernest MacMillan, Part 1 19 FOUR 1945-1956: Sir Ernest MacMillan, Part 2 41 FIVE 1956-1965: Walter Susskind 61 six 1965-1973: Seiji Ozawa and Karel Ancerl 81 SEVE 973-1975: Victor Feldbrill, Resident Conductor 109 EIGHT 1975-1982: Andrew Davis at Massey Hall 121 NINE 1982-1987: Andrew Davis at Roy Thomson Hall 145 TEN 1988-1994: Gunther Herbig 181 ELEVEN 1994-2000: Jukka-Pekka Saraste 199 Toward the Unknown: 2001-2002 217 Afterword - The Honourable Bob Rae 223 Notes 227
VIM CONTENTS Appendices A. Musicians of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra 229 B. Music Directors, Conductors, and Composers 249 C. Presidents/Chairmen of the Board of Directors 251 D. Canadian Works Commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra 252 E. Discography 255 Select Bibliography 261 Index 263
Foreword In 1976 the administration of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra wisely decided that an archives section should be installed for the retention of important documents to maintain the history of the orchestra. Richard Warren volunteered to be the archivist. In 1995 Richard decided that it was time for a book giving a more in-depth account of the Orchestra's colourful history. After seven years of intense research and writing that chronicle has arrived. I knew Richard personally from his first year with the orchestra; his enthusiasm and dedication have been an inspiration to musicians, administration staff, directors, and myself alike. He and I often discussed the works of English composers, especially Elgar, for whom we had a kindred fascination. Richard was also greatly interested in the historical fortunes of other orchestras, particularly the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, both of which were founded in his lifetime. What many of us would not give to have witnessed first-hand the work of the great conductors of the past. For me in particular, the chapters on Luigi von Kunits, Ernest MacMillan, and Walter Susskind provide a fascinating glimpse into the minds and musical souls of men who guided the orchestra through such important times. Richard's invaluable, dedicated service to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is revealed through the pages of this illuminating volume, which faithfully narrates the complex course of the orchestra's history, relishing the good times while not whitewashing the not-so-good. Everyone who cherishes the Toronto Symphony Orchestra will also cherish this book. Happy reading! Sir Andrew Davis Music Director, Lyric Opera, Chicago Conductor Laureate, Toronto Symphony Orchestra
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Preface The title of this book - Begins with the Oboe - could be a crossword clue, but within the world of symphony orchestras this phrase is a fact of life. Once the orchestra has assembled on stage, the concertmaster will arise and look toward the principal oboe to indicate that he requires the 'A' to be played. At this signal, the principal oboist plays the 'A 440' and the members of the orchestra tune their instruments. Then the rehearsal or concert is ready to proceed. I have often given thought to writing a book on the history of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, but I always came up with the excuse that an archivist is too close to the scene to give a fair record of events. However, since a close friend who is also the archivist of a major orchestra in England successfully completed a volume for his orchestra, I adjusted my thinking, and decided to make a similar attempt. This book is intended as a history of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra: a chronicle of achievements, challenges, and outstanding events during the past eighty years. My aim, in writing this history, was to give the reader an enlightening and accessible insight into the Orchestra. On a few occasions I deviate from the main theme of the book in order to describe a certain personality, such as a conductor or a guest artist. I have done so because I feel that this additional information adds colour and provides another level of interest to the association of performance between orchestra and artist.
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Acknowledgments I am deeply indebted to the many friends and associates who have been so very helpful in my endeavour to write this book. My thanks go especially to Joanne Harada, who over the past three years patiently put words and letters in the correct order; Pat Wardrop, who straightened out the historical content; Beresford King-Smith, whose inspiration prompted me to take the plunge in writing this book; Dr Tim Maloney, Music Division of the National Library of Canada, for assistance with the Sir Ernest MacMillan Archives; Neil Cory, Senior Music Producer, CBC Radio Music Department; Gail Donald, Co-ordinator, English Radio Network Archives; William Littler, music critic, Toronto Star, for the very informative interview he gave me on his many years of reviews with the TSO; to Bill Harnum, Suzanne Rancourt, Ruth Pincoe, and all their colleagues at University of Toronto Press, for all the hard work they have put into the production of this book; to Walter Homburger, who for many years has kept informed about the history of the orchestra; and finally to Loie Fallis, Roberta Smith, and all members past and present of the TSO music department, for their undying support in making this project possible, and to all members, past and present, of the orchestra, who, through conversations and recorded interviews, have enriched my knowledge of the TSO.
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BEGINS WITH THE OBOE A History of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
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CHAPTER ONE Prelude tttor0ttt0 g>gmplj0tttj ( rrf} Btra FRANK S, WELSMAN, Conductor. Mme. JOHANNA GADSK1 Soprano Soloist First Concert 1S0S 9 Tuesday Evening, December 8th, 1908 MASSEY MUSIC HALL.
Music is in the air - you simply take as much as you require! EDWARD ELGAR In 1920 Edward Johnson (1878-1959), the eminent Canadian tenor and Metropolitan Opera star, said, 'I want to see Toronto produce and maintain a full time professional symphony orchestra. This city is a very important metropolis of North America and it therefore needs and must have one.' Undoubtedly, Johnson was well aware of the unsuccessful attempts made over the past sixty years. The musical situation in Toronto before the advent of the present Toronto Symphony Orchestra is important because it encompasses the many elements that led to the orchestra's eventual formation. During the latter half of the nineteenth century the musical life of Toronto was dominated by choral music, owing in large part to the rich tradition of choral singing that had been brought by many British immigrants from their homeland. The Toronto Philharmonic Society was not a single organization, but rather a series of successive societies. The first was organized in 1845 by John McCaul (1807-86) and was for a time the centre of musical life in the city. Over the next ten years, performances of oratorios along with some instrumental selections were organized and conducted by various musicians including James P. Clarke, James D. Humphreys, Henry Schallehn, and George W. Strathy at a number of locations in the city, including St Lawrence Hall, the Royal Lyceum Theatre, and City Hall. However, the organization folded in 1855 because of financial problems. After many attempts, the Philharmonic Society was revived in 1872, with McCaul as president and James P. Clarke (1807-77) as conductor, for a performance of Handel's Messiah given at Shaftesbury Hall in February 1873. That year Frederick Torrington (1837-1917) took over as conductor and in following years the Society presented Canadian premieres of Mendelssohn's oratorios Elijah (1874) and St Paul (1876), and Charles Gounod's La redemption (1882, the year of its composition). At this time concert orchestras were assembled for each performance from a core of regimental, theatre, and band musicians, augmented by amateur and professional musicians borrowed from neighbouring communities. Even then, specific instruments were sometimes missing and consequently the balance was often unsatisfac-
PRELUDE 5 tory. Regular rehearsal was almost impossible; programs were restricted to works ten to twenty minutes in length, and symphonies were represented by single movements. By the turn of the twentieth century, visits by American and European orchestras formed the real basis of the musical season for Toronto. A number of American orchestras, including the Boston Symphony, the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic, made regular visits to Toronto, on many occasions joining forces with local groups such as the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Without a doubt, these visits stimulated a desire by local Frank Welsman (1873-1952) musicians for a well-established symphony orchestra of their own. During this time several attempts were made to create a permanent orchestra. The first group to call itself the Toronto Symphony Orchestra appeared in 1890-1, under the baton of Francesco D'Auria (1841-after 1913), an Italian conductor who also taught voice at the Toronto Conservatory of Music. Then, in 1900, organizers announced the formation of an orchestra under the leadership of Frederick Torrington. This orchestra was to present regular concerts and to tour within Canada and abroad. Unfortunately, the first concert of the Toronto Permanent Orchestra, given after extensive rehearsals, also proved to be its last. The following year, another Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Dickinson, gave a single concert before it too folded for lack of financial support. In 1906 the situation began to look a little brighter. That year Dr Edward Fisher (1848-1913), the director of the Toronto Conservatory of Music, called a meeting to discuss the possibility of forming an orchestra. The outcome was a decision to organize financing and invite a prominent musician - Frank Welsman (1873-1952), a former student of the Conservatory - to join the teaching staff. Welsman accepted the offer and, in an agreement with Dr Fisher, formed an orchestra under the auspices of the Conservatory. The musicians of the Toronto Conservatory Symphony Orchestra were drawn from faculty members, students, and talented amateurs. After two successful