Events

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

FRANCIS POULENC (1899–1963)
Gloria

In Spring 1959, the Koussevitzky Foundation commissioned Poulenc to compose a symphony in honor of famed conductor Sergei Koussevitzky and his wife Natalia, the foundation’s namesakes. The composer replied that the genre was “not my thing.” A follow up request for an organ concerto was also brushed off by Poulenc telling them that he had already composed one. The foundation reached out a third time with the approval of their advisory board to offer a $2,000 commission (approximately $22,500 in 2025) for a work of the composer's own choosing. A month later, Poulenc replied that he had initiated work on his Gloria.

A member of the flippant group of 1920s Parisian composers known as “Les Six,” Poulenc was known for his distinctly modern and vibrant works. He was largely self-taught and had no training in orchestration but was never troubled by that gap: “I know perfectly well,” he said, “that I’m not one of those composers who have made harmonic innovations, like Igor [Stravinsky], Ravel, or Debussy, but I think there’s room for new music that doesn’t mind using other people’s chords.”

After the tragic death of a close friend in 1936, Poulenc experienced a profound spiritual awakening which led him to a renewed interest in religious themes and ultimately to a reconnection with his Catholic faith. His Gloria is one of several sacred choral works composed with his new mindset. It is a work of many moods, with influences derived from jazz, dance—perhaps even the can-can—and nods to earlier French composers such as Fauré, and bits of Poulenc’s sardonic humor. On a heavier note, one can hear in the martial opening, the tramp of goose-stepping troops, a remembrance of the German occupation of France during WWII.

Gloria was premiered on January 21, 1961 in Boston, Massachusetts, by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Chorus Pro Musica under the baton of Koussevitzky’s successor, Charles Münch, with Adele Addison as soloist. Although now considered one of Poulenc’s finest works, some of his contemporary critics shook their heads and tut-tutted about sections which to them came off as too light-hearted and irreverent, and out of place in a presumably “serious” religious work. In particular, Poulenc’s setting of the Latin text “Laudamus te, Benedicimus te” (We praise you, we bless you), seemed downright giddy to those critics. In his defense, Poulenc said: "I was thinking when I composed it of these frescoes by Gozzoli with angels sticking out their tongues, and of Benedictine [clergy] I once saw playing soccer."

This Poulenc work was especially popular with Maestro George Perkins, who conducted it three times during his tenure. The most recent BSO&C performance of the work was March 2010, under the baton of Maestra Anne Harrigan.

PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
Symphony No. 5

Tchaikovsky faced a turbulent period in his life when he began working on this symphony in 1888. He had just gone through a challenging phase marked by depression and self-doubt, compounded by his complicated feelings about his identity and sexuality in a society that wasn’t always accepting. This emotional turmoil became a driving force behind the music.

The symphony begins quietly with a somber theme that sets the stage for a struggle between despair and hope. This opening “fate motif” recurs throughout the work, symbolizing the inevitability of fate itself, a concept that resonated with Tchaikovsky and many of his contemporaries.

As the symphony progresses, it moves through contrasting moods. The second movement introduces a lyrical, almost wistful theme, showcasing Tchaikovsky's gift for melody. Here, you can almost hear the composer’s longing for beauty and love, which were often just out of reach for him. The third movement brings a playful, dance-like quality with hints of melancholy, reflecting the complexity of human emotions.

The final movement bursts forth with vigor and triumph, embodying a sense of resolution which many interpret as a victory over adversity, a celebration of life despite its challenges. Tchaikovsky’s ability to weave his personal struggles into universal themes of fate, love, and triumph is what makes this symphony so powerful and relatable.

Tchaikovsky’s emotional journey through fate and triumph has appeared on four previous BSO programs: December 1962 (Maestro George Perkins conducting), January 1988 (Maestro Uri Barnea), and November 2005 and April 2012 (Maestra Anne Harrigan).