Koussevitzky as Boss: "I Played Fiddle for the Czar" and other Musician Perspectives
Koussevitzky was known for being exacting, terrifying and relentless in his pursuit of musical perfection. According to an interview with Willis Page (BSO bass, 1940-1943; 1945-1955), Koussevitzky was very clear that his orchestra was not a democracy. "I say do, and you do!" Explore some of these stories of musician experiences in the BSO under the direction of Serge Koussevitzky.
Photo spread in the Providence Sunday Journal: “Musicians’ view of Dr. Serge Koussevitzky", February 16, 1941
Some various gestures that Koussevitzky used to indicate tempo, tone, and expression are enumerated in this photographic spread.
Changes in personnel from the 1924-1925 season to the 1925-1926 season
These program book rosters from the 1924-1925 and 1925-1926 seasons, and a memo from BSO manager W. H. Brennan to BSO Board President Judge Frederick Cabot illustrate changes in personnel that Koussevitzky requested early in his tenure. Seventeen musicians did not return after the conductor’s first season. According to biographer Arthur Lourié, Koussevitzky was improving the quality of the orchestra’s sound. According to others, such as violinist Percy Paul Leveen, this personnel change was a “great purge.”
Program book rosters from the 1924-1925 and 1925-1926 seasons
Memo from BSO manager W. H. Brennan to BSO Board President Judge Frederick Cabot
Manuscript pages from Percy Paul Leveen’s unpublished memoir and undated photograph of Percy Paul Leveen (BSO violin, 1919-1944)
Undated photograph of Percy Paul Leveen (BSO violin, 1919-1944)
American-born Percy Paul Leveen joined the orchestra in the fall of 1919 under BSO conductor Pierre Monteux.
Photographer unknown; Gift of the Estate of Percy Paul Leveen
Manuscript pages from Percy Paul Leveen’s unpublished memoir
Percy Paul Leveen (BSO violin, 1919-1944) sat through the aftermath of two World Wars, the BSO strike in 1920, the arrival of Koussevitzky, and the unionization of the orchestra. After his time with the BSO, he penned a memoir entitled “I Played Fiddle for the Czar” but never succeeded in publishing the manuscript.
Gift of the Estate of Percy Paul Leveen
List of potential titles for Percy Paul Leveen's memoir
Although it appears that BSO violinist Percy Paul Leveen settled on "I Played Fiddle for the Czar" as the title for his memoir, his papers include a list of potential alternative titles.
Preserving the Record
Robert Ripley (BSO cello, 1955-1995)
Robert Ripley studied with Jean Bedetti (BSO principal cello, 1919-1948) and attended the fledgling Tanglewood Music Center in 1942, where he played principal cello in the student orchestra. During WWII, he played in Glenn Miller’s band and then the Cleveland Orchestra before joining the BSO in 1955.
Photographer unknown
Audio cassette tapes from the Robert Ripley Oral History Collection
Starting before his retirement from the BSO’s cello section in 1995 and continuing for several years after, Robert Ripley conducted over 90 interviews with former BSO musicians or their family members, capturing the memories and recollections of several decades of musicianship in the orchestra. During the summer of 2022, the audio cassettes containing these interviews were digitized and are now available for research.
Oral history interview with BSO bassist Willis Page published in the Koussevitzky Recordings Society journal
As mentioned above, in the mid-1990s, BSO cellist Robert Ripley interviewed several musicians who had played under Koussevitzky, including BSO bassist Willis Page (1940-1943; 1945-1955). The transcript of Willis Page’s interview was published in the Spring 1997 edition of the Koussevitzky Recordings Society journal.
Koussevitzky Recordings Society, Vol. X, No. 1, Spring 1997
BSO bassist Willis Page stands with his instrument
BSO bassist Willis Page (1940-1943; 1945-1955) was auditioned privately by Serge Koussevitzky in the late spring of 1940. He was invited to attend the Tanglewood Music Center’s inaugural class that summer and started in the BSO bass section in the fall.
Photographer unknown
Listen: Charles Smith (BSO percussion, 1943-1990) talks about Koussevitzky's conducting
Listen: Phil Kaplan (BSO flute, 1939-1970) talks about Koussevitzky as musical director
Three biographies of BSO musicians who played under Koussevitzky
Book cover for Gentlemen, More Dulce Please! by Harry Ellis Dickson
BSO violinist (1938-1987) Harry Ellis Dickson uses one of Serge Koussevitzky’s many admonitions to the orchestra as the title of his colorful memoir: “Gentlemen, more dulce please!”
Book cover for Becoming a Musician by George Norwood Humphrey
BSO violist (1934-1977) George Norwood Humphrey shares many anecdotes of the exactitude Koussevitzky demanded of his musicians.
Book cover for Richard Burgin: A Life in Verse by Diana Burgin
Diana Burgin, daughter of Richard Burgin (BSO concertmaster, 1920-1962; assistant conductor, 1934-1943; and associate conductor, 1943-1966) turns his life into verse, including moments in which the two Russians share a camaraderie for their common national origin.