Mahler's Second Symphony

Last Friday and Saturday, as a warmup for the Bach Mass, the Glee Club and Choral Society joined forces with Leonard Bernstein and the Boston Symphony in a powerful and awe-inspiring performance of Mahler's Symphony in C minor.

This symphony, like Beethoven's Ninth, is unique because its choral movement is so gigantic it usually overshadows the other movements. That was certainly the case last weekend. The Orchestra faithfully pledged through the first three movements. There were occasional groans from the audience when one of the brass players (hired specially to meet the requirements of Mahler's bloated score) went berserk. But starting with Nan Mcrriman's contralto solo in the fourth movement, things began to pick up, and by the time the Finale came along, everyone had forgotten the preceding movements.

First there were crashes and shorts from the Orchestra. Little men kept fitting offstage to play a few bars in the wings. Gradually the din dropped to a murmur. Then it happened:

From nowhere came the seniority of human voices, scarely audible, singing "Thou shalt arise, arise from the dead." It was a magnificent entrance. No shuffing of pages or motion of any kind hinted that the Chorus was about to sing. Its entrance was only a mysterious whisper floating out into the hall, carrying the seprano solo along on top. The discipline of the Chorus was a real tribute to its director, Professor Woodworth. Adcle Addison, the seprano soloist, sang her part clearly and beautifully. And for the second time in two years, Leonard Bernstein had successfully brought Mahler's Second Symphony to Boston.