Philip Hale’s Boston Symphony Programme Notes gathers the famous annotations written by the critic Philip Hale for the concerts of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. For decades Hale’s notes set a standard for the genre, combining historical background, analysis, and lively commentary on the works performed.
The collection covers a wide repertory of orchestral masterpieces, illuminating each with scholarship, anecdote, and Hale’s discerning critical judgment. Far more than dry programme filler, his notes are models of musical writing for the concert audience. As a record of one of America’s great orchestras and of an admired critic’s art, the book remains a rewarding companion to the symphonic repertory.