Clement Lenom (BSO oboe, 1901-1925) oral history interview: Lenom, Mary B., interviewee, 1992-01-13T00:00:00+00:00, 2023-06-14T00:00:00+00:00

Item — Box: 01 - MC5, Tape: 08, Side: A, B

Identifier: MC5, Box 01, Tape 08

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Cassette 8: Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on January 13, 1992, Mary Lenom is the wife of Clement Lenom.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT

Tape 08, Side A

INTERVIEWER: BOB RIPLEY INTERVIEWEE: MARY LENOM SUBJECT: CLEMENT LENOM LOCATION: Brookline, MA DATE: January 13, 1992

0:09 RECORDING BEGINS

0:43-4:00 Memories of Clement Lenom joining the orchestra; Georges LONGY invited Lenom when a vacancy opened up, no audition, under conductor Wilhelm GERICKE

4:13-4:35 Lenom played briefly with KOUSSEVITZKY

4:35 personal memories of LONGY family

5:40-7:20 met LENOM when Lenom was her teacher (solfege); later played harp

7:40-8:50 strike in 1920, mostly French contigent stayed, created a different program; sees strike as a result of German and French relations because of the war

8:55-10:17 Discussion of feelings about conductors, LENOM did not get along with KOUSSEVITZKY, felt KOUSSEVITZKY lacked technique, could not read scores

10:35-13:00 Early life, born in Belgium, studied at Paris Conservatory but did not finish, worked in Paris with LONGY at the LAMOUREUX and COLOGNE concerts

13:00 Monte Carlo for a few seasons

14:00-15:25 studied under Nadia BOULANGER in Paris, did some compositions

15:25-17:54 conducted Pops, taught at the Conservatory

21:10-27:06 discussion of husband's health and life dates (b. 1865 in Gilles, Belgium), lived to be 91; discussion of Mary's teaching and Julliard, Manhattan School

27:06-28:35 Mary was director of All-Newton School in 1956, but did not feel it was the right fit for her

28:35-30:09 misc. discussion of items she wants to donate to archives

Tape 08, Side B

MARY LENOM INTERVIEW CONT'D

0:13 INTERVIEW CONTINUES

0:19-3:54 Story about husband's friendship with Claude DEBUSSY; Clement would go to various churches to hear the organists play, including Charles-Marie WIDOR

3:00 comments about Camille SAINT-SAENS' unkind personality

4:52 INTERVIEW CONCLUDES

5:00 ADDENDUM BEGINS

5:00-6:25 Story about LONGY

6:25-7:40 LONGY and LENOM's close relationship in the orchestra and beyond

7:40 INTERVIEW ENDS