Stanley Benson (BSO violin, 1946-1976) oral history interview: Benson, Clara, interviewee, 1993-11-05T00:00:00+00:00, 2023-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

Cassette 52: Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on November 5, 1993, Clara Benson is the wife of Stanley Benson.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT

Tape 52, Side A

Interviewer: Bob Ripley Interviewee: Clara Benson Subject: Stanley Benson Date: November 5, 1993

0:09 INTERVIEW BEGINS

0:32-7:25 early life, born in 1909 in Brockton, MA; not a musical family, though mother had a violin; parents were Swedish who immigrated in late 1800s; studied with Trouls LAGERQUIST during his school years; became interested in the violin and in bows at a young age and began saving up his paper route money to begin collecting

7:25-11:52 played in a small string and wind ensemble; performed on the radio; Rosario MAZZEO performed in this ensemble with Stan; at this time, moved closer to the city; now living much closer to FIEDLER and ZIMBLER, though not yet in BSO;

11:52-16:12 did a lot of "general business"; met Carl ZEISE and did trios; did some hotel jobs; played at the Crawford Notch and various other jobs as available; players in the Pops went to these positions too; played in the Hensen String Quartet with HENSEN, WERNER

16:12-20:44 Forum String Quartet with KRAMER and WELCOME; performed a great deal of new pieces; eventually renamed themselves the New England String Quartet; most famous series was at the Scituate Yacht Club with Leonard BERNSTEIN as guest artist

20:44-21:32 met Stanley through a mutual friend, KREINEN, who introduced them; Clara was a violin student at the time

21:37-23:12 Stanley was studying with Louis KRASNER; had studied with BURGIN while in school; Clara went to study with KRASNER too; felt KRASNER was an excellent teacher and prioritized techniques

23:12-25:21 moved to New York to gain more experience; did not want to try for the BSO at this time as he needed to study more first; was told KOUSSEVITZKY was not impressed by Bostonian musical training;

25:21-28:13 played with newly formed orchestra with Otto KLEMPERER in New York; studied with Raol VIDAS, who was at the Ansonia Hotel with the Bohemians; met BARTOK while visiting with Vidas; began playing in orchestras and society jazz orchestras

28:13-29:58 Stan was exempt from service due to mother's illness; he went to Portland, ME to be in the orchestra where he could help build ships for the war; Clara had a department store job

29:58-32:07 began to study with the goal of auditioning for the BSO; moved back to Brockton in March 1945; told BURGIN that he was interested in auditioning; BURGIN advised that Stan not say he had studied with BURGIN

32:07-35:18 audition for the BSO; told KOUSSEVITZKY that he had studied in New York; in October, MAZZEO invited him to audition the next day

35:18-36:01 played first concert in 1946

36:01-38:00 aside about KOUSSEVITZKY's interest in clothing, as Stanley's family were tailors; story of KOUSSEVITZKY asking for Stan's tailor; joke that Stanley got into the orchestra because of the tailoring

38:00-38:52 was offered second chair originally, did not get first chair for fifteen years; story of Manuel ZUNG who had the same experience

38:52-42:55 while in orchestra, surprised French members by speaking in French; Clara is Jimmy STAGLIANO's cousin; fun times with the orchestra; went to South American with the ZIMBLER Symphoneta; formed a quartet with Roland TAPLEY, ZEISE, HUMPHREY

42:55-47:33 interest in violins and bows, bought and traded them, collected certain bows; he loved "fine things"; made friendship with Nathan SMALL, who also collected bows; was an expert on bows and instruments, so orchestra members trusted his assessments; purchased bows for other members

47:33-49:44 children played instruments, one studied with Patsy CARDILLO, the other with Alfred ZIGHERA

49:57 RECORDING ENDS

Tape 52, Side B

0:09 RECORDING BEGINS: CLARA BENSON CONT'D

0:09-2:41 after fifty years playing music, including freelancing, felt ready to be done; asked to stay in Boston for one more year; sold their Cape house to Harvey SEIGEL and Martha BABCOCK; Stanley BENSON's illness and death

2:41-5:07 story of meeting Stanley; being introduced by friends who knew them both; realized that they had both grown up in Brocton

5:07-6:48 after retirement, played chamber music; attended adult education classes at the library; would travel to visit their children; continued to teach, five of her students were in the Cape Cod Symphony;

6:48-8:46 story of the first "Salute to Symphony" also known as the marathon as a fundraiser for the orchestra; ended up doing it twice over

8:46-10:46 during financial struggle, Stanely supported her; she went to KRASNER for lessons and BURGIN for discounted lessons and violins; discussion of the violins she collected in the time after Stanley's death

10:46-12:23 Stanley's experience as secretary for the Players' Committee; Clara transcribed the notes for the meetings

12:48 INTERVIEW CONCLUDES

12:49-16:41 postscript, read by RIPLEY: 1946, were living in Brockton with no car, took bus and subway; in 1950, moved to Newtonville; during first year, Stan taught at Weston Music School; told students that he had practiced three hours a day and was able to do so because he had no phone or other distractions; when the orchestra traveled, Clara took over for his students; Clara's musical career began when they lived in Portland, taught students including Thomas DOWNS, who she continued to teach and help with his career; both she and Thomas studied with BRONSTEIN, who had studied in Leningrad under Leopold AUER; Stanley found a good bow for Jack Benny, when he came to perform for the BSO

16:50-22:03 names for spelling and identification: - Jimmy = James STAGLIANO - Sammy = Samuel MAYES - Joe = Joseph DE PASQUALE - Patsy = Pasquale CARDILLO - Boaz PILLER - Pinar HANSEN - Alfred ZIGHERA - Benny FIEDLER - Rosario MAZZEO - Joseph ZIMBLER - Karl ZEISE - George FOUREL - Jean KAUHAPE - Carl BARTH - Richard BURGIN - Cecilia ARZEWSKI - BALESTRIERI / CONTRERARS - Rembret WURLITZER - Lucien CAPET - Gottfried Joel WILFINGER - VILLAUME - John SANT AMBROGIO - Leon BUYSE - WINTERNITZ - Thomas DOWNS