Willis Page (BSO bassist, 1940-1954) oral history interview: Page, Willis, interviewee, 1994-09-10T00:00:00+00:00, 2023-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

Cassette 60-1: Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on September 10, 1994; See also VHS 1 for video recording of this interview.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT

Tape 60-1, Side A

Interviewer: Bob Ripley Interviewee: Willis Page Date: September 10, 1994

0:15 INTERVIEW BEGINS

0:50-8:30 auditioned for the BSO in 1940; was already in STOKOWSKY's All-American Youth Orchestra; auditioned for KOUSSEVITZKY; Page had begun in Tanglewood for the student orchestra, and then was pulled by KOUSSEVITKZY for the BSO; STOKOWKSY released him from his contract and encouraged him to join the BSO

8:30-11:50 first impressions of the BSO; challenges of getting used to new repertoire; felt he had a warm reception from orchestra members; friendship with Richard BURGIN

11:50-14:20 after war service, was supposed to be able to return to third chair position, story of initially not being allowed, but auditioned for KOUSSEVITKZY and received first stand, became principal for Pops; story of FIEDLER insisting on an extra audition for him

14:20-17:40 memories of KOUSSEVITZKY; challenged him as a player; was good at making each player feel noticed;

17:40-24:07 story of a burp during rehearsal, when KOUSSEVITZKY said "please, no observations"; story of Gillet and KOUSSEVITZKY; story of performing BRAHMS after the death of KOUSSEVITZKY's second wife; after the first year of significant stress under Koussevitzky, the second was much better;

24:07-25:20 taught often, especially after the war; Ortiz WALTON was his student, first Black BSO orchestra member

25:20-36:43 army service; turned down Marine Band, after enlisting in the army, his brass experience was exposed, so he was put into the Fort Devons band; played in army band for several years; played for and met General PATTON

36:43-38:29 returned to orchestra after army service; did not get along well with George MOLEUX, but liked Henry FREEMAN, Gaston DUFRESNE, and PORTNOI

38:29-44:30 more memories of KOUSSEVITZKY; Koussevitzky introduced a great deal of new music; story of tuba solo by ADAM; story of Larry WHITE and request for "more democracy" in the orchestra; story of Kousse requesting quieter gong note from WHITE; story of going to perform at Tanglewood with the student orchestra

44:30-46:04 taught at Tanglewood before and after the war, including Tiny MARTIN, BOTTI, and others; asked each of them to play G# Minor scale (extremely challenging on the bass) since KOUSSEVITZKY had asked for it during Page's audition

46:04-49:50 story of Lido CANTELLI as guest conductor for the BSO; aside about MITROPOLOUS' skill at conducting without a score; Irving FRANKEL shouted during rehearsal since the music was so loud; CANTELLI stopped the orchestra, catching FRANKEL out shouting, but CANTELLI blames Page

49:50 RECORDING ENDS

Tape 60-1, Side B

0:06 RECORDING BEGINS: WILLIS PAGE CONT'D

0:06-3:27 conflict when CANTELLI was guest conductor; PAGE and then PERRY and CABOT were asked to mediate; positive impressions of CANTELLI as a conductor at BSO and beyond

3:27-4:44 served as chairman of the Players'Committee for one or two years; won position against Gaston DUFRESNE; also recieved first stand position over DUFRESNE

4:44-8:30 stories of conflict between KOUSSEVITZKY and DUFRESNE; story of DUFRESNE kicked out of the orchestra after conflict; after Fritz KREISLER was hurt in accident, a telegram was sent to KOUSSEVITKZY and signed "Dufresne", which encouraged Kousse to bring him back

8:42-10:15 early life, born in NY in 1918; mother was singer and read music; brother was a musician too, but after an illness, became a minister

10:15-12:51 studied tuba and bass in high school; studied with a teacher at the Eastman School of Music; was accepted to Harvard without a scholarship but could not afford it, so attended Eastman instead; played in the Rochester Philharmonic, and the Civic Orchestra; played tuba for the Civic and bass for Rochester

12:51-18:39 interest in conducting developed from frustration; after FIEDLER turned down smaller concerts, PAGE began doing so; conducted for the Cecilia Society; conducted for the Buffalo Symphony while still at Tanglewood but could not sustain the schedule

18:39-20:46 friendship with Harry FREEMAN; predicted his son would become director of Eastman; attendance at baseball game coordinated through connection with Red Sox musicians

20:46-25:13 decision to leave the BSO so he could pursue his conducting; farewell from MUNCH; challenges of starting off as conductor, learning new repertoire was challenging; received bad reviews and thought about leaving Buffalo, William STEINBERG (conductor before KRIPPS) advised him that negative critique is common

25:13-26:03 went to Nashville, became Music Director of the Symphony

26:03-40:28 was invited to the Omuri Nippon Orchestra in Japan; took a year-long leave of absence to join this orchestra; after going through security, was almost kidnapped, but was saved by friends he had met in the airport and brought to a reception instead; meeting with Colonel MIURA, who claimed he "ran Tokyo by night" and later threatened Page, was put into witness protection; learned some Japanese

40:28-46:10 helped get Ford Foundation grant to support Nashville Symphony; wanted to get full-time work for musicians accross the board; ZAZOFSKY and Page tried to get 52-week paycheck for BSO members; also received an education grant for Nashville; the Board did not allow them to hire all 29 members that they had promised in the grants, Page went around the Board, and was fired for it

46:10-48:04 taught at the Eastman School for two years; then taught at Drake University and conducted Des Moines Symphony; finally came to Jacksonville Symphony for 12 years, but contract was not renewed

48:04-49:47 reflections on playing in the BSO; memories of playing for memorial after RACHMANINOFF's death

49:47 RECORDING ENDS