Dr. Serge Koussovitzky will lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Sanders Theatre this evening in its first concert in the Cambridge series. The program is a varied one consisting of works by Prokofleff, Strauss, and Boothoven.

The last-named composer in represented by his famous Third or "Eroica" Symphony which was played last weekend in Boston during the Friday and Saturday series. In contrast to this great work is a recent orchestral suite by the Russian musician, Sergo Prokefloff, who is well known for both his composing and pianoforte abilities. This particular suite is an arrangement of his incidental music to the Soviet film, "Lieutenant Kije," and is grouped into five movements of a light and satirical mood. The film was produced in the U. S. S. R. in 1933 and the music is being heard for the first time in America at tonight's performance.

Between Bootheven and Prokefloff (chronologically, that is) lies Richard Strauss, who, while still alive, composed most of his greatest works twenty or more years ago. "Till Eulenspigel's Merry Pranks after the Old-Fashioned Reguish Manner--in Rondo Form" is a long title but highly appropriate for one of his shorter tone poems, which is also to be heard tonight. When first performed in Boston in 1896, it encountered a most cold reception and phrases such as "a blood-curdling night-mare," "a musical obscenity," and "a noisy, nerve-destroying, heavy piece of work" were recklessly hurled at the composer. Since that time, the real humor in the piece has come to be more appreciated and the clever orchestration has made it a familiar concert vehicle.

Other Concerts

Dr. Koussevitzky's Symphony Hall program for Friday afternoon and Saturday evening will be devoted entirely to Richard Strauss and Prokefloff. To the Thursday selections will be added the German composer's grandiose "Death and Transfiguration," which makes skillful use of cerie woodwind passages and muted syncopation in the strings to build up a tension yielding only to the C major chords of the brasses in the finale.

Other additions are two sharply contrasted works of Prokofleff--the "Classical Symphony" of 1917, and a Russian Overture, composed only last year, which is based upon themes of folk character and is scored for a large orchestra.

Sunday next at 8:30 o'clock Fritz Kreisler will be at Symphony Hall to offer a program varying from Bach to De Falla. And that evening the State Symphony Orchestra features Tschaikowsky's Second Symphony in another Sanders Theatre concert. The reaction to a first hearing of this group tends to be surprisingly pleasant, and an added point of interest this week will be the world premiere of "Epic Poem" by a Harvard graduate, Arthur Korb '30. Alexander Thiede will conduct.