"PAN."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1140, 30 May 1911, Page 3

"PAN."

DE. HAKEISS'S SYMPHONIC IDYLL. This composition by Dr. Charles Harriss is to bo heard in Wellington at tho end of Juno and will be given by tho Sheffield Choir of England under his direction, and is described as a "thoric idyll." Tho libretto is by Josephine frest'on I'eabedy, and deals with the oldtime legend of Pan, the Arcadian deity, and the birth of niu'sic. The work opens, after a feiv passages, with a vigorous chorus, which establishes the idea ot quick movement. Syrinx (one of Diana's nymphs) is pursued by Pan, and the Dryads and other denizens ot the primeval iorest qu'eslion her as she Hies past them as to the reason of her flight.

"Stay with us and learn the joys of the forest, and simple unrestrained love," say the women's voices- in a middle section which offers relief to the strenuous character of tho opening phrases. To their sweet pleading, the malo. voices (representing the Satyrs) add their sonorous notes. Pan soon catches up the Hying nymph, and his voice is heard urging his desire. Syrinx then appeals to tho things which grow' around the forest, but they' reply that, apart from the god's will, they have no existence. To the first statement of this, by the sopranos and altos, there follows :i short assenting phrase by the full choir. Syrinx, in a short lyrical passage (daintily accompanied by the harp), looks around for a means of escape. A quivering, liquid passage, for strings and wood-wind against the harp, tells of her approach to tho w-ater's edge, and the full chorus ask her what she dares;, liere a clever effect is gained by making Echo—another nymph—repe.'.t the last words of the sentences, and by so doing is made to appear to give an .answer to the question,

"But whither flown?" Tho disappearance of Syrinx is indicated by a silence so far as the singer is concerned, but the action is continued by a contemplative orchestral passage, of which the main theme will bo heard later when fan's boon companion, a young Faun, tries to comfort his master for the lo?s of his beloved. An upward rush on the string-, indicating, the growth of the roods whiph typify the metamorphosis of the nymph, leads to an exultant cry of recognition from the chorus. Tan then has one of the most extended of tho solo numbers, in which he upbraids the cruel water for taking the object of- his desire, which, however, following the plan nf continuity of expression, leads into the Faun's solo; and this again is added to by snatches of tho preceding chorus. Led by the Faun's voice, all tho forest beings offer their store of simple delights to their head ami chiet; but I'au continues gloomily to brood over his disappointment. Tho beginning of Pan's music-making is now heard, and in accordance with the elemental idea of its inception, the sound is first, heard of the bare, fifth and the octave. Out of these there grows a quaint, pastoral melody (given to the oboe in tho orchestra), and the archaic flavour is brought about by the .presence of a flat seventh in the natural key. Pan's song, in which he makes to mankind tho gift of musie to comfort them all thei; mortal days, is very skilfully and appropriately written.