MUSICAL LECTURE BY MR DENNIS.

Shannon News, 24 April 1928, Page 1

MUSICAL LECTURE BY MR DENNIS.

FEATURES OF ORCHESTRATION. GRAMOPHONE ASSISTS TO ELUCIDATE THE SUBJECT. ' A fair attendance marked the opening of the Appreciation of Music class for the 1928 season, under W.E.A. auspices, at the De Luxe Concert Hall, Levin, on Monday evening, when the tutor, Mr Edwin Dennis, A.R.C.M., delivered an interesting lecture on the use of instruments, his remarks being illustrated by gramophone selections. At the commencement, Mr Dennis said that orchestras practically consisted of three families—the scrapers, the blowers and the bangers. In the first family were to be found the first and second violins, the violas, ’cellos, and double basses. The bass might be likened to a grumpy old father,-the ’cello to a mellow mother, *the vibla to the eldest son, and the first and second violins to twin girls, a soprano and an alto. In the family of blowers there were firstly the flute, the oboe and the clarinet. In the old-time flute the hole's were stopped with the fingers, but Boehme discovered a new idea by means of which the pressure of the fingers opened the holes instead of closing them. The oboe -was blown through a double reed at the end, and produced a bright tone, which was almost harsh at times. The clarinet was a long wooden instrument, of larger : bore, also blown through the end. The’ bassoon was a grown-up oboe; it was played in a vertical position through a pipe containing a double reed and coming out like a spoilt. This instrument had been called the humorist of the orchestra; it had rather a habit of making funny noises where it should n,ot.. The cor anglais -was rather a foolish thing because it meant nothing; it was more or less another type of oboe. There was also the double bass, which was practically out of use. In the brass section they had the trumpet, the cornet and the trombone. There was also the horn, a mellow-toned instrument, but one which was more or less difficult to play. The trumpet had a bright breezy tone; it had been used in their works by Mozart, Schumann and other great composers, but if the cornet had been known in their time they -would -probably have used that medium instead, because it had a nice round tone, though not, as a rule, quite so bright as the trumpet, Relative to the slide trombone, Mr Dennis told a comical story of the visit by the late Shah of Persia to England. After seeing and hearing a band play, the Shah said that he liked the-man who waved his hands about and the magician who swallowed the ‘‘big brass rod” and coughed it up again. The percussion instruments generally used in orchestral work were the kettle drum, big drum, cymbals and triangle. The kettle drums, or tympani, were made of parchment stretched across a hollow structure of cup-like form. The so-called kettle drum of the brass band was known in the orchestra as a side drum. The triangle was an irresponsible little device, but if bright music was to be played its tinkle was quite happy. Every instrument had its own particular use. In a string quartette, however boautiful the music, it did not vecome bright. The Gonzalez string quartette, which was subsequently to be placed on the gramaphone, showed the tone that lacked a sort of variety. If a religioso effect was desired, on top of the string harmony, a bassoon might be included. For a really bright effect the oboe or piccolo might be utilised and the stringed instruments doubled, and if the flute was added it would bring mellowness oi tone and would round off the edges oi the reed music.

Mr Dennis placed on the gramaplipne the quartette in A minor of Schumann, played bv the Gonzazlez quartette, consisting of violin, viola, ’cello and double bass. He followed this with a record of the “Tannliauser” overture (Wagner). This, he explained, conimenced in a deeply religious vein, with a combination of horn, clarinet, and bassoons. The second motive was one of repentance, and it ran up in an octave form. A little later there was found another motive, symbolising the sorrow of life, in which a strong melody was taken up by the brasses, followed by broken triplets by the fiddles. Afterwards a return was made to the style of the original motive. In the passages relating to the revel kingdom the motives made feverish upward tendencies, associated with the violins. A new motive led to the glorification of Venus, and then' the melody in which Tannhauser sang of his passion for the goddess. In the end the work illustrated how Venus feared that she was losing her charm, theme was brought to a great climax where she tried to persuade the hero to return to’ her. Mr Dennis also put on the ballet fiiusic from “Faust.” The four short ballets, he said, were interesting in view of the four \distinct types of orchestration, each painting its own picture. If anything bright was wanted by Gounod he used the reed instruments doubled by the piccolo, in most instances. This music was -written, in the form of a symphony. It gave a pretty broad idea of variety in orchestration and the effects that could be used. Other records played were “Shanghai Dreamland, 1 ” an exposition of the better class of rag-time, and an item by. Mas-