CLASSICAL MUSIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 30, 28 April 1927, Page 14

CLASSICAL MUSIC

PLAYED IN THE CINEMAS HOODWINKING THE PUBLIC Referring to the Beethoven centenary and the consequent prominence of his music in the concert world, at the present time, an English writer refers to the quantity of it that is perfonred in English cinemas, particularly the overtures, which, he states, are almost in constant use. For a strong situation he states there is nothing to beat the “Egmont” overture —not, of course, in its entirety, but in the shape of characteristic excerpts. For sheer tragedy it is generally the “Coriolanus” that is put on the desksj. One of the less familiar overtures, that to “King Stephen,” is invaluable for situations which may be tersely summed up as “hero goes to the rescue.” In pathetic scenes the most common citation is from the slow movement of the Fifth Symphony. The curious thing is thousands of people who, scared by the description “classical music,” would not cross the road to hear a performance of the Fifth Symphony, profess themselves delighted with the music when it is presented to them without its label. Musical directors are fully aware of this, and sometimes hoodwink their own unmusical managements into praising music which they would probably turn down if submitted to them as a programme with titles and names of composers. One musical director stated that in his experience the finest source of incidental music available for the accompaniment of a good film was Wagner’s “Parsifal,” in which there was something suited to every- conceivable situation.