A MUSICAL LEG — PULL
Sir Henry Wood's Little Joke
(By
B.
W.
never failed to be attracted by a foreign name, In Stuart times Henry Lawes made his protest against this form of snobbery by perpetrating a musical joke. He produced a fashionable concert piece by setting to music the index of an Italian volume of songs in the Italian manner, Three hundred years later another Henry--Sir Henry Wood-also pulled the legs of his musical countrymen, Up to 1929 he had only to announce that a certain work had been orchestrated by him to call forth abuse from the purists about his having spoiled the original with heavy Wagnerian scoring, and so on. Having heard Stokowski’s brilliant transcription of Bach’s "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor," Sir Henry determined to make his own orchestral transcription of the same organ piece. _ Some months previously Glazounov had visited Sir Henry and had told him of the death of a promising pupil, Paul Klenovsky. The name took Sir Henry’s fancy and he presented his orchestral transcription of the Bach work under Klenovsky’s name at a "Prom" concert on October 5, 1929. The composition made a big hit. One critic said of the transcription that only the Slav temperament could have conceived the work in such glowing colours, The publication of the work and the disclosure of the name of tle real author was rewarded by being the topic of a Times leader and of a Strube cartoon in the Daily Express, At the dinner of the Worshipful Company of Musicians the Duke of Kent made this remark: "To a great many people music is still not considered good unless it has been written by a foreigner, but that impression is gradually dying and British composers are receiving the recognition that is their due. If Mr. Klenovsky is dead, let us hope that Sir Henry Wood will think it now time to’ give us some gems under his own name." In the following year Sir Henry received this cable from New York: "Had great pleasure conducting last night Philharmonic Bach Klenovsky Toccata orchestrated by you, Am very happy it met with enormous success, Regards, Toscanini." Listeners to 1YA will hear "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" (Bach-arr. Klenovsky), played by ‘the Queen's Hall Orchestra, under Sir Henry Wood, on Friday, May 9. ) OF centuries the English have
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 97, 2 May 1941, Page 15
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393A MUSICAL LEG — PULL New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 97, 2 May 1941, Page 15
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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