RECENT MUSIC

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 188, 29 January 1943, Page 2

RECENT MUSIC

i (No. 47:

| By

Marsyas

HE microphone is unkind to Dorothy Helmrich, who is a true artist, capable of following into their most delicately poised moods many varied types of song, but who occasionally, on the radio, produces a coarse blast unrivalled by the worst of untrained singers. But while we have ‘plenty of singers of our own who could improve on Miss Helmrich’s worst results, we have unfortunately, very few who can equal her best, and fewer still whe can supply that particular requirement in which she is consistent — the power of discovering every detail of the composer’s intention and of applying it _to her own intentions, Miss Helmrich has the charm we associate with the most sensitive of lieder singers. She can catch the top of a quick little rising phrase in a Brahms song with the ease of Elisabeth Schumann; and Elisabeth Schumann can do it with the grace of a butterfly in the sun. Miss Helmrich can fling off Mowssorgsky’s Gopak with wild abandon, but it is in such a song that she takes the risks that lead to trouble with the radio audience. How it would go down with a flesh and blood audience, more directly susceptible to the charms that are -evident from her excellent announcements, is another matter. The choice of Noel Newson as accompanist for the tour was just as wise as it was when Alexander Kipnis came here. * * * ‘THE most valuable feature of Miss Helmrich’s visit is the new range of songs (and particularly of complete sets

= and cycles), which she introduces to ussongs which are, in the main, accessible to our own singers, but which remain neglected because of temerity, and the fear of being known as a wanderer from the beaten track. ' * * ‘THE Saturday night classical programmes of Station 2YC have the appearance of being designed with a view to Variety, a quality extolled by poets, and frequently so, as reference to any dictionary of quotations will show. But in spite of John Donne, who said: "Change is the nursery of music, joy, life, and eternity," I still think there is something wrong with a_ two-hour programme made up as _ follows: Albeniz (suite for orchestra), Quilter (songs), Glazounov (piano), Bach (orchestral prelude), Rubinstein (orchestral), Gounod (song), Delibes (instrumental), Debussy (orchestral), Haydn (a symphony), Schumann (song), Elgar (orchestral), Schubert (song), Albeniz (orchestral), Granados (piano), Mendelssohn (song), Moszkowski (orchestral), Schubert (song), Dvorak (orchestral). Why bother with the Bach prelude and the Haydn symphony, both of which will only bore the kind of listener who wants to hear the other things in that sequence? On the other hand, stations which plan whole programmes on the unity basis earn the respect and gratitude of two kinds of listener-the one who can see from a glance at the programme that the set may safely be left tuned to it for the full period, and the one who can see that none of it will be to his personal liking. Only an unintelligent or careless listener will accept such a programme as that of 2YC on Saturday, January 23,