THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 212, 16 July 1943, Page 2

THINGS TO COME

A Run Through MONDAY A CONCERTO for piano with trumpet and string orchestra, by the modern Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich has been recorded in England, and will be heard from 2YH, Napier, at 9.25 p.m. on Monday, July 19. It is not music in the style of the compositions which have recently brought the composer world-wide publicity-the Fifth Symphony and the Seventh ("Leningrad") Symphony-for it was written in 1933 in an unpretentious style. The English periodical The Gramophone, said that it gave an impression of "keep-it-going-boys, rather than of real driving, constructive power," and that the subject matter was "nothing like good enough for a concerto; and unlike Gershwin’s, it cannot be regarded as funny." The solo pianist in the new recording is Eileen Joyce, and the trumpeter Arthur Lockwood. Also worth notice: 2YA, 8.41 p.m.: Unaccompanied part songs by Bartok. 4YA, 8.0 p.m.: The Royal Dunedin Male Choir. TUESDAY HY does one people or country develop a distinctive art and another remain contént with a little spurious imitation? Was religion, nationalism, a wealthy patron class, or a clear atmosphere responsible for the Parthenon sculptures or the Sistine chapel frescoes? Or is it that the seeds of an artistic flowering are in every nation, but are ruined by man’s dauntless materialism? One school of thought may believe art to be man’s improvement upon God’s work, another that art is God’s manifestation of Himself in man. New Zealand has not yet produced great art, She may never do so, or she may do so to-morrow; but in the meantime, we may hear something about what has been produced already if we listen to Dr. A. H. McLintock on Tuesday, July 20, at 7.15 p.m., talking from 4YA. Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.12 p.m.: Symphony No. 6 (Atterberg) 9.34 p.m.: Violin Concerto in G Minor (Bruch ). WEDNESDAY \ ITHOUT venturing into the field of Original Sin, as our artist seems to have done, we find ourselves in agreement with Dr. I L. G. Sutherland in classifying as a popular fallacy the contention that "You can’t change human nature" (Winter Course Talk, 3YA, July 21. 6.45 p.m.). Anyway, what is human nature? If you mean simply human behaviour, then it is plainly capable of improvement, notwithstanding some current evidence to the contrary. There are several matters upon which the group point of view has clearly changed in historical times. One is slavery. And what about duelling? There has been a real spiritual and psychological revolution here: the world is never likely to revert to the custom of single combat which, in France alone, caused the deaths of 40,000 men of noble birth over a period of less than two centuries. So, despite the gloomy prophets of the Unchanging-Human-Nature School, we have already won half the battle against war itself, It now

The Programmes only remains to put national quarrelsomeness under similar restraint, Perhaps Dr. Sutherland will eldborate on this. Also worth notice: 1YA, 8.12 p.m.: Quintet in C (Schubert). 2YC, 9.0 p.m.: "Till’s Merry Pranks" (R. Strauss). ‘ THURSDAY N experienced and successful teacher once confessed that at her first teaching post she would pray every morning for a miracle or a cataclysm that would

keep her from the day’s torment, An earthquake, an express train boarded in error, a rich uncle’s unexpected death, all shone as improbable but glorious possibilities. But looked back upon over the haze of years, even the grim reality of mice in the desks and tacks on the chairs assume a mellow charm. And in the long run, the school marm always wins. She sees her inky tormentors grow up into respected -citizens, and she would not be human if she did not take some credit for. the transformation. We may hear some of Cecil Hull’s reminiscences of her school marm days if we listen to 3ZR on Thursday morning, July 22. Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.0 p.m.: Quartet in B Flat Major 2YA, 9.26 p.m.: Yvonne Webb-Jones, soprano (Studio). 4YA, 8.0 p.m.: Gil Dech and 4YA String OrchestraFRIDAY FRANZ SCHUBERT, who could provide heavenly music to very prosaic words, and make a great song, was able to ._produce some of his most inspired work on the most meagre pretext. The incidental music to the play Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus, was a case in point. Here he had to write music for a play by Helmine von Chezy, whom an American writer on Schubert calls an "unhappy blue-stocking," yet among the ballet pieces and entr’actes are some of Schubert’s. most charming and popular pieces. At the only two performances the play achieved, his music, which could perhaps have saved the day, was hardly noticed; the audience talked through the entr’actes, and evidently gave little attention to the ballets. The evening programme from 1YA on Friday, July 23, will be interspersed with portions of the Rosamunde music, played by the Studio Orchestra, under Harold Baxter, There will be ballets at 7.30, the overture at 8.15, and two entr’actes at 8.37 p.m.

Also worth notice: 2YA, 9.43 p.m.: A ME nS by the Fourtli Brigade 2nd N.Z e: 4YZ, 8.0 p.m.: ye 3 (Tchaikovski ). SATURDAY SESSION for the jazz fiend, "dedicated to the preservation of the three B’s-Barrelhouse, Boogie-woogie, and the Blues"-appears in the programme for 2YA at 9.25 p.m. on Saturday, July 24. Its name-The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street. Its object-to "welcome listehers~ to the one programme that will not play the Easter Parade." It comes from America, is recorded ‘by the National Broadcasting Company, and presents well-known swing musicians in a programme they developed out of a private jam-session, All are NBC musicians, who used to meet weekly in Lower Basin Street, and they have their own way of ‘dealing with a popular tune, much as they have with the English language. From other stations: 1YA, 8.40 p.m.: Songs of the Hebrides. 2YA, 7.30: Piano recital for four hands. 3YL, 9.1 p.m.: Russian Symphonic Music SUNDAY NOTHER addition to the recorded repertoire of the smallest works by the biggest composers comes in the, form of a set of Twelve Contra Dances by Beethoven, miniatures on the most microscopic scale, some so short that four of them will go on a 10-inch gramophone record. Since the Eight German Dances by Mozart, recorded several years ago, there has been one similar set-Eleven Viennese Dances by Beethoven-which disappointed anyone who had built expectations on the Mozart Dances. But the new Contra Dances may turn out to be more ingratiating — especially Number 7, which is the tune Beethoven used for the last movement of his Eroica symphony. The name originated in an_ English dance, copied on the Continent, and so described because the dancers faced each other instead of being side-by-side, Howard Barlow and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra recorded them, and they will be heard from 2YN at 8.30 p.m. on Sunday, July 25. Also worth notice: 1YA, 9.33 p.m.: Opera ‘‘Mignon" (Thomas), 3YA, 9.22 p.m.: Russian music from the Studio.-