WHAT'S WRONG WITH ENGLISH?

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 230, 19 November 1943, Page 3

WHAT'S WRONG WITH ENGLISH?

Sir,-In your article "What’s Wrong With English?" you have touched on an interesting point. It is true that titles like allegro ma non troppo frighten off prospective listeners of "highbrow" music; it is also true that it is practically impossible to given even an approximate translation to some of these words. At the same time I would like to question the necessity of announcing the full headings of movements. After all, they are mainly instructions for the performers and of little meaning to the listener. Is there much more reason for announcing that a movement is allegro moderato, than for saying. that 68 crochets should be played per minute and that it is written in 6-8 time? I think it would be sufficient to announce that we are going to hear, for example, the String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 2 by Beethoven in four movements possibly adding that the first and last movements are fairly quick, the second movement is slow with a quick interlude and that the third movement is a scherzo. In more involved works a short indication of the character of the movement could be confined to movements whose character can be expressed in short terms, as fast, slow, etc. For example: "You will now hear the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings by Brahms in three movements, the second one being slow." It might be added in this case that the third movement takes the form of variations (not the actual heading of this movement) a fact that is far more interesting to the listener than the fact that it is allegro con moto or whatever the title may be. It just would be necessary for an expert to comb through all the important works and decide on the best way of announcing their movements, restricting the use of "high falutin’" expressions to the minimum. Anyone. who is particularly interested in the exact directions could look it up in a@ reference book or possibly in The Listener after the war, when adequate paper supply might permit their publication.

F.

BONDY

(Wellington).