THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 10, Issue 241, 4 February 1944, Page 2

THINGS TO COME

A Run Through The Programmes

MONDAY (COMPARED with the compéres of yesterday, the compéres of to-day are the extreme of sophistication and polish, but time was when the show was often carried along by the superhuman efforts of the master showman, In these times, the vociferous audiences have gone, and the compére’s main job is to deliver smooth and subtle commentaries. Station 2YA has made this change the theme: of a studio presentation for 9.40 p.m. on Monday, February 7, entitled "Order, Gents!-Ladies and Gentlemen!" Also worth notice: 2YA, 8.36 p.m.: Suite in B Minor by Bach (studio). . SYA, 9.25 p.m.: Quartet in E Flat (Dvorak), TUESDAY [T's dark and you're frightened. As you go up the street you keep looking over your shoulder, you stare fearfully at dark crouching shadows, you hurry on tip-toe past lonely alleys. Yes, you are haunted by the bogy of dark nights. The only chance for you is to go to a psycho-analyst, perhaps. However, if instead you are haunted by the bloodpressure bogy, your cure may be simpler. Just listen in to the health talk from 1YA ‘at 11:0 am. on Tuesday, February 8. Also worth notice: 1YX, 9.0 ee Concerto No. 2 in B Fiat Major ( thoven). 3YL, 8.24 p.m.: Dichterliebe Song Cycl Op. 48 i, 4YO, 9.0 p.m.: Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10 (Debussy). WEDNESDAY Two works for piano and ’cello by the ‘Belgian composer, Joseph Jongen, will be played from 1YA studio on Wednesday, February. 9, at 8.0 p.m. by Bernard Page, former Wellington city organist, and Trevor de Clive Lowe. Jongen was born in Liege in 1873, and was much influenced by the ideas of Cesar Franck. From 1914 to 1918 he lived in England, formed a piano quartet, wrote much music, including a symphony, a piano quartet, and a trio, and gave a great many recitals of piano and organ music. He was at that time and later a prolific composer of chamber music, of which he was always a fervent disciple. In 1920, he became director of the Conservatory of Brussels. Since the occupation of Belgium early in the war, nothing has been heard of hitg, and in spite of many inquiries, no one in England can find out if he is still alive. Also worth notice: 2YC, 9.0 p.m.: Piario Concerto No. 3 (Beethoven). , 3YA, 9.30 p.m,: Symphony No. 5 (Roy Harris), 4YO, 8.0 p.m.: Symphony No. 1 (Moeran). THURSDAY. A PROGRAMME with many stars will be heard from 2YA at 8.33 p.m. on Thursday, February 10. It is a recorded item from the BBC entitled "The Stage Presents," in which some of the greatest stars of Theatre Land pay

their tribute to the Forces everywhere. The stars appearing are: Flanagan and Allen, Anne Shelton, Diana Wynyard, Michael Redgrave, Revnell and West,

Richard Tauber, Carol Lynne, and Nancy Brown. Further’ artists will be heard in following programmes. Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.28 p.m.: Quartet No. 1 in C Minor (Fauré). 2YC, 8.0 ~.m.: Les Plaisirs Champetres (Monteclair). FRIDAY OES music ever move you to laughter? If not, have you ever wondered why? Miss Phyllis Sibbon, of Highgate, London, did wonder why, and she asked the BBC Brains Trust for the answer. Dr. Malcolm Sargent was the first to answer when the question was brought up, and confessed that he had often laughed at Mozart, Beethoven and William Walton; he also quoted Dame Myra Hess as saying, after hearing a Rossini overture conducted by Toscanini: "I can’t get the corners of my mouth back from my ears." Joad, when the ball was thrown to him, threatened to whistle a‘ bit out of the scherzo of a Beethoven piano sonata that had made him laugh, but forbore, and gave a philosophical explanation instead of the reason why the "specifically musical emotion" is "unlike the emotion produced by laughable things." If you care to hear in greater detail the Brains Trust’s discussion.on this question, you may get it from 2YA at 8.30 p.m. on Friday, February 11. Also worth notice: 1YA, 9.25 p.m.: "Arrows on the Map" (BBC programme). 2YC, 9.17 p.m.: Sonata in C Minor (John Field). SATURDAY HE name Bohemia, to the playgoer of Shakespeare’s day, may have meant nothing more than "A desert country near the sea"; but things have changed since The Winter's Tale was first put on the stage. Geography lessons and the war news have widened our view, and if we still sometimes use "Bohemian" as a term of derision, we are usually associating it with Puccini's decadent characters and not with Masaryk’s proud nation. But in case its listeners have forgotten about Bohemia’s contribution to the world’s good music, Station 3YL has prepared a two-hour Bohemian programme (Saturday, February 12, 8.0 p.m.). Dvorak

has the lion’s share of this programme with an overture, the ’cello concerto, and his symphony "From the New World"; but there are also Smetana (with a descriptive piece from "My Country"), Anton Bruckner, and the contemporary composer Jaromir Weinberger, now a refugee in America. Also worth notice: 1YX, 9.9 p.m.: Violin Concerto (Brahms). 2YC, 9.0 p.m.: New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. SUNDAY INCE Soviet Russia became involved in the war against Nazi Germany, New Zealand listeners have had the opportunity to hear a fair amount of Soviet music, popular and serious. So when a new Russian name appears in the musical programmes, the question at once arises whether this is another sop to our great ally or whether one more bright young composer has broken his way through the barriers of prejudice that formerly separated Soviet music from English audiences. However, Kalinnikov, whose name appears after a symphony to be heard from Station 2YA at 2.0 p.m. on Sunday, February 13, is not the answer to either of these questions. He lived before such questions arose-from 1866 to 1901-but precariously, since poverty in his youth brought on consumption. Also worth notice: ie "ig PpP.-m.: "Lieutenant Kije’ (Proko2¥A, 9.42 pm.: "The Beggar’s Opera" (Gay).