THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 294, 9 February 1945, Page 4

THINGS TO COME

A Run Through The Programmes

| MONDAY "HE Silent Battle" is the general title of a BBC series that portrays in radio the facts of the silent struggle in occupied Europe. Station 4YZ will present at 7.30 p.m. on Monday, February 12, a programme in this series which deals with a part of Poland that is shut away in the hills between the river Dunajec and the Carpathian Mountains. The item is called "They Saw Him Die," and its characters are farmers and peasants at a Polish wedding, a German soldier and the German governor, and members of the Polish guerrilla army which returned shot for shot with the Germans, execution for execution. Also worth notice: 2YA, 8.0 p.m.: Quartet in D Minor (Mozart). 3YA, 9.25 p.m.: Violin Sonata No. 4 (Corelli) TUESDAY ROY AGNEW, the Australian composer ,and pianist who died recently at the age of 51, was well known in many countries, and was generally regarded as the most distinguished of Australia’s composers. He was born in Sydney and in the main he taught himself music. Dr. Eaglefield Hull, founder of the British Music Society, described him as "one of the most gifted disciples of Scriabin." His voice was once well known to some New Zealanders who used to look forward to his broadcast talks on modern composers every week from the ABC stations. The year before last the ABC got him to record about 50 of his piano pieces. Station 3YL will broadcast his Sonata Ballade at 9.52 p.m. on Tuesday, February 13. Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.29 p.m.: Mozart’s "Linz" Symphony. 2YA, 8.0 p.m.: Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Concerto (studio). WEDNESDAY ANY stories have been told of the founding of the French colony at Akaroa. In one story, it is claimed, France was only prevented from possessing the South Island by the action of Governor Hobson who detained the French Commander at the Bay of Islands with entertainment while he despatched the Britomart to Akaroa to take possession in the name of the Queen. In another story, however, it was the great activity of the New Zealand Company under Colonel Wakefield and the formation of a Provisional Government which frightened Governor Hobson into action and forced him to proclaim sovereignty over the South Island sooner than he intended, which action of course just forestalled the French. But whatever the truth of the matter is, here’s another side to the question. On Wednesday, February 14, at 11 a.m., from 3YA, Ruth ‘France will talk on "The Women of the French Settlement." Also worth notice: pe 8.0 p.m.: Quintet in C Major (Schu4YO, 9.0 p.m.: Symphony No. 5 (Dvorak). THURSDAY ]F there was an instrument that Mozart didn’t like it was the flute. For some reason or other it seems that his abnormally sensitive ear was allergic to its sound and he rarely went out of his way to write specially for it. Nevertheless, a patron did prevail on him at one time,

and he wrote two short quartets for flute and strings, one in 1778, when he was 22, and the other a year later. To listen to these quartets, or to the concerto for flute and harp (Mozart also disliked the harp) one would not discover signs of his distaste, though one might miss the loving care with which he treated the clarinet. They are still the unmistakable Mozart, Both of these quartets will be heard from 2YC at 8.0 p.m. on Thursday, February 15. Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.21 p.m.: Quartet in E Flat, Op. 125 (Schubert). 4Y¥A, 8.31 p.nt.: "Spanish Rhapsody" (LisztBusoni). FRIDAY "HE name of the authoress of "Uncle Tom’s Cabin," though we have known it from time to time, usually shares with the botanical name for manuka and various other matters a crowded and hazardous existence on the tip of our tongue. So when we found that John Reid, formerly a teacher at Auckland Grammar School and lecturer at Auckland University College and now attached to A.E.W.S., would give a series of talks from 1YA on "By-paths of Literature," we were forced to ask before we could identify the subject of his first talk — Harriet Beecher Stowe. Perhaps after we have heard Mr. Reid on Friday, February 16, our interest will flatter the authoress of "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" with a handier place in our memory. The series will include talks entitled "Fakes and Forgeries,’" "The Literature of Dreams" and "Beaumarchais -the real Figaro." F Also worth notice: 2YA, 11.0 a.m.: Talk: "Old English Cottages." 4YZ, 8.0 p.m.: Symphony No. 2 (Sibelius). SATURDAY VE know a little about the fabulous lost Atlantis; we have all encountered the contralto who searches for the lost chord; and many of us have sat in a cinema theatre, looking in vain for the lost horizon. But it was not till we visited the mobile dental unit; in our Army days, that we found the lost tooth-or rather, the dentist retracted it from our oesophagus. But such an unromantic thing as a temporarily missing denture does not customarily arouse the emotions, so it will be interesting to see what children are given to bite upon in their session from 2YA at 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 17, when Gwenda Woodward’s play "The Lost Tooth" will be broadcast. Also worth notice: 3 1YX, 9.0 p.m: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, 3YL, 8.0 p.m.: Mahler's First Symphony. SUNDAY vi BEN may have been a bungling Cockney, but he was able to lay the crooks by the heels. Most people probably know J. Jefferson Farjeon’s Ben of such books as "Ben Sees It Through," "Little God Ben," "Detective Ben,’ and now they have the opportunity of renewing their acquaintance through the radio. Station 3YA on Sunday, February 18, at 9.22 p.m. presents "Oi! ’Elp" in which this well-known Cockney character stirs up much trouble and finally rescues a damsel in distress. This is an NBS production. ‘Also worth notice: 1YX, 9.17 p.m.: Symphony No. 1 (Dvorak). 4YA, 8.0 p.m.: "La Boheme" (Puccini).