THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 296, 23 February 1945, Page 4

THINGS TO COME

A Run Through The Programmes

MONDAY URING the years in which Finland was an enemy country, news of its famous cogaposer Jan Sibelius was very meagre, ard musical people all over the world must often have wondered how it went with him. Not long ago a photographer from Life visited the 78-year-old composer at his country home north of Helsinki, and found him reluctant to discuss his work. When asked about his eighth symphony (people have been asking about it for years), Sibelius said: "I am my sternest critic; I won't discuss work I may discard." He said he listened to the radio and kept in touch with current music; he had heard Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony, and thought the composer had "very great talent." The last important work by Sibelius to be published came out in 1929. Station 2YA is at present playing his symphonies at 2.0 p.m. on Mondays; the Fifth will be heard on February 26. Also worth notice: 2YA, 8.32 p.m.: French Suite in B Minor (Bach). 3YA, 9.25 p.m.: Quintet in F Minor (Franck).

TUESDAY SOMETHING different in the way of musical presentations will begin from 2YA at 8.0 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27. It is a series of 15-minute recitals containing in each programme the proof that a good song is not always spoilt by its words nor fine poetry ruined when set to music. There is ample material to support this contention, for the compiler has called upon the poems of Herrick, Longfellow, Moore, Tennyson and Shakespeare, many of which have been set to music by such composers as Quilter, William Lawes, G. H. Ctutsam, Sullivan, Schumann, Balfe and Edgar Bainton. Each programme will feature a different poet. Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.12 p.m.: Symphony No. 3 in D Major (Tchaikovski). 3YL, 9.1 p.m.: Music by Schubert.

WEDNESDAY NLY last week we printed a. radio interview about those two latest abbreviations, UNRRA and CORSO, but the story is not all told yet, and we doubt if it will be finished for some time. The more everyone knows about these two organisations that will play an important part in setting the world back on its feet after the fighting has ceased the sooner their jobs will be done. As we write, there is a conference being held in Australia, and we have been told that China will receive a great part of the help thet Australia and New Zealand contribute. A talk on the work of UNRRA by C. A. Berendsen, New Zealand’s Minister to Washington, will be heard from 1YA at 10.0 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28. Also worth notice: 2YC, 8.17 p.m.: ’Cello Concerto (Elgar). 3YA. 9.30 p.m.: Piano Concerto in E Flat (Mozart). THURSDAY EHUDI MENUHIN, who, when we last had news of him, was playing to the forces in England and on the Western Front, recently returned to the United States, bearing news of musicians who hadn’t been heard of for some time: of Cortot, who was under a Vichyite

cloud; of Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals, who are both in the good graces of the French. Casals, now 68, is living in the south of France. Georges Enesco, Menuhin’s teacher, is now in his native Rumania. Furtwaengler, the German conductor, who first defied Hitler and then collaborated, had refused to give Nazi-sponsored concerts in Paris, Menuhin himself had played in England, Paris, Antwerp and Brussels. Menuhin will be heard in Elgar’s Violin Concerto from 2YA at 2.0 p.m. on Thursday, March 1. Also worth notice: 1YX, 8.34 p.m.: Quartet in E Minor (Verdi). 4YA, 9.25 p.m.: Music by Vaughan Williams, FRIDAY

T is curious how ideas change. Once it was considered foolhardy and even dangerous to take a bath. Only a madman ever went for a bathe. To-day only a madman doesn’t have a bath, But that is not all. Once upon a time if a bath was absolutely necessary, the bather dabbled in anything from asses’ milk to the juice of grapes, but never touched water except as a beverage. To-day some men never touch water except for washing. The BBC may have more to say on this subject in the programme "Let’s Go for a Bathe," which is to be broadcast from 2¥A at 8.29 p.m. on Friday, March 2. Also worth notice: 1YA, 8.31 p.m.: Symphony No. 2 (Schubert). 2YA, 8.0 p.m.: "The Cries of London" (Herbert Oliver).

SATURDAY ‘THE invaluable Baedeker probably did not think of using music as @ medium for conveying the atmosphere of a place to prospective tourists. The idea has occurred to Station 3YL, however, at a time when the only New Zealanders able to visit Italy are there on serious business, that there is enough music on gramophone records to make up a programme on the theme "Impressions of Italy." All that is missing is the preferential indication system of stars in the margin. First there is Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, then a song ty Puccini, then Gustav Charpentier’s "Impressions of Italy," and finally Hugo Wolf’s "Italian Serenade." Also worth notice: 1¥X, 9.20 p.m.: Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven). : 4YZ, 9.25 p.m.: Quartet in C Sharp Minor (Beethoven). .

SUNDAY you may not have been in London in 1910 when The Balkan Princess began, or in 1919 when Monsieur. Beaucaire was first produced. Perhaps the name of George Grossmith, Jnr. means nothing to you, though in 1909 thousands of Londoners were laughing at him in Our Miss Gibbs-at the time when chorus girls’ dresses reached the ground, and their sleeves were leg-of-mutton pattern. And it may be that you have never heard of Edith Day, the original Rose Marie. Nevertheless, you should enjoy the BBC series "Songs from the Shows," of which one programme will be heard from 3YL at 9.30 p.m. on Sune day, March 4. Also worth notice: 1YA, 9.33 p.m.: Play: "A Chinese Solomon." 4YA, 9:22 p.m.: Symphony No. 3 (Racle maninoff ).