Talking About Music

New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 349, 1 March 1946, Page 13

Talking About Music

"\{USIC is not a criticism of violins but a playing upon them," wrote Santayana. There is much truth in this; and, for the most part, music had best be left alone to explain itself. Some music however, needs a spoken introduction; and some listeners, too, may need a little assistance before they are on more than nodding terms with the music. A good deal of contemporary music comes within this category. I listened recently to Virgil Thomson’s Suite: "The Plough that Broke the Plain" which was followed by the Schoenberg Piano Concerto. Nothing was said about either of these compositions, and to those unfamiliar with their backgrounds the music may have sounded uninteresting and, in the case of the concerto,’ obscure. The Virgil Thomson Suite was taken from the music which accompanied the famous documentary film The Plough That Broke the Plain and out of its context much of its entertainment value was lost. The Concerto is based on a novel harmonic system and while explanation might not have removed any apparent obscurity, it would have at least counselled patience in the listener. When this particular series of records was broad cast from the American 1ZM a recorded commentary accompanied them, but this has been deleted. It would be an assistance to many a listener if it were replaced.