A NEW ZEALAND COMPOSITION
Sir-On Tuesday, May 14, listeners were privileged to hear, from Station 2YA, the premier broadcast of an original work by a New Zealand composer, Miss Bessie Pollard. As your observers have not commented on this work, I venture to submit my impressions. The composition, "Theme and Variations for Two Pianos" is, in my opinion, one of the milestones in New Zealand composition as it marks a departure from the sugary and commonplece, to something strikingly original in workmanship and style. With the notable exception of Douglas Lilburn, whose "Sinfonia for Strings," "Landfall! in Unknown Seas," Violin Sonatas and other compositions have made a remarkable impression both at home and abroad, this striking originslity in New Zesland works is something new. Perhaps we ere about to experience the birth of @ school of New Zealand composition.
tation, diminution, interpolation, and inversion exploited to the full with combinations of masterly rhythmical variants show the thorough grounding in technic, I had the opportunity of examining the score, and in particular the two _movements that took my fancy during the broadcast, namely, the 8th variation (A Pastorale) and the Finale. In the former, some of the finest writing is to be found while, in the latter, the un. usual is met with in that the development section, the 2nd and 3rd were based on rhythmic similarities rather than notation. The repetition of
the subject in inversion leading into a stretto and extended tonic pedal is the work of an expert. However, I thought the sacrifice of melodic interest for the spectacular in Technical and Harmonic treatment a weakness. But, in comparison with most other New Zealand works, the Theme and Variations stands far above them all in workmanship, originality of style, and * of harmonic and accented
academic devices.
A. D.
HEENAN
(Wellington)
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 364, 14 June 1946, Page 5
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301A NEW ZEALAND COMPOSITION New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 364, 14 June 1946, Page 5
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