FROM BACH TO SIBELIUS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 432, 3 October 1947, Page 18

FROM BACH TO SIBELIUS

BACKGROUNDS TO MUSIC. .By Jeffreys Scherek, | Melbourne University Press. ‘THIS is a book which should have a wide appeal to radio listeners whose musical knowledge is not very great and who want to know more about the background of the works they hear in the programmes. The author is well known in Australia as a pianist, and since 1941 he has been an announcer and musical script-writer for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The avowed purpose of the book ("This is not a textbook nor a book of standard lives, nor yet a book of analytical notes’) is well borne out in these 30 short essays on composers from Bach to Sibelius. Without going too much into technical aspects, the book, written in a style that is almost conversational in its (continued on next page)

S ----«_-X-X-X-"__ (continued from previous page) easy grace, provides an attractive introduction to the general pattern of music throughout the ages. There is also an appeal to more advanced students, for some of the essays are revaluations of many of our accepted views, such as those on Mendelssohn, Bruckner, and Mahler, One or two of the comments may raise a few critical éyebrows. For instance: "If (Richard Strauss) is still above ground, he is over 80, but,so far as music is concerned he died before he was 50,... Other cases there are in plenty of composers writing one or two first-rate works, and then producing nothing worth a pinch of salt for the rest of their livesHumperdinck and Stravinsky spring to mind." Stimulating, certainly, and that ‘adjective could be applied to almost everything written here. Typographically also the book is a pieasure to read, and a credit to the publishers.

I wrote to our income tax gentlemen. They wrote so nicely in reply explaining that I must apply for a rebate from the English commissioner of taxes; but they were a little sharp in pointing out that I was most remiss in not having paid social security tax upon. the amount I had received from England. I’d like to do that really. I wish I had a lot of income tax to pay. But I,asked a very clever accounting friend of mine to ‘set out the exact position, of my literary earnings for me. The table here shows what he did. Now I don’t want to sound discouraging to those who aspire to make money from writing; but see for yourself. This is my final and truly inspired literary effort. If the editor of The Listener. accepts this, my deficit will only be just over two pounds, so I can call it a day and return to my garden for relaxation and profit, perhaps! But I forgot, I still owe social security payments on £30, Dear me.