MUSIC AND NATIONALITY
Sir,-I was interested in the comments made in The Listener by New Zealand musicians on the subject of Sir Thomas Beecham’s campaign against foreign influence in England’s musical life.’ I am-not British born, but owing to my work in the last war, I believe I am familiar with the needs of the British concert public and the problems of British musicians. I therefore hope you may care to publish my views on the above subject. England has in the past decade or two acquired the leadership in the musical world, This is not due to foreign visitors, but to the very high staridard of British performers and to the indisputable fact that England has in the past few years produced a far greater number of noteworthy composers than any other country. One of your contributors rightly stresses that "competition" means raising the standard, and therefore progress. It is only in this noble sense that the word "competition" should be used in our profession. If a musician has a great success, it is one for his fellow musicians too, for it is a success for the cause of music and thus stimulates interest in it. On a recent Sunday I heard a broadcast talk (from Station 1YA) given bya representative of Trinity College on
present-day musical life in England, It was heartening to hear from such an authoritative source that there is now an ever-growing desire among the English concert public to learn more about music. Information is bound to increase discriminating concert audiences, and thus the magic of the foreign names is rapidly being replaced by the ability to take’ every musician according to his value. But the root of the problem is whether music can afford to be nationalistic without endangering its inmost spirit. Gustav Mahler, not less great a musician
-_--- _-~ than Sir Thomas, remarked on this subject 40 years ago: "The greater a musician, the farther he leaves nationality behind." Surely music should bring us to a better understanding of our fellow beings and to that brotherhood among men which alone can make this world a place worth living in.
GERHARD
WILLNER
(Auckland )
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19480730.2.14.2
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 475, 30 July 1948, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
358MUSIC AND NATIONALITY New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 475, 30 July 1948, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in