Symphonies from the Studio

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 487, 22 October 1948, Page 12

Symphonies from the Studio

LTHOUGH the National Orchestra’s second concert season has ended, the members haven't stowéd away theif instruments and gone into retirement until next March. They Aave returned to their home towns, howevet, where they will continue to play and broadcast, in many casés, with local orchestral groups, During the next two months listeners within range of 2YA and 2YC will be able to hear the largest group;y-about 45 players, known as the Wellington Group of the National Orchestra-in a series. of studio recitals conducted by Andersen Tyrer, with Vincent Aspey. as leader. Since the Wellington Group is still large enough to qualify as a symphony orchestra, a feature of the 2YA studio recitals is that from October 26 to Decémber 21 they will broadcast on suecessive Tuesdays the complete series of Beéthoven’s symphonies, Nos. 1 to 9, in chronological order. The recitals will statt at 8.0 p.m. in each case, and the programmes will include other works besides the Beethoven symphonies. Some which ate to be played "for the first time in New Zealand are Benjamin Britten’s Variations on a Theme by Purcell (Novermbet 2); Prokofieff’s Classical Symphony (November 30), Britten's Soirée Musicale from the Second Suite

Rossini (December 7), afid Vaughan Williams’s Norfolk Rhapsody (Decemsber 14). Every Saturday evening from October 23 to December 18 the Wellington group will broadcast from 2YC at 8.0 p.m, Programmes will include first New Zealand broadcasts of the Brahms-Rubbra Variations on a Theme by Handel (October 30), Kallinikov’s Symphony (Novembér 6), La Calinda from Koanga by Delius, and William Walton’s Facade Suite No. 2 (GNovember 20), Delius’s Caprice and Elegy for ’cello and orchestra (November 27), and the satne composer's Eventyr (December 18). A feature of the first Saturday evenifig concert (on October 23) will be the last performance heré for the time being of the Kabalevsky Symphony. The score of this wotk was brought to New Zealand on loan by Andefsen Tyrer after his recent visit to England, and has to be returned to the publishers. Concert in Wanganui On November 10 a group of players selected from the Natiotial Orchestra will travel to Wanganui to take part in a concert marking the 50th anniversary of ‘the formation of the Wanganui

Male Choir. Although the concert is not to be broadcast it will be under the direction of the NZBS, and the orchestra will be conducted by Andersen Tyrer. The first half will cotisist of orchestral itetns only, and the second half will be taken up with a performancé of a symphonic ode, The Desert; by the 19th Century French composer Felicien David. The Desert is scored fot tale voices afd orchestral accompaniment, and describes the passage of a caravan. The various stages of its progress-the March, the Storm, Evening Meditation, Dance of the Dancing Girlsy etc.-are portrayed in linked orchestral and vocal passages, with a spoken descriptive monologue. The work was performed last April at the Otago Centennial Musical Festival by the National Orchestra and Dunedin and Invercargill choirs.