UNESCO'S HOMAGE TO CHOPIN

New Zealand Listener, Volume 22, Issue 553, 27 January 1950, Page 6

UNESCO'S HOMAGE TO CHOPIN

T is a good thing to be reminded of the enguring importance of the great musicians, and an anniversary is always a satisfactory reason for singling out one composer for preferential treatment, When broadcasting services and musical societies were busy a few months ago arranging programmes to commemorate the centenary of Chopin’s death, eleven eminent contemporary composers were engaged, at the invitation of Unesco, in writing chamber music in his honour. These works were performed for the first time with the co-operation of the French Broadcasting Company, at the Salle Gaveau in Paris on October 3 last, and recordings of the programme have been lent to the NZBS by the Radio Division of Unesco in Paris for a limited number of broadcasts. These will be given from the four YA ‘stations in March on dates yet to be announced. The contributing composers represent nine countries-England, Mexico, Spain, America, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Brazil-and their collaboration has, a$ listeners will recognise when they hear the programme, made it possible for the tribute to be a worthy one. Here are the items in the anniversary programme: Tombeau de Chopin (Alexandre Tansman) by the Calvet String Quartet with Gaston Logerot (contrabass); Hommage a Chopin (Heitor Villa-Lobos) and Sonate espagnole (Oscar Espla) by Arnaldo Estrella (pianist); Etude-Caprice (Jaques Ibert) by. Maurice Marechal (’cellist); Suite polonaise (Andrzej Panufnik by Irene Joachim (soprano) and Andre Collard (piano); Pastorale for, oboe and piano (Howard Hanson) by Jules Goetgheluck and the composer; Three Mazurkas (Lennox Berkeley); Hommage a Chopin (G. F: Malipiero) and Etude (Carlos Chavez) by Hélene Pignari (pianist); _ Mazurka-Nocturne for oboe, two violins and ’cello (Bohuslav Martinu), by Jules Goetgheluck, Georges Tessier, Georges Hugon and Roger Albin; Ode a Frédéric Chopin for four mixed voices and piano, on a poem by Nietzsche (Florent Schmitt), by the Marcel Couraud Vocal Ensemble and André Collard. Of the composers, Tansman won in 1919 the first and second prizes in composition for Poland, Later he became a French citizen. He has composed symphonic and chamber music, music for the theatre, and also a lyric drama, The Kurdish Night, Founder and Director of the National Conservatory which prepares teachers of choral singing for schools, Villa-Lobos is a member of the Brazilian National Commission _ for Unesco, and the most famous of Brazilian musicians. His work is essentially inspired by folk music. Describing his Soriate espagnole, Espla, a Spanish composer, wrote: "I have sought for a new formula to achieve balance and the development of the allegro, which I have placed at the end, corresponds particularly to the old Spanish sonatas. . . The work is tonal from beginning to end, even tho my harmonies occasionally baffle the listeners," Ibert, since 1937, has been Director of the French Academy in the Villa (continued on next page)

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Medici at Rome. He was born in Paris and has written many works for piano, organ and harp, comic operas, ballets, and his famous symphonic suite, Escales, has been heard in many parts of the world, One ofthe most mature and forceful personalities ip modern Polish music, and Director of the Warsaw. Philharmonic Orchestra, Panufnik has based his Suite polonaise on popular \ themes of Masovia, the region of Poland where Chopin was born. The American com-

poser represented, Hanson, is a member of the U.S. National Commission for Unesce, chairman of the Commission’s panel on music, chairman of the National Music Council, and Director of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York. The number of his works is considerable. The Englishman Lennox Berkeley has a link with New Zealand through the pianist Colin Horsley. He has written a piano concerto especially for Horsley, who was granted the sole performing rights for two years, and concert-goers will prob-

ably hear the first. New Zealand performance of the concerto when Horsley revisits New-Zealand this year. The style of Malipiero, Italian, composer, has evolved from the early Debussian impressionism to Neo-Classi-cism. He has written symphonies, oratorios, comic operas and operas. Chavez is not only the most important of Mexi- * can composers, but also the moving force in the musical life of his country. In 1928 he founded the Symphonic Orchestra of Mexico, and is a member of the Mexican National Commission

for Unesco.’ Martinu is one of the most outstanding composers of contemporary Czech music, and is responsible for operas, ballets and orchestral works and concertos. The second French composer in the programme is Schmitt, whose many compositions include symphonic and chamber music, songs and other works, Among them are his famous Psalm XLVII., The Tragedy of Salome, incidental music for Antony and Cleos~ patra and a recently-composed Quartet. This anniversary programme will occupy an hour and a-quarter,