CUTS BY THE SCORE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 741, 25 September 1953, Page 5

CUTS BY THE SCORE

"HE report below first appeared in the British Ministry of Transport Bulletin. From that source it was reprinted by the O and M Bulletin, and it recently appeared in the N.Z. Public Service Commission periodical Public Service. It is reprinted here because it is entertaining, and therefore worth reprinting, but also because it points a moral. O and M. it should be explained, stands for Organisation and Methods-a device for introducing the subject of efficiency without using the word: The following extracts from a repcrt by O and M after a visit to the Royal Festival Hall may interest our readers, "For considerable periods the four oboe players had nothing to do. The nutnbers should be reduced, and the work spread more evenly over the whole of the concert, thus eliminating peaks of activity. "All the twelve first violins were playing identical notes. This seems unnecessary duplication. The staff of thts section should be drastically cut; if a large vclume of sound is required, it could be obtained by means of electronic amplifier apparatus. "Much effort was absorbed in the playing of demi-semiquavers. This seems an excessive refinement. It is recommended that all notes should be rounded up to the nearest semiquaver. If this were done, it would be possible to use trainees and lower grade operatives more extensively. "There seems to be too much repetition of some musical passages. Scores should be drastically pruned. No useful purpose is served by repeating on the horns a passage which has already been handled by the strings. It is estimated that if all redundant passages were eliminated, the whcle concert time of two hours could be reduced to twenty minutes, and there would be no need for an interval. = "The Conductor agrees generally with these recommendations, but expresses the opinion that there might be some falling-off in box office receipts. In that unlikely event it should be possible to close sections of the auditorium entirely. ‘with a consequential saving of overhead expense-lighting, attendance, etc, "If the worst came to the worst. the whole thing could be ahandored, and the public could go to the Albert Hall instead. S. TONE-DEAF."