YOUTH AND MUSIC

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 820, 15 April 1955, Page 5

YOUTH AND MUSIC

Sir,-The jocularity and bouncing enthusiasm expressed by Owen. Jensen. in his article "Music for the Young in Heart" seems akin to the traditional type of rather forced jocularity and enthusiasm that is manifest at "youth rallies" in general, Mr, Jensen is an able writer, but his style in this article could be jrritating to many youthful, yet serious, lovers of music, Methods of approach, and modes of speech to people in différent age groups, are very stylised. There is baby-talk for baby. There is bun-fight and jocular pep talk for youth. Good use of English is often reserved for the staid and seared adult. I was anxious when I commenced treading Mr. Jensen’s article, in case he failed to observe that "Young in Heart" does not necessarily imply "Young in Years." His classification "eighteen to eighty" dispelled my fears. A double coincidence occurred when I purchased a copy of Time (February 28, 1955) and a copy of The Listener. Time publishes an article called "Going Like 60." This article deals with gq different aspect of Mr. Jensen’s subject. In both articles, the opening words are the same. Here is the first paragraph of the article published in Time: "Music may be for the young at heart, but it is not necessarily made by the young in years. Manhattan had a_§ brilliant mid-season fortnight, with many of the star performers over 60 and showing no signs of giving up." Amongst these star performers, Time lists the .following:-Pierre Monteux, 79. French conductor; Wilhelm Backhaus, 70, who gave an all-Beethoven piano recital; Dame Myra Hess, 65, who gave a "standout" performance of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1; Paul Whiteman. 63, who conducted a Gershwin Memorial programme; Andrés Segovia, 62, who gave a guitar recital; Benno Moiseiwitsch, 65, who gave a piano recital in Carnegie Hall. It is music’s gain that these oldsters are youngsters in heart.

CLAUDE

TANNER

(Wellington).