TEN YEARS with the Orchestra

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 898, 19 October 1956, Page 6

TEN YEARS with the Orchestra

October 24, 1946, a number of musicians .assembled in St. Paul’s schoolroom in Wellington. They entered the hall, sat down behind their music stands and listened to speeches of welcome from the several distinguished visitors present. Finally, the GovernorGeneral, Sir Bernard Freyberg, asked the orchestra to play. Andersen Tyrer stepped on to the rostrum, and the orchestra, the National Orchestra of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service meeting together for the first time, played as its first work part of Dvorak’s "New World" Symphony. "It might have been terrible, but in fact it sounded very good,’ said one of the members, "as we had the pick of the otchestral players in this country." Many of the musicians were drawn

from the ranks of the orchestras that played for the silent films, others, especially wind and brass players, had come from the R.N.Z.A.F. Military Band. To celebrate this first ten years an anniversary Youth Concert, to which all ages are welcome, will be held in the Wellington Town Hall on Wednesday, October 24, and the programme’ will open with a work specially commissioned for the occasion from Douglas Lilburn. In an interview with The Listener Mr. Lilburn told us about this new composition. "It’s a great pleasure for a composer to be asked to write a work for an occasion such as this and not be left sitting always in the world of his own imagin-

ation," he said. "Mr. Robertson asked me to use the full orchestral resources, triple woodwind, saxophone, piano, plenty of percussion and generously left me quite free as to the kind of music it should be. "The shape of the work is roughly that of an overture with a lengthy introduction to present various sections of the orchestra. But I can see no evidence of sonata form and the music is rather in concertante style with a good deal of solo work, and as wide a range of colour and mood as I can manage. "This made for difficulties over a title for the piece. Rather than use the approximate German -form ‘Concert stucke’ or obscure Italian such as ‘Overtura Concertante,’ I am calling it simply ‘A Birthday Offering.’ The style also

gave me new problems of construction. To solve these I have used a technique which is in vogue today, as it was in the 16th century. At the opening of the work a solo horn summons the orchestra with a theme of four notes. Everything that follows melodically and harmonically derives from these, much in the way that the classical composers would use the common chord or a scale. "Why ‘these particular four notes? Actually I borrowed them from a wellknown composer because they met my need better than any others. The central section of the work owes something to one of Denis Glover’s ‘Sings Harry’ lyrics. "Have I set out to uncork a bottle of champagne? Certainly not, but I hope the music may please some of those who like to taste a New Zealand wine." This will be followed by Smetana’s Symphonic Poem "The Moldau," and by Jocelyn Walker playing Saint-Saens’s Piano Concerto No, 2. The symphony in the programme is an unusual one, Symphony No. 542 (Symphony for Fun) by the American composer Gillis. Then comes a surprise item, which Mr. Robertson, guarding the secret, has refused to discuss. The programme ends with the ballet suite "Coppelia," by Delibes (YCs, Wednesday, October 24, 7.45 p.m.). HE National Orchestra was founded as the orchestra of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service. Six years Before there had existed a Centennial orchestra. under the conductorship of _Andersen Tyrer, but because of the war this was disbanded at the end of the celebrations. When the war ended the Prime Minister, Peter Fraser, announced that a permanent symphony orchestra would be formed, and in 1946 Andersen Tyrer was appointed to train and organise it. At this time the players worked in groups in the main cities and assembled in Wellington for short periods of intensive rehearsal. This group system, now disbanded, worked during the first few years of the orchestra’s existence. The first concert took place in Wellington in March, 1947, and, soon after, the orchestra set off to give its first concerts in the other main centres. These first concerts were notable for enthusiasm and a will to succeed ratherthan for their interpretative qualities, and by now the worst of the mishaps can appear in a humorous light. From the beginning the orchestra gave schools concerts, and visiting artists played concertos with it. In 1948 the

orchestra toured the country with the NZBS production of Carmen. The next year an Italian Opera Company toured with a large repertoire, and again the orchestra had more experience of operatic work, this time under the internationally known conductors Franco Ghione and Manno Wolff-Ferrari. In 1950 Andersen Tyrer’s term ended, and applications for the post were invited from New Zealand and overseas. Over 70 applications were received and Michael Bowles, who had had considerable experience in Dublin with the Irish Broadcasting Service, was eventually appointed. Subscription concerts were started, and guest conductors now began to appear. Audiences saw Sir Eugene Goossens, Warwick Braithwaite, Sir Bernard Heinze and the South American composer-conductor Juan José Castro. Castro’s concerts were memorable ones for the orchestra and the audiences. "When he raised his baton he looked most intense," said a member of "the orchestra. "We were to start with the César Franck Symphony, with the cellos playing a pianissimo passage. They played only a few bars when with a roar Castro shouted "That’s not pianissimo, that’s mezzo-forte. Then we knew we were in for it." In 1952 the first Proms. were started, and the following year Michael Bowles was succeeded for a short term by the New Zealander Warwick Braithwaite, who had had a great deal of experience in London. All the time the orchestra’s technique and powers of interpretation were developing and its stimulating effect on the musical life of this couhtry began to be felt. For instance, choirs attempted larger works, and many out of the way towns were visited. Today it is one of the most widely travelled orchestras in the world, a statement that the players will acknowledge ruefully as they step from the Limited, or climb off the ferry after a strenuous southern tour. Last year it travelled over 8500 miles, and _ visited 15 different cities and towns. It gave a total of 101 concerts, including studio concerts, which amounted to a concert almost every three days. In 1954, when Warwick Braithwaite left to conduct the ill-fated Australian Opera Company, the choice for conductor fell on James Robertson, from Sadler’s Wells, London. Uncer his vigorous direction the orchestra has become technically more efficient and at the same time several new activities have developed, such as the youth concerts and the Composers’ Workshop, which tries over new works submitted by New Zealand composers. Today the orchestra no longer plays as a ‘conventional symphony orchestra, but for all kinds, of occasions, from studio operas to light music for the ZBs. Each year about 300 different orchestral works are presented. The first outline of the year’s programmes is made by the conductor. He

takes into account innumerable factors such as visiting overseas artists, choral societies’ programmes, and New Zealand artists. This draft is ‘then discussed by a programme committee of representatives from various parts of the Service, including an expert on copyright problems. "Any committee must be careful not to stifle the initiative of the conductor," said Mr. Rickard, who is head of programme organisation, and serves on the committee. "That is our paramount aim, and we also contribute ideas from our own experience. When we are all satisfied the programme is then handed over to the librarian, whose job it is to make sure that the scores arrive at the right time. At the same time the programmes go on to Mr. Newson, of Head Office music, who works out the best way of using them for the Service." J. H: Booth, music librarian who looks after the 15,000 scores in the library, 3500 of which are orchestral,

then finds out which scores are on his shelves and which must be hired from outside sources. "There are numerous difficulties connected with the hiring of music," he told us, "and yet when all things are considered, it is surprising that such a small percentage of the music fails to arrive in time. Only twice in the past six months has music arrived too late to be performed as planned originally, but on a number of occasions it has arrived on the day of rehearsal." Mr. Newson on his part makes arrangements for the use of landlines as the orchestra can only be. rebroadcast through these. "We try and almost succeed in putting all the works in the subscription concerts on the air once, nationally. All concerts are broadcast locally if there is a station." Often programmes are recordéd and rebroadcast later on the Sunday main national programme, some are played by the Com-

mercial network, and others are kept for delayed broadcasts on YZ stations which do not have the opportunity of live relays. After this the completed programmes are allocated broadcast times at a general programming conference where representatives from all departments of the. service meet once a quarter. Finally, what of the orchestra itself? The members are a vigorous, enthusiastic body, devoted to maintaining the highest artistic standards, and anxious that these aims will not be frustrated. They are interested in extending their repertoire, in playing modern works, and because of our isolation from other orchestras respond well to the stimulus of visits from overseas. guest conductors. Ten years from now, when the twentieth birthday is celebrated, the pattern of their story will be a different one-and it is during this next ten years that the character and personality of the orchestra will be more firmly established. ‘ \