JAZZ IN NEW ZEALAND
»ir,-l have read with some interest the correspondence under the title of Jazz in New Zealand, and I am disturbed at the number of correspondents who find "classical music" dull. If they mean true classical music in its strict sense I would hardly describe Mozart’s music, for instance, as dull. Much of it is very light-hearted and full of vigour. I personally find Bach difficult to listen to, but that is because I have not given him a fair trial, not because his music is inherently dull, If they mean: "classical" in its loose sense, that is, so-called "serious" music, then "dull" is even less applicable. For Mr. Lynch to say that much of the music of the old masters is formless, aimless and tremendously dull is, in my opinion, completely incorrect. Contempotary music comes nearer to the first two adjectives and sometimes to the third, to the individual taste, that is, Again, I find that some jazz, and I mean true jazz, not popular music, is delightful when I feel like "letting my
hair down," but then much of "serious" music can do this just as well, if not better. As an example, I think Enesco’s Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1 would be hard to beat, I think many of your correspondents who put "serious" music in the dull class are trying to run before they can walk. One cannot expect to «appreciate, or even like a Beethoven symphony on its first acquaintance, especially: if the listener has heard little or no "serious" music beforehand. From my own experience I did not like Beethoven’s "Eroica"’ on its first hearing, or even the second or third, but after twenty or thirty hearings it is among my favourite works. More programmes after the style of A Listener's Notebook would help tremendously here. Finally, jazz has never reached the heights that "serious" music has achieved, and while it follows its present form I doubt if it ever will. To enumerate the reasons for this would be space consuming, so I will leave it at that and sincerely hope that some of the people alluded to will give "serious" music " a fair go."
D. J.
M.
(Lower Hutt).
This correspondence is now closed.,-Ed. )
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 902, 16 November 1956, Page 5
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373JAZZ IN NEW ZEALAND New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 902, 16 November 1956, Page 5
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