The Week's Music..

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 911, 25 January 1957, Page 14

The Week's Music..

by

SEBASTIAN

T’S a shame that a country’s music is so rarely appreciated in that country, except for tourist attraction. It’s even more of a shame in New Zealand, for we have some high-developed yet natural music in the lore of the Maoris. Phyllis Willfams, in her series on Maori song forms (NZBS), champions the cause of this music, and does so in an attractive manner-by giving numerous examples and cutting explanations to the minimum required. To those of us whose acquaintance with Maori songs is limited to. "Come O Maidens," it comes as a shock to hear tunes and harmonies that might grace a Swiss alpine ‘village, or monotonal chants that bring African tribal music to mind, in an easy juxtaposition. Fortunately, the lure of drum rhythms has bypassed the, Maori, so that his song tends to be at once comprehensible even to European ears. Some of the effects are quite modal, others again rather commonplace; and in their lack of commercialised sophistication, they have a charm all their own. In this connection I should also mention the NZBS programme Song and Story of the Maori, whose music is at least as well sung, but has less that is off the beaten track, more of the obvious; but it is still a good sign that someone

is taking an interest in publicising what is, after all, our own folk music. The National Orchestra seems to have gained strength from its brief absence from the stage, and were playing really well in a recent studio concert (YC link). A varied programme opened with Gordon Jacob’s lush orchestration of Handel’s "Theodora" overture, which I prophesy would be a resounding success at any concert; it has interest, tune, bounce, and, in fact, all the makings for a classical hit number-if you will excuse the contradiction in terms. Janetta McStay played Prokofieff’s C Major Piano Concerto with dexterity, sensitivity and a sense of humour: a rare combination in so-called serious music, but definitely the right approach in this instance. Lastly, there was the fascinating ballet suite Corroboree, by the Australian composer Antill; a piece which stylistically has much in common with Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, though poles apart in cultural background. The orchestra handled its difficult rhythms and effects with remarkable deftness, and at times the music was quite aweinspiring. Now (vide supra) we need only a ballet based on a typical hangi, and our experience will be complete,