The Week's Music...

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 942, 30 August 1957, Page 30

The Week's Music...

by

SEBASTIAN

‘THE world in which Bach lived and wrote was the same world that besets us with cares: a fact that, listening to his universal music, we are apt to forget, and place him on a _ seraphic pedestal far above the heads of ordinary mortals. That is the theme behind Hincemith’s well-known essay on Bach, and the theme that is developed in the series Bach, Citizen of Two Worlds (NZBS). This is a massive venture of 18 substantial episodes, in which the facets of Bach’s known life are presented semi-dramatically by NZBS§ actors; I think most of the material can be found in Spitta and Hans David's -anthology, and the work-up originates from the North-West German Radio. The effectiveness of the presentation depends largely upon contrast; a small piece of detailed biography is juxtaposed with pieces of music that Bach wrote at about the time of the happenings described. The series started well in this respect, but in some episodes the contrast is lacking-Bach is shown as a citizen of one class-world into which his music and -his li‘e fall with no mutual exclusion or paradox. Of course, the programmes suffer from the inevitable lack of information that we have about the man; pastiche

is the only means by which we may attempt a portrait. Still, the best is made of the little available, and when the inevitable lacuna occurs, his music fills it: and justly, for it has more to say to us than records of family events in a long-dead society. The musical choices are excellent, with first-rate soloists; special plaudits to Helmut Walcha and his impeccable organ playing, which must be close to the ideal in Bach interpretation. Even if you have no interest in biographical minutiae, the music makes these programmes well worth listening to. I’m not sure, though, that this jigsaw fulfils the avowed objects of the series; that you will have to decide for yourself. A very good concert from the National Orchestra deserves notice (YC and YA links); this was the last conducted by Nicolai Malko, and here he was as it were on his home ground, with a programme.of Russian music. The band came alive under his hands, and a work like the Tchaikovski Serenade in C sounded no longer tired, but wakeful and vibrant. The major work, the first Symphony of Shostakovich, was a percussive delight, and the Glinka Overture a lyrical one. We have selcom heard the Orchestra play better.