Some Descriptive Notes

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 28, 25 January 1929, Page 15

Some Descriptive Notes

IN the old slave days in America the thoughts of the negro often turned for consolation to his hopes of joy in a better world. The fervour and happy , confidence of a simple-minded people is shown in the "spiritual" we are to hear from Miss Ethel Friend at 2YA on Thursday evening. Of this feeling "Deep River"? is typical: "Deep river, my home is over Jordan, Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into camp-ground. Oh, chillun, oh, don’t you want to go to that gospel feast, That promised land, that land where all is peace? Walk into Heaven and take my seat, And cast my crown at Jesus’ feet!’ [STERESTING circumstances surround the history of the overture to the "Barber of Seville," which is to be played by 2YA Orchestra on Monday evening. Rossini-took only a little over a fortnight to compose "The Barber," overture and all. The overture, after being played on the opening night, was lost, it is said, through a copyist’s negligence, and the music now played as a prelude to the opera belongs to another opera, "Blizabeth," brought out the year before "The Barber." Most of the music in the overture fits the light and sparkling work very well. There is first a broad, dignified introduction, and then a gay, quick movement FEW French composers of last century attained speedier or more consistent success than Massenet, some of whose works will be broadcast next week. He was a brilliant student, and of his score or more of operas the greater part enjoyed immense popularity. At the age of thirty-four he received the decoration of the Legion of Honour, and two years later he became a member of the Academy of Fine Arts-the youngest member over elected. Not many of his operas have survived in England, but "Manon" was for long a great favourite at Covent Garden. Selections frfom this opera will be played by the Auckland Trio on Saturday, February 2. On Tuesday, January 29, the suite "Picturesque Scenes" will be played by the Studio Orchestra. Massenet’s famous "Hlegie’" will be sung on Sunday evening, February 38, at 2YA by Miss Rita Arnold, contralto.

GGLAZOUNOV, who wrote the suite © "The Seasons," a selection from ~ which will be played by the 3YA. Studio Trio on Monday evening, January 28, is‘probably the most distinguished living Russian composer who does not: work on yery advanced "modernist" lines. He is a master of orchestral effect, and in his ballets and other light pieces he has produced musie that follows very agreeably, yet with distinct individuality of its own, in the Tschaikowsky tradition. "The Seasons," a suite of orchestral pieces, was originally written for a ballet. There are the theme and variations belonging to winter, the variations being respedtively entitled hoar-frost, ice, hail and snow. Then comes spring} sum mer-has three sections-Waltz of Po: pies and Cornflowers, &n variations; lastly, autumn has 4 Batchanal and a little slow movement, N "Haere Tonu," to be sung by Mr. Leslie Scrimshaw on Monday evening, we have a Maori war dance Set to music. In this war song, the composely Mr. R A. Horne, General Manager of the "Bristol," Christchurch, has, ex celled himself. There have been me attempts to translate the distinctivé and weird chants of the Maori into accepted musical notation, and few. 6 these have succeeded, Mr. Alfred H a musician of much power and insighb, is responsible for two very fine Maoki songs in "Tangi" and "Waiata Poi the former probably being the best yet written, but in the majority ¢ cases the mediocrity which is akin failure has marked composers’ efforts, But Mr. Horne, in the chorus of his song, has caught the true spirit and aby mosphere of the haka, and the very fine adjuration to gird and charge has’ been musically interpreted with s oy prising fidelity to the original idea O& the savage music of the Nativa. race. The conclusion of the chorus, which embodies the great war ery, "Ake, Ake, Kia Kaha," is patsy ticularly effective, and the song endl: on a note that suddenly drops an d¢4; tave, conveying the final grunt of tha Maori ery admirably. Mr, Horne ha& written a simple air with a swinging lilt that makes it "go" from beginning: to end, and the accompaniment hay been arranged with due regard to the value of chordal passages, The words are by Mr. BH, D. Hoben, a brother Mr. Francis Hoben, the ant tly Christchurch musical eritic, and in neat verse, the story gf how t Maori’s ancestors fought of old,