Broadcast Music for Coming Week

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 52, 12 July 1929, Page 14

Broadcast Music for Coming Week

ean tr rt "Tis the deep music of the rolling world, Kindling within the strings of the waved airAeolian modulations."

Shelley

By

Bolton

Woods

An Old "Hymn of Hate." ‘THD so-called "War Song of the Hungarians" which Berlioz incorporated in his stirring march is, strictly speaking, an old "Hymn of Hate’ directed against the Austrians. The tune was given to Berlioz during a concert tour in that part of the world so that he might compose a piece to be played in Pesth which would be likely to capture the public favour. It did so to a degree which exceeded even Berlioz’s hopes. It had thus far nothing to do with "Faust," but in order to enrich that score with a piece which was so obviously popular Berlioz invented a new episode which he tacked on to the story so that Faust might visit Hungary and hear this very march. The 3YA Studio Orchestra will play Berlioz’s "Hungarian March" on Wednesday, July 17. A Great Transcriber. L 1822 showed early in his career the ability to take melodious and musieal episodes from operas and weld them into brilliant concert pieces. In none of his many transcriptions has he been jpore signally successful than in the ."Rigoletto Paraphrase." The various

voices are each heard in turn, the work concluding, as does the quartet in the opera, with a passage of grent brilliancy. Mr. Eric Waters will play "Paraphrase de Concert-Rigoletto" (Verdi-Liszt) at 1YA on,Tuesday, July 16. From Choirboy to Composer. HB actual date and place of the birth of our great English composer have never been quite definitely fixed; all that one can say certainly is that Purcell was born in 1658 or 1659 in London, and that he died there in 1695. Nor ean one say with any certainty exactly when many of his great works were produed, Thanks to the activities of the English Purcell Society many of his compositions have been published and arranged, and we now possess a great store of music, grave and gay, for almost every known combination of voices and instruments, ranging from opera to quite small pieces. Most of the songs by him which we huve to-day are taken from operas and other pieces originally written for the stage. At the age of six he lost his father, who was a Westminster Abbey choirman, also at Chapel Royal, to which latter choir young Henry was admitted. Miss Zita Casey will sing

"Nymphs and Shepherds," by Purcéll, at 2YA on Thursday, July 18. A Tuneful Trio. HE two trios which Mendelssohn wrote for piano, violin and ’cello do not rank among his most famous works. Nevertheless they are admirable examples of his sincerity and tunefulness, and every movement in them is,put together with great accomplishment and artistry. The first movement of the C Minor Trio (the composer's Op. 66, and dedicated to Spohr) has capital vigour and good tunes. The 1YA Studio Trio will play the first movement of the "Trio in C Minor" on Friday, July 19.

To Hades and Back.

(Luck has been styled "the Father of Modern Opera," but when one considers that "Orpheus and Hurydice" was produced in 1762, the idea must occur that "modern" opera is of pretty ancient origin. Certainly Gluck introduced an: entirely new form of opera, and quarrelled with Handel over his innovations. The musical world was split in two, but critics have long since decided that Gluck was right. The plot follows the old Greek legend. Eurydice, the wife of Orpheus, is dead. The sorrowing husband is allowed to descend into Hades and bring her back, but he must not look into her face. She, thinking that his averted look means he no longer loves her, weeps bitterly, and he, unable’ to bear her grief, turns to reassure her. Meeting his glance, she falls lifeless. "Che Faro " expresses the husband’s grief, In the end the god of love, touched by his distress, again restores Hurydice to him. Mrs. Ian Stuart will sing "Che Faro?" at 1YA on Tuesday, July 16. A Great Frenchman.

[ys the course of his long and active eareer, he appeared first in public as a pianist at the age of five, and took part in a concert in honour of his own eightieth birthday-Saint Saens, founder and unchallenged leader of the modern French school of music, produced fine work in almost every known form. His wonderful vitality, his genial temperament, his great wholesome sanity, are reflected in his work; in all of it, too, can be discerned the steadfast way in which he looked towards his own ideal of clear, unsullied beauty. Miss Hileen Goodson will play Saint-Saens’ "Alceste Caprice" at 2YA on Friday, July 19. . Beneath the Motley. OUR of the five people in Leoncavallo’s one really successful opera, "I Pagliacci," are strolling players, and the fifth, who completes the cast, is a peasant. It is his love affair with Nedda, the Columbine of the troupe, which brings about the final tragedy. Canio, the leader of the players, her husband, discovering their intrigue,

kills first his wife and then the lover, Silvio. In the first act, the troupe arrives in the village, and in the second they act their play on a small stage. The little piece which they perform is in effect the same tale of jealousy and passion which is the plot of the whole work. Tonio opens the opera, | by appearing before the curtain and ~~ singing the prologue; in it he tells that the players are men and women of flesh and blood, despite the artificial life of the stage. Mr. W. W. Marshall will sing the "Prologue" at 2YA on Tuesday, July 16.

A Strange Plot. ‘THE MAGIC FLUTH," Mozart’s last opera, has one of the strangest plots imaginable. Prince Tamino falls in love with the picture of the Queen of the Night’s abducted daughter, Pamina. He sets out to find her, taking his Magic Flute; and companion, Papageno, who carries a glockenspiel. They find the girl in the house of the High Priest who carried her off because he considered her mother was not fit to look after her. He tells them that if they can prove themselves worthy of the divine gifts of love, he can promise them-a happy future. By the use of the Magie Flute they pass through fire and water, unharmed, and at last are married in the great temple of the Sun. A record of the overture to the "Magic Flute" played by the orchestra of the Berlin State Opera House will be used at 3YA on Thursday, July 18,

A Church Composer. Gir JOSEPH BARNBY’S name was at one time a name to conjure with in the English world of music. The son of an organist, he was a chorister in York Minster, and was only twelve when he became an organist and choirmaster himself. Two years later he was a close second to Sir Arthur Sullivan in the examination for the Mendeissohn Scholarship, which was then being awarded for the first time, He held several appointments as organist and choral conductor, and for a time conducted daily concerts in the Albert Hall. Among the most interesting of his achievements was his conducting of the first performance in England of Wagner’s "Parsifal’-a concert performance in the Albert Hall. His own work includes oratorios, a large number of church services, secular part songs, and about 250 hymn tunes, many of which are still in regular use. The Beckenham Male Quartet will Sing Barnby’s "Sweet and Low" at 3YA on Saturday, July 20, The "Peter Pan" of Musie. THE "Midsummer Night’s Dream" music, more than any other of his compositions, presents Mendelssohn to us as a veritable "Peter Pan" of music, who definitely declined to grow up. The

-_-- composer and his sister Fanny were very fond of reading Shakespeare’s plays, and when only seventeen, the boy was so thrilled with the story and the fairies in it, that he composed an overture, which he first played as a piano duet with his sister. Seventeen years later he wrote the remaining numbers for the play, recapturing the same fresh, youthful spirit which had 1_inspired the overture. Did we not know the "facts, it would be easy to believe that all the music was written at the same time, with the same whole-heart-ed boyish enthusiasm. A record of the "Wedding March" from "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" will be used as an entr’acte during the production of "The Taming of the Shrew" at 4YA on Monday, July 15. Wins Both Prize and Girl. AGNER’S one comic opera had ~ been taking shape in iis mind for something like twenty years before he settled down to compose it. The central figure is the poet, H: s Sachs. His friend, Walther, is in love with Bva, and hopes to win her hand at the . song contest. He has written a song, and Sachs makes a copy of the words as he sings ic over. ‘The copy is left in the house and is stolen b, Beckmesser. Sachs is aware who has taken the song, but knowing that the thief will make a sorry job of setting it to music, he lets hir keep it. The day of the song contest arrives and Beckmesser makes a hash of his song. Enraged at the laughter he tells the people that it is written by heir beloved Sachs. The real author, Walther, is then led to the competitors’ mound, and by his singing of it he wins his admission to the Guild of Mastersingers, and ‘ the hund of Eva. A record of selections from "The Meistersingers," played by the H.M. Grenadier Guards, will be used at 4YA on Friday, July 19. .