Wellington Symphony Orchestra

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 1, 18 July 1930, Page 44

Wellington Symphony Orchestra

Next Performance, July 24 HURSDAY, July 24, will mark something of an epoch in _ musical Wellington; for, in spite of the fact that Wellington's history goes back nearly a hundred years, it has not yet heard a hundredth of the finest orchestral works of the great masters. Works that have become almost hackneyed in the northern hemisphere are almost totally unknown in New Zealand-to the public at least. ' When the Wellington Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1928, the idea was largely to dispel a belief that was becoming increasingly prevalent in young New Zealand minds that orchestral music ranged from the dance band arrangement of "Swanee," to the ‘Poet and Peasant" and the "‘Light Cavalry’’ overture of Von Suppe. The Wellington Symphony Orchestra, in its programmes to date, has done much to convince the younger generation that a wonder field of superb music-even beyond Von Suppe-is waiting to be explored. And some of the older generation have heard works performed that they did not even know existed. Now the second concert of the 1930 season is close at hand,’ and, on July 24, Wellington will hear for the first time Haydn's "Cello Concerto in D Major’’-a master creation that was written fifty years before Wellington was thought of! The: beautiful, though difficult, solo part will be played by Mr. Claude Tanner. In addition, the Fifth Symphony of Tschaikowsky will be performed in full for the first time in New Zealand. This work, which takes up the whole of the first half of the programme, is undoubtedly Tschaikowsky’s finest symphony-even excelling the famous "Pathetic," the composer's sixth and last symphony. Its music runs the full gamut of the emotions, and is as thrilling a piece of music as can be imagined. . It is truly said that there is not a dull bar in the whole score. The remaining works scheduled for performance are the. "Don Juan" overture of Mozart, Wagner's Prelude to "Tristan and Isolde,"" and the "‘La Source" ballet music of Delibes: The programme is timed to start at eight sharp and to conclude atten. In spite of the fact that the performance is to be broadcast, the Wellington Town Hall should be packed on this occasion, for many of those who listen in have already realised by now that there is much more enjoyment to be derived from all orchestral music when one is in the presence of the orchestra itself. Mr. Leon de Mauny, well known as one of New Zealand’s leading musicians, will conduct. Judging from the two rehearsals heard before this issue went to press, the performance should prove a further and yet greater triumph for what bids fair to be one of the finest orchestra in the Dominion.