Pessimists and Pianos

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 24, 26 December 1930, Page 1

Pessimists and Pianos

Do you play a musical instrument? If you do, read what ..

Dr:

J. E.

Borland

says about the influence of radio and the

Gramophone on amateur music. If you don’t, well read it, anyway. He covers a multitude of topics -all of them interesting.

Zealand? Well, that is perhaps \ scarcely a fair question, because most of the six months I have been in this country I have been touring. I have had few hours leisure to listen-ir. One impression I did gain, however-and one I think nobody will gainsay-was of the tremendous progress your broadcasting has made since my last visit in 1926. All I remember as outstanding then were church service relays. .Now your programmes are, in arrangement at least, ‘markedly similar to those at Home. One of the greatest differences, from my viewpoint, is the lack of modern grand opera. This to a certain extent is counterbalanced by your frequent Yeo fe of old favourites, such as exV1 MI: opinion of broadcasting in New t from Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas. think these are a little neglected in Eng‘lish wireless programmes. Of course, you find it necessary to use many more gramophone records for broadcasting purposes than we do, but such a practice does not detract in the least from the attractiveness of a radio entertainment. On the contrary. recordings are prob-

ably preferable to first-hand renderings by less qualified artists. I was rather surprised to find that at most of the country hotels where I stayed during my recent travels powerful modern radio receivers had been installed. I heard many enjoyable concerts. p A OTHER point which inpresses me greatly is the magked improvement made in England of recefit years in recording music. In the early days of gramophones we thought that a certain recording of Dvorak’s "New Worid Symphony" was marvellous. To-day, in coniparison with a modern recording it is almost laughable. — The gramophone and the wireless. set have an immense influence, over. the younger generation especially, in the genuine appreciation of good music. In the old days, if a schoolmaster wished to talk about music to his pupils he was under a serious handicap. ~¢Perhaps he played the piano a little-but what ‘use was that in trying to instil into children a love for the works of the great masters? Now, however, with the aid of the gramophone, he can present to his pupils any selection he desires, played by the world’s finest musicians.

Broadcasting, too, is of great assistance in this direction. It is sometimes necessary to hear many of the classical works a number of times before a genuine liking for them is conceived. The fact that one may occasionally hear, a schoolboy whistling a melody of a Beethoven sonata or an Italian opera may be quoted’ as an excellent indication of what radio has accomplished in this direction. Twenty or thirty years ago one was fortunate in hearing any particular composition once-

and then only during the excitement. of a concert. Will mechanical music ever displace home learning? you ask. No, I’m sure it won't. Ifa child, or an adult, for-that | matter, is really fond of good music, his or her enthusiasm for home playing will, if ariything, be stimulated by mecha- ~ nically. reproduced music. One definite good radio and its ally, the gramophone, is accomplishing is the sorting out of those who have no real liking for music, but who as chilldren were perhaps forced to learn. some instrument. tT is a curious idea, but . ‘a prevalent one, that the only instrument for children to. learn is ‘the piano. It is*not uncommon to come ‘across a family of four or five children all learning the piano, and worse. all playing the same pieces! I certainly admit that anyone who intends taking’ up any other instrument, whether for a profession or for pleasure, should study the piano, if only for a while. The student should progress until he, or she, is able to read two lines of music simul-

taneously. ihen when the chosen 1flstrument is taken up, things will be found much easier. In addition, the student will not be hopelessly lost when it comes to studying harmony or orchestral scores. The standard of amateur musicianship in New Zealand? It is surprisingly high, and compares very favourably with other countries. Another point worth mention is that choir singing appears to be very popular among the people of this country. On a population basis, I should say that the number of persons interested in this form of music is as high here as anywhere in the world. I can "think of only one real reason for this. At Home, people hate tired of the old choral works, such as the "Messiah" and "Elijah," but in this country they are still popular. They possess one great advantage, namely, they are not difficult to present effectively. At Home, however. more modern compositions are largely preferred. The majority of these are difficult, and to learn properly require an appreciable amount of time-probably more than the amateur in this country is prepared to give. In addition, at first hearing they sound almost (Concluded on page 2.)

Pessimists and Pianos _ (Continued from page 1.) discordant, A member’ of. a choir singing’ these new compositions * feels, in fact, something like an "atmospheric effect, "? and he is discouraged... . Chamber music is very popular in England at present. Because it requires only a limited number of performers, it broadcasts clearly, and for the same reason amateur musicians find it a most acceptable and. easy: way of: playing together. » In ‘England. some forty: or fifty years ago many little villages had their own orchestras of sorts, which would perform at fetes, public functions, and commonly during chureh services. It was an excellent idea, but unfortunately, with the increase in church organs, they died out. I hope they may be revived. Yes, taken generally, I have noticed a slight decrease in the number of pupils sitting for music examinations this year. ‘This, however, is no doubt due-to the present financial depression, and not to the influx of ‘mechanical music. The decrease, also, is almost confined ‘to those who have just* commenced learning-usually children of seven or eight years of age. It is quite understandable that parents feel compelled" at present to postpone the child’s musical studies. After all, music is a luxury, and in times of st¥ess luxuries are bound to go by the’ board. When broadcasting first : became popular in England, home learning did deerease for a while, but was soon revived. Boys especially were greatly taken up with their. new hobby, that

of building receiving sets, and for. a. while: they lost all interest in their’ musical instruments... It was not as if they cared for what they heard. They didn’t. The fact that they had succeeded in hearing New York, for instance, on a home-made set was what mainly interested them. But all this was just a phase. The novelty soon wore off. Amateur playing is now immensely popular in England, and is getting a bigger hold than ever. Institutions such as the Royal Schools and Trinity College of Music are each year turning out more and more qualified , musicians- nd. good musicians at that. I remember a few. years ago it was sometimes difficult

to.find.a good horn player. Now there ‘are plenty of them.:.. * Wind * bands, too, have improved wonderfully. At one time a bandsman was not necessarily a musician in the true sense of the word. Now he usually is. More often than not it is found that over half the personnel of a good military band can lay both a wind and a stringed instrument. Singers? Well, it is on this subject that. I would like to offer a criticism. Nowadays singers seem to consider that their performance is not complete unless they introduce a wobble into their songs. I don’t refer to New Zealand vocalists in particular-if anything, they are: slightly less addicted to the habit than those ‘of other countries. ‘It is very common in England, where they should know better. Fr equently, singers don’t sing in phrases, but in single notes, and these hit the unfortunate ‘listener in a series of gusts. If one heard the melody, and were asked to write it down, it would be almost impossible to do so with -confidence. In places it would probably be a whole semitone out. The first thing any singer should learn is to have complete control of his, or her, lungs. ‘Once they have done this, they seem todisregard it completely, and introduce an unstable wobble into everything. They probably think it is emotion, whereas, of course, it is instability. Perhaps also they think it sounds professional. Well, so it does-profes-sionals do it also. But it is none the less regrettable. Another common fault among singers ts that of word exaggeration, or of ethphasising syllables that should not be emphasised. I remember listening to-a. lady singer over the wireless when I was up north recently. She was singing "Where the Bee Sucks," and sing-

ing it well, but she would accent wrong syllables: in certain words. It was probably détie for the sake of clarity, but, for myself at least, the song wa ruined. ... of