"Italian" Symphony

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 17, 4 November 1932, Page 5

"Italian" Symphony

Mendelssohn’s Masterpiece from LYA [tr is sometimes good to hear undiluted Mendelssohn, though the "highbrows" nowadays have condemned him as unworthy to black their own squeaking boots.

The opportunity of hearing the first, second and fourth movements of Mendelssohn’s "Italian" Symphony from 1YA on Tuesday next is therefore welcome, Played by the Halle Orchestra, it should provide excellent radio fare. It was the composer himself who gave the Symphony its name. It was actually begun in Italy, where Mendelssohn went after his first visit to England, enjoying everything he saw, and hearing with the wholehearted zest which was his. His letters home are full of vivid descriptions of people and places, full, too, of illuminating comments, and sometimes of the rather scathing criticisms of. intolerant youth. But amid constant distractions he yet found time to produce a good deal of music, and the Scots Symphony, as well as this one, was partly composed during that busy time. The Italian Symphony was dedicated to the Royal Philharmonic Society in London, and it was they who gave it its first performance in May, 1833. Mendelssohn came over to conduct it; he had besides another reason for his visit-the christening of his god-child, the son of Moscheles, the famous pianist. The four movements are briefly as follow :-First we have a quick and active piece of playing, full of youthful joy, and, on the composer’s own confession, the gayest music for orchestra he had ever written. Next follows a rather slow, steadilymoving piece often called "The Pilgrims’ March"’-though Mendelssohn never gave it that name. The third section is a graceful light minuet. The finale, like the first part, wags written in Rome. It represents the spirit of the mid-Lent carnival, which the composer witnessed, and embraces every important typical Itallan dance tune.