The Setting Of Old "Omar" To Music

Radio Record, 14 April 1938, Page 19

The Setting Of Old "Omar" To Music

COMPOSERS GATHER THE POLLEN OF INSPIRATION

cE) COMPOSERS are as uncertain as bees. You never know where they are going to alight. Note, for example, A. E. Housman’s "Shropshire Lad" and Edward Fitz-. Gerald’s translation of the "Rubaiyat" of Omar Khayyam, each erystallising a pessimistic philosophy of life in verse of extraordinary perfection. As between their suitability for musi: cal treatment little choice is offered, one would think. But, no! a. swarm of composers has gathered the pollen of inspiration from "A Shropshire Lad," while of the settings of "Omar," we have but two that really count-Ban--tock’s and Liza. Lehmann’s. "In a Persian Garden," Liza Lehmann’s song-cycle composed in’ 1896, won immediate popularity and made its composer’s reputation. It is planned on much more ambitious and unconventional lines than most songeycles. ‘ . It' is for four ‘soloists, and. four of the quatrains' are sung by the whole quartet; the separate: Songs are linked by passages of recitative so that there is no real break in the music; and the whole bunch of flowers from this Persian Garden of Verse is finally

tied together, so to speak,.by the occasional recurrence of certain bits of tune throughout. The quartet open the work with ‘a fine number on the lines beginning, "Wake, for the sun who scattered into flight the stars." They also bring the eyele to an end with a quartet, "Alas, that Spring should vanish .with the Rose," and their two other. concerted numbers are "Come, Fill.the Cup," near the beginning, and "They Say the Lion and the Lizard Keep the Courts,": ‘which comes toward the end. There is one duet in which soprana and tenor join with fine’ effect, "A Book of Verses’ Underneath the Bough," and ali the voices have fine solos. But through the cycle ali the voices in-turr have shorter solos as well, and the effect is not so. much one of separate numbers as of a complete work in which the spirit of the poem is very expressively illustrated. Station 2YA listeners, will hear "In a Persian Garden" on. Sunday , afternoon, April 17. The cast of soloists comprises Dora Labette, soprano; Muriel Brunskill, contralto; Hubert Wisdel,, tenor; and Harold Williams, bass; with Harold Pedlar at the piano, Columbia recorded the work under tha direction of Liza’ Lehmann’s husband, Herbert Bedford.