9.20 NATIONAL SYMPHONY CONCERT
(Continued)
TWENTY-FIVE is a fine age at which to write romantic music. Grieg, at that time of his life (in 1868), was much interested in his native Norwegian music, and his already strong and vivid personality had fine scope, in a work such as this, of considerable dimensions.
FIRST MOVEMENT (Moderately quick). After a preliminary flourish on the Piano, the First
Main Tune is given out. It consists chiefly of a little curt phrase in Woodwind, and a more suave phrase, which is at first given to Clarinet and Bassoon, and then repeated at great length. This whole (fairly long) Tune is repeated on the Piano. Then follows a longish passage of rapid work for the Piano and Strings and Woodwind. At the end of this there is something of a climax, and then comes the beautiful Second Main Tune.
SECOND MOVEMENT (Slow). This is a brief, highly-expressive Movement. It opens with a long tune given to Muted Strings. At the end of this the Piano enters with a long, rhapsodical passage (lightly accompanied). Eventually, Flute .and Clarinet quietly suggest the Tune with which the Movement opened, and this the Piano then declaims at full length.
THIRD MOVEMENT (Quick and emphatic). A few soft, detached chords in the orchestra, a very loud Piano flourish, and one loud chord (Full Orchestra), and we are plunged into a lively Dance. The Dance is interrupted for a time, whilst we hear, as it were in the distance, a song. The Dance soon returns and, at the end, the song-tune is declaimed loudly by Piano and orchestra.
THE extract from the last of the Ring music-dramas gives us the sad-sweet song of the maidens who guarded in the depths of the Rhine the gold from which the ring was made. This was stolen from them, and has wrought much evil. Here Siegfried, the hero, comes to the bank of the river, and hears the maidens' warning of his death, so soon to come. We hear, among other leading themes from the drama, Siegfried's horn-call.
JOHANNE STOCKMARR and Orchestra Concerto in A Minor - Grieg
9.50 ORCHESTRA Suite in F Sharp Minor (1) Variations; (2) Scherzo; (3) Romance; (4) Rondo - Dohnanyi
Graceful Waltz - German
Song of the Rhine Daughters (from 'The Dusk of the Gods - Wagner
