(Section E)
Led by MARIE WILSON
Conducted by JOHN BARBIROLLI
LIVIO MANNUCCI (violoncello) ORCHESTRA
Dickens's story of 'The Cricket on the Hearth' has been the subject of at least two operas, one by Goldmark and the other by Sir Alexander Mackenzie. The latter opera was completed in 1902, and it has been several times produced at the Royal Academy of Music, of which Mackenzie was then Principal. Mackenzie .has confessed that his idea of writing this opera was to check an unfortunate tendency of his students to take it for granted that opera must be tragic, melancholy, and lurid. By taking Dickens's simple story as his text, he at any rate proved that the lighter emotions can be equally well set to music. LIVIO MANNUCCI AND ORCHESTRA
Tchaikovsky's 'Variations on a Rococo Theme' was composed in 1876 and dedicated to William Fitzhagen, a celebrated 'cellist and Professor at the Moscow Conservatoire. It is a lovely work and beautifully written for the solo instrument. Although the entire technical resources of the 'cello ere exploited with brilliant and artistic effect, the music cannot be accused of being merely dazzling and showy. It possesses genuine poetic qualities that are deeply expressive. The theme, though ' rococo ' in style, is original in conception. After an introduction in which the theme is foreshadowed, the solo 'cello plays it in full with light support from the strings, and then follow seven variations, the last being the most brilliant and decorative of all.
When the ' Rococo ' Variations were played by Fitzhagen at the Wiesbaden Festival in 1879, Liszt heard the performance and remarked ' at last here is music again '. ORCHESTRA LIVIO MANNUCCI ORCHESTRA