Relayed from the People's Palace
A Wagner Programme
The National Orchestra
Conducted by Percy Pitt
Part I

The Orchestra
Overture to 'Rienzi'
Bridal Procession ('Lohengrin')

Rienzi, one of Wagner's earlier operas, is founded upon Bulwer Lytton's novel of the same name. The Overture is stirring and strongly-coloured music.
After a few bars of Introduction, we hear, very softly, a well-shaped, rather slow tune in the Violins (Rienzi's Prayer). This proceeds and is soon taken up, loudly, by the full Orchestra.
After a time, the music comes to a period, and makes a fresh start in a quick and energetic style. The Wind instruments have loud repeated chords, the 'Cellos and Double-basses do rapid downhill scales.
Soon after comes a very striking passage, in which the Brass alone thunder out the Call to Arms from the opera.
Then comes the Rienzi's Prayer tune again (but quicker this time than before), and after that the Call to Arms again, and then a stirring, march-like tune, at first in Strings and Woodwind softly, but soon afterwards by all the instruments of the Orchestra, as loudly as they can do it.

Miriam Licette (Soprano)
Elizabeth's Greeting ('Tannhauser')

In the first Act of the Opera we see how the Knight of Song, Tannhauser, whom Elizabeth loved, falls for a time under the spell of Venus. Presently, growing weary of her enchantments, he returns to his fellow men, and learns that Elizabeth continues to mourn his absence. At the beginning of the Second Act, Elizabeth enters the Hall of Song at the Castle of Wartburg and greets it as the scene of Tannhauser's former triumphs of minstrelsy. Now, she sings, hope is alight once more, for her loved one has returned.

The Orchestra
Forest Murmurs ('Siegfried')

Siegfried, the hero, having killed a dragon and tasted the' monster's blood, is able to understand the voices of nature. Resting under a tree, he listens to the murmur of the forest's life. He would imitate the birds' songs, and cuts himself a reed from which he fashions a pipe. Then his thoughts turn to his mother, who died when he was born, and the music clouds over for a moment. only to resume its sunny course with a new theme. The whole episode is one of the loveliest scenes that Wagner ever wrote.

Walter Widdop (Tenor)
Prize Song from 'The Mastersingers'
The Orchestra
Prelude and Isolde's Death ('Tristan and Isolde')