Marko Rothmiiller (baritone)
Jean Pougnet (violin)
BBC Opera Chorus
(Trained by Alan G. Melville )
BBC Opera Orchestra (Leader. John Sharpe )
Conductor, Stanford Robinson
Paul Dukas, one of the leading French composers of the late nineteenth century. is scarcely known in this country excep' for his symphonic scherzo ' L'Apprenti Sorcier.' It describes the story of the apprentice who seizes the chance of his master's absence to pronounce the magic spell that sets the broomstick to work carrying water to the house. But he finds, too late, that he has forgotten the words which undo the spell, and the carrying of water goes on until the house is well-nigh engulfed. In desperation the apprentice chops the stick in half, only to find his predicament is twice as bad, since both halves carry on the work. The magician returns just in time to avert final catastrophe.