The Liverpool Philharmonic
Society's Concert
Part I
Relayed from
The Central Hall, Liverpool
EVA TURNER (soprano)
THE LIVERPOOL
PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Led by ALFRED BARKER
Conducted by Sir THOMAS BEECHAM , Bt.
It is a curious fact that Dukas is well known in England on the strength 8f one work, namely, ' L'apprenti sorcier ', which is one of the most popular works in our orchestral repertoire. Another symphonic poem ' La Péri', which was recently revived at the Proms, is, like ' L'apprenti', based- on a rather elaborate programme.
The story that the music sets out to illustrate is roughly as follows : Sages observed that the star of King Iskeuder was growing pale, and sent him off to search for the flower of Immortality. In his search he came even to the end of the world, where it merges into the sea and the clouds, and there a Peri lay asleep with the flower held in her hand. Iskender took it from her tenderly, but she woke, and while he looked on her and saw that her face surpassed all the beauty that he had known till then, she danced for him, and at last he gave her back the flower. In his hand it had turned to purple, but in hers it became again white and gold like snow with the sun on it. At last her form grew fainter and fainter until nothing could be seen but the hand which held the flower, now shining like a flame, and even that, too/disappeared. Iskender knew that it meant the coming of his own end, and felt the darkness gather round him. (Soloist, EVA TURNER> )