HILDA BLAKE (Soprano)
THE WESTMINSTER SINGERS
THE WIRELESS ORCHESTRA
Conducted by JOHN ANSELL
IN the first Act of Verdi's Rigoletto, the handsome and dissolute Duke has been making love to Gilda, the daughter of his Court Jester, Rigolotto. The Duke has not revealed his identity, calling himself simply a student. Here, Gilda, left alone, has her innocent mind full of his image, and sings in soliloquy, that his name is carved on her heart. The air is one of Verdi's brilliant show pieces which has been sung by all the most famous Coloratura singers since it was composed ; there are few indeed of Verdi's melodies so universally popular.
FOR some weeks past London listeners have had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with Mrs. Marillier's music, in The Rose and the Ring,' the fantastic Thackeray play which, in a new version, with her music, has had a successful run.
' Overture to a Comedy' is conceived in a simple strain, in no sense ' modern ' music. Rather in the old-fashioned style of Mozart, it has something of his courtly grace and something of the same charm, easily and naturally melodious. Scored only for woodwinds, horns, and strings, the Overture displays, within its concise compass, a real mastery of the resources on which it calls. It begins with a dainty tune on the first violins which woodwinds afterwards imitate, and along with another melody shared by the flute, this furnishes material for the merry opening. With it there alternates another and more smoothly. flowing tune heard at first on the violins.
TNTENDED by his parents to be a lawyer, and for some time a Civil Servant, Chabrier had no regular instruction in music, and the brilliance of his work is regarded as inspired by a really natural genius. He had his own fair share of the hardships and misfortunes, which so often attend on genius, and was only fifty-three when he died.
Rhapsodie 'Espana' was composed after a journey in Spain, and is based on the national dance tunes. There is an introductory section in which the tunes are hinted at and then we hear the first, a Jota, and a Fandango, both brilliantly set forth with full orchestration. The next two tunes are smoother and more easily flowing and the fourth is again livelier. The fifth, the most obviously Spanish of the themes, has since become very widely known apart from its use in this Rhapsody. The whole work is straightforward and clear and conceived in the gayest spirit.