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2LO London and 5XX Daventry
on 2LO London and 5XX Daventry

View in Radio Times

Gladys Parr (Contralto)
Ben Williams (Tenor)
The Wireless Military Band
Conducted by B. Walton O'Donnell

Esposito, who died in November of last year, at the good old age of seventy-four, did more for the music of his adopted country, Ireland, than it is at all easy as yet to estimate. Coming to Dublin at the age of only twenty-seven, to take the post of professor of Pianoforte, at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, he very soon made himself a dominating figure in the city's music, not only teaching and giving recitals, but organizing chamber music concerts, too. At the very end of last century, his enthusiasm resulted in the establishment of a symphony orchestra there, whose concerts he conducted with success for many years. His own compositions include important choral and orchestral works, more than one of which won Feis Ceoil prizes, and most of which have been heard in this country also. But he did, besides, a great deal for the preservation of the national Irish airs, editing them not only with musicianly skill, but with an understanding of the idiom which is remarkable in one who was not himself an Irishman.
Born near Naples. he began his musical career at a very early age, and at the end of his student days spent some years in Paris before receiving the call to Dublin. He was honoured by Dublin University with the honorary degree of Doctor of Music, and his native country bestowed on him the title of Commendatore.
IN the second act of Borodin's opera the Prince is a captive in the hands of his enemies, the Polovtsi, but one who is treated with every honour. In the opera these dances arc performed in his presence by singers as well as dancers, and the words of the opening one tell the music to 'fly away on the wind's swift wing to our homeland.' It is a bright and eloquently rhythmic movement which leads without a break to the first of the dances, where the clarinet introduces the swiftly moving tune. A more boisterous movement by the whole body of dancers and singers follow, the words beginning, ' Chant ye praises to our Kahn here.' The boisterous tune, played by the whole strength of the orchestra, is the well-known one which is without the first beat of each of its first five bars mounting strenuously upwards.
The next movement, following again without a real break, is the dance in which the boys and the men take part. It is a very brisk tempo, with a vivacious theme in which the woodwinds have a large share. There is a characteristic passage, consisting of downward scale of four notes on bassoons and violoncellos which is often heard.
In the dance of the maidens which follows, there is a beautiful tune played first by the oboes and violas (a tune which we heard. already in the introduction), the voices afterwards taking up the same melody ; the vigorous dance of the boys returns and the final movement is a general dance in the measure and with the energetic tune which we heard in the brisk dance which succeeds the introduction.

Contributors

Contralto:
Gladys Parr
Tenor:
Ben Williams
Musicians:
The Wireless Military Band
Conductor:
B. Walton O'Donnell
Source: Radio Times

2LO London and 5XX Daventry

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This data is drawn from the Radio Times magazine between 1923 and 2009. It shows what was scheduled to be broadcast, meaning it was subject to change and may not be accurate. More