From Birmingham
THE WIRELESS ORCHESTRA Conducted by JOHN ANSELL
MONA TATHAM (Mezzo-Soprano)
EFFIE KALISZ (Pianoforte)
(From Birmingham) :
Songs by Harold Casey (Baritone). ' When the World was Young,' The Pipes of Pan,' by Helen M. Enoch. The Studio Light Orchestra
Relayed from the Queen's Hall, London
Sir HENRY J. WOOD and his
Symphony ORCHESTRA
ELSIE SUDDABY
(Soprano)
ARNOLD TROWELL
(Violoncello)
ETHEL BARTLETT and RAE ROBERTSON
(Pianofortes)
IT is probable that Mozart wrote this work for himself and his sister Maria Anna to play.
She was a clever pianist, and appeared as a child with her brother, in the concerts at which their enterprising father introduced his young prodigies.
ONE of the happiest of Mozart's social qualities was his willingness to write music for his friends. He composed this Concert Air for Nancy Storace (who was the original Susanna in Figaro). and played the pianoforte accompaniment of it at her farewell concert in the winter of 1786-7. (Nancy Storace was the sister of that Stephen Storace who composed a number of English Operas which were produced in London. Part of one of his works, The Cherokee, was broadcast last year.)
The music we are to hear is another setting of the words which Mozart used in his tenth
Concert Air. These were originally intended as part of the Opera Idomenevs. The singer, lamenting that her lover has forgotten her. and feeling that she will die of grief, yet remains fondly true. In begging for heaven's peace for her broken heart, she declares that she will still think lovingly of the faithless one.
THIS is one of the six Concertos for 'Cello that Haydn left. It was written when he held the happy post of Master of Music to Prince Esterhazy, who kept up a magnificent establishment, that was described as only second to Versailles in brilliance and luxury.
The Concerto is crystal-clear and full of lovely melodies.
It is in three quite short Movements, the first genial and bustling, the next flow and sweetly expressive, and the last dancing along in effervescent happiness.
IT is supposed that this. one of Mozart's less-known works, was composed at Salzburg in 1773, in which year the Composer produced a Mass, four Symphonies, six String Quartets and several other things. Its number in the authoritative list of Kochel is 183.
Over most of the work we feel a spirit of seriousness. There is a dramatic air about it-something of that spirit we find in its finest., most mature form, in the great G Minor Symphony, one of the last Mozart wrote. But in 1773 the Composer was only seventeen, and his experience of life was small.
(Continued)
THE Composer of this Overture spent much of his childhood at sea, and passed his youth among ships and seamen. We are told that the work ' deals with seamen rather than the sea, and is in some measure a tribute to one particular ship's company, of happy memory.' It 'owes something to their courage, good humour and love of sentiment ' ; and at the close there is a memory of their gallant death in the war.
The Overture treats a number of sea songs-the halliards shanty Blow the man down (on the Horns, as the second tune of the piece), the fore-sheet shantv Haul away, Joe (Violins in octaves, soon after this), a traditional sea song The Maid of Amsterdam (Oboe and other Woodwind, very softly), then Admiral Benbow (four Horns), and the well-known Shenandoah ('Cellos). After the development of these ideas, the music take on a note of foreboding and then rises to a menace. The last mood is that of a requiem, and the werk ends with a last hint of Shenandoah.
THE Roumanian Composer, Enesco, is fond of the folk-melodies of his own country, and their piquant flavour is found in much of his music.
Gipsy music influences the Roumanian folk songs as it does those of Hungary. The other chief modifying influence is that of Slav idioms and rhythms.
Six or seven linked airs, in varying times and moods, most of which are not much elaborated. appear in this First Rhapsody (his Op. 11, in A).
From Birmingham
