15:30

A String Orchestral Concert

Sun 15^th Sep 1929, 15:30 on 5GB Daventry (Experimental)

(From Birmingham)
Relayed from the Midland Institute, Birmingham
The MIDLAND STRING ORCHESTRA
Conducted by JOSEPH Lewis
JOAN ELWES (Soprano) EDNA ILES (Pianoforte)
As a young composer, Tchaikovsky was not attracted by the String Quartet and even expressed dislike for its tone quality. There is nothing astonishing in that, when one remembers the joyous use he makes of orchestral tone colours; the restriction and simplicity of a string quartet must have seemed to him very narrow limits in which to work. Nevertheless, when he modified his first opinion and wrote his String Quartet in D, it was immediately successful and has always remained one of his most popular works-simple, straightforward, and full of appealing melody.
The slow movement, well known in many arrangements, is practically a solo for first violin throughout. It has two melodies, the one with which the movement opens in a rhythm interchanging between three in the bar and two in the bar, and another which follows on it very naturally and easily, above a reiterated figure which the violoncello plays in plucked notes.
The name of this Suite is very nearly a literal translation into German of the French 'Serenade.' The latter meant originally a piece of evening music, while this is 'A Little Night Music.'
Composed, so far as we know, for some specially happy occasion, shortly after the tremendous success which Figaro achieved in Prague, the Suite, like a string quartet, is in the usual four movements. The first, a brisk Allegro, is in tho traditional form, with two main themes which form the basis of a development section and which are repeated in the last part of the movement. Next comes a slow movement, very much in the usual song-like mould. The principal tune begins at the outset with the same note repeated three times.
The third movement is a quite simple Minuet and the Suite comes to an end with a cheerful Rondo. The principal tune, leaping up the common chord and then repeating a note four times over, has a real suggestion of mischief in it, and in other ways, too. the movement is full of the brightest good spirits.