The Station Orchestra
conducted by Warwick Braithwaite
There are in this Concerto (it is Beethoven's Op. 58, in the key of G) several points of treatment that were new and striking when, a hundred and nineteen years ago, the work was produced.
It is in three Movements.
First Movement. The first new thing is that instead of beginning with the usual burst of Full Orchestra (a plan he had followed in his three earlier Concertos). Beethoven lets the Soloist announce the First Main Tune. Besides this, there are several other leading tunes, the Second Main one being given to Violins (a minor key melody in 'arpeggio' steps), and two or three others being brought in.
The Second Movement provides another of the work's points of rarity and interest. It is very short and consists of a lovely dialogue between Orchestra and Pianoforte, the former stating an emphatic, almost imperious Tune, and the latter replying in smooth, quiet, thoughtful passages, as if sweetly reasoning with the other's impatience.
Third Movement. This, the Composer directed, was to follow closely on the Slow Movement. It is a sprightly Rondo, clearly and cleanly built.
Ravel, the foremost of living French composers, wrote this little work in 1906. It is in effect a Concerto for the Harp, with sextet accompaniment.
The Woodwind instruments blend extremely well with the Harp, making many beautiful varieties of brightly-coloured tone, which shows up against the rich background of the Strings. In the middle is a long cadenza for the Harp, in which its capacities are fully demonstrated.
4.30 A Reading
Mr. Geoffrey Hodgson
This is a little Suite of pieces for Flute, Violin and Viola, all of them short, transparently clear and melodious.
They are six in number. The first is a tiny March, the second a Minuet, the third a very brisk little Movement, and the fourth an Air with Variations. Then, to wind up, we have two contrasted lively pieces, the final Movement being introduced by a few bars of slow music.
