Relayed from York Minster
Order of Service
Vestry Prayer
Organ Voluntary Responses
Psalms for the third evening
First Lesson
Magnificat (Batten in the Dorian Mode) Second Lesson
Nunc Dimittis (Batten in the Dorian
Mode)
Anthem, By the waters of Babylon
(Boyce) (Words, Psalm cxxxvii, 1-8)
The Liverpool Philharmonic Concert
Relayed from the Central Hall, Liverpool
THE LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Leader, ALFRED BARKER
Conducted by Sir THOMAS BEECHAM, Bt.
Part 2
Symphony in B flat, Op. 20 Chausson
1. Lente-Allegro vivo 2. Tres lente 3. Amine
One of the greatest tragedies in the history of French music was the death of Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) through a bicycle accident at his home at Limay, Seine-et-Oise. Like many other musicians, he began his career as a lawyer, but at the age of twenty-five he gave up law for music. His first move was to enter Massenet's composition class at the Paris Conservatoire and he also studied with Cesar Franck for three years From Massenet he learnt to write with the utmost purity of texture and from Cesar Franck he derived his richness of harmonic colour and deep romantic feeling.
Although the Symphony in B flat is an extremely individual work, in certain more or less superficial characteristics it shows the influence of Franck
Particularly is this true of some or Chausson's melodies and his use of the 'cyclic' form. The first movement, which begins with a slow section introducing the principal theme that plays such an important part throughout the work, is very dramatic in character.
The slow movement is deeply felt music and contains many beautiful touches of harmonic and orchestral colour. The third and last movement is full of great vitality and power, and is heroic in character. One of the most striking features of the whole work is the mastery that Chausson shows in handling the orchestral palette.
