BBC Northern Orchestra
Conductor, Charles Groves
Henry Hoist (violin)
An Appraisal
The last of four talks by E. H. Carr , C.B.E., Wilson Professor of International Politics, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
Talk by Professor Edward Dent, illustrated on two pianos by Joan and Valerie Trimble
Extracts from Chaucer's poem arranged for broadcasting by Nevill Coghill. Produced by Stephen Potter. 1 — 'The Prologue and the Nun's Priest's Tale'
from Paris
' Vercors ' reads selections from his own works
A talk on the economic outlook by David Worswick
De Groote String Quartet:
Pierre De Groote (violin), George Maes (violin), Louis Logie (viola), Lucien De Groote (cello)
Jan Smeterlin (piano)
Dylan Thomas recalls many experiences of a holiday by the sea in his childhood days
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Bruno Walter
Kerstin Thorborg (contralto)
Charles Kullmann (tenor) on gramophone records
Practically the whole of Mahler's work is an attempt to express in music a definite, on the whole pessimistic, view of life. Owing to the limitations of purely instrumental music in the expression of definite thought, he often found himself obliged to introduce the human voice into his symphonies: but in none of these does he achieve such a satisfactory synthesis of song and symphony as in Das Lied von der Erde.'
In Hans Bethge's ' Die chinesische
Flbte, a volume of translations from the Chinese classical poets, he found not only a series of lyrics that beautifully expressed his own view of life but, by their general character, gave a special stamp to his music. Mahler does not attempt to imitate Chinese music, but he does sometimes suggest it, and this ' speech through a Chinese mask' helps to give ' Das
Lied von der Erde ' a charm that has held many musicians who find Mahler's music generally unattractive.
