Listings
THE COMMODORE GRAND ORCHESTRA
Under the direction of JOSEPH MUSCANT
Relayed from THE COMMODORE THEATRE,
HAMMERSMITH
DORIS COWEN (Contralto)
Contributors
Contralto:
Doris
Cowen
At THE ORGAN of THE REGAL, MARBLE ARCH
Pens (or pencils) and postcards ready, please, for a New Competition
Selections from 'Die Fledermaus ' (Johann Strauss ) by GENIAL JEMIMA
The Story of 'The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestickmaker' (Maud Morin)
Contributors
Unknown:
Johann
Strauss
WEATHER FORECAST, FIRST GENERAL NEWS
BULLETIN, London Stock Exchange Report,
Football Results, and Bulletin for Farmers
SCHUMANN PIANOFORTE MUSIC
Played by FRANK MANNHEIMER
Etudes Symphoniques , Op. 13
Contributors
Played By:
Frank
Mannheimer
Played By:
Etudes
Symphoniques
Mr. C. H. Middleton (Arranged after consultation with the Royal Horticultural Society)
Contributors
Speaker:
Mr. C. H.
Middleton
Mr. A. P. L. GORDON
Contributors
Unknown:
Mr. A. P. L.
Gordon
THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Conducted by the COMPOSER
With ADELE KERN and KOLOMAN VON PATAKY of the Vienna Opera
THIS is one of the series of European Concerts which broadcasting stations are sending out for simultaneous relay in tho countries belonging to the International Union: it is to be transmitted from the Vienna Station. In choosing Lehar's music, tho Viennese are not only paying tribute to a master in his own realm, one who is worthily carrying on their groat tradition of gay and seductive music, but acknowledging, too, how highly.they treasure their own prestige in that same field. Not for generations has any other part of the world challenged Vienna's supremacy as ptirveyor-in-chief of music of tho ballroom, of infectious gaiety, of laughter and bright eyes, of sentimental romanco. And that Lehar's may be presented to Europe with every possible advantage, they are calling to his aid one of the finest of today's great orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic, and two distinguished members of the State Opera—Adele Kern and Koloman von Pataky. At least half the secret of the success which such a team is bound to ensure is that these fine singers and players bring to their own lighthearted music the same fiery zeal as if they were tackling Mozart or Wagner. Am' Lehar himself is to conduct.
Contributors
Unknown:
Koloman
von Pataky
Unknown:
Adele
Kern
WRATHER FORECAST, SECOND GENERAL NEWS
BULLETIN
Mr. EDGAR WALLACE
A Steward Story, dealing with Transatlantic
Card-Sharpers
Contributors
Unknown:
Mr. Edgar
Wallace
Conducted by B. Walton O'Donnell
THE last of Puccini's operas, Turatidat, was left unfinished at his death. It was completed by Alfano, an operatic composer himself, who is less well known in this country than in Italy, and the opera was triumphantly produced at Milan in 1926. It had been intended to have the first performance on the anniversary of Puccini's death, which would have been December 1, 1925, but Toscanini, the conductor, did not think it sufficiently well rehearsed by that time, and various other obstacles combined to delay the production. Already, in Madame Butterfly, Puccini had made some use of 'local colour,' having gramophone records of Japanese music beside him while he composed it. For Turandot he was even more anxious that something genuinely Chinese should be embodied in the score, and actual records of Chinese music, made by native performers, were furnished to him. Many of these melodies are actually incorporated in the score, and the music as a whole does have genuinely Chinese atmosphere.
Three Dances (The Bartered Bride) Smetana
Polka; Furiant; Dance of the Comedians
SMETANA, although overshadowed by his former pupil, Dvorak, was none tins less the first Bohemian to raise the music of his native country to a distinguished place in the world's art. Outside the confines of its own land, Czech music was known little, if at all. before his day, though the national melodies had more than once found their way into the music of the great masters - the 'Emperor Hymn' of Haydn being a notable example.
In 1866 Smetana was appointed Director of the National Theatre in Prague, and in the same year produced the opera which has remained his most famous work, Die Verkaufte Braut. It is a really comic opera, text and music alike being pervaded by the true comedy spirit, and, when adequately presented, never fails to achieve the success it deserves as one of the best of all modern works in its own class.
The first of the three dances from it is a Polka - the dance from which Smetana was the first to introduce into the music of the theatre and the concert platform. He was anxious to give it something of the same place of honour as Chopin had won for the Waltz and the Mazurka.
The second is a Furiant - aptly described by its name - a rushing, tempestuous piece with emphatic accents, and the third is a merry 'Dance of the Comedians.'
They give a very good idea of the music of the opera - light-hearted, laughing, sunny, and with something of real Bohemian abandon.
Contributors
Conductor:
B. Walton
O'Donnell
AMBROSE and his ORCHESTRA, from THE MAy
FAIR HOTEL