MR BUTLER'S LECTURE AND RECITAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18184, 22 September 1924, Page 7

MR BUTLER'S LECTURE AND RECITAL.

A verv interesting lecture on the "Wagnerian Drama": "The Story of Rhinegold and the jNibelung's King," illustrated by gramophone selections, was given in Canterbury College Hall on Saturday evening by Mr Sydney Butler, X*.R.A.M., A.H.C-O-Mr Butler went fully into tho fundamental bases of hiß subjects, explaining the history of the drama, and dealing in detail with tho story. . Tho gramophone selections included ine Entry of the Gods into Valhalla"; "The Hide of the Valkyries" "The Magic Fire Muse," and "Funeral Music. The' lecturer, in the course of his address, traversed the music of the Greek drama, the attempted revival by Florentine musicians, Peri's "Efcridice" in 1600, the French opera, the birth of Richard Wagner in 1813, his early operas on orthodox lines, tho dramatisation of tho early Norse Sagas and the suitability of myths' for dramatic treatment. Mr Butler stated that all the great dramas were generalisations and dealt with types, "Wagner's mueio drama being a .kind of intensified speech. There was a popular misunderstanding of the leit motif or principal theme, and tho lecturer went on to show its deep significance in. Wagner's plan. . Tho address concluded -with the story of the prologue, "Rhinegold," and the trilogy of music dramas. Tho second part of tb© programme was taken up with tho fairy operetta, "The Hours," by the Christchurch Juvenile Choir, the principal characters being taken by the follow'n": —"Father Time," Master T. Machin; "Dawn," Miss V. -Woodward; "Noon," Miss E. Ford; "Evening," Miss H. Thompson;