Orchestral Music

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28252, 13 April 1957, Page 3

Orchestral Music

[Reviewed by K.R.N.] The Orchestra in England. Reginald Nettel.. Jonathan Cape. 272 pp.

This is a revised edition of the book published in 1946. In the last 10 years, so many changes have taken place in the orchestral

music scene together with the development of long-playing records, tape-recordings and tele-

vision that the author has felt justified in revising and extending his work. Not only has the book been brought up to date by having a chapter added covering the developments during the last 10 years, but the first seven chapters have been rewritten and the titles of other chapters altered. Strangely enough, in spite of the additional material, this edition has fewer pages than the original, due to the smaller printing and better setting out of chapters.

? As its sub-title indicates, “The , Orchestra in England’’ is a so- ; cial history tracing the developj ment of the orchestra from the f 16th century waits, or common musicians, playing in “broken * consort” (e.g. recorders, viols and 5 lute playing together). Grad- • ually, these instruments gave way »to other more full-toned in--5 struments —viols to the louder > violins, recorders to the transf verse flute—while other iri- ; struments were added with a con- | sequent increase in players until ; in 1749 we find Handel en.ploy- ; ing for his “Music for the Royal ’ Fireworks” in Vauxhall Gardens an orchestra of 40 trumpets, 20 French horns, 16 oboes, 16 bassoons, eight pairs of kettledrums and 12 side-drums. Yet, the constitution of an orchestra was not settled until 1877 when “the last weak sections of the orchestra were made strong with Wagner’s family of tubas.” Even after this : date, “Sir Charles Halle’s ophicleide continued to be heard in Manchester, but it was an obvious anachronism.” The importance of individual musicians is stressed. Thus, there are whole chapters devoted to the contributions of Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn and Wagner as conductors as well as composers, followed by the first of a long line of conductors—Sir Michael Costa. Sir Charles Halle, August Manns, and Hans Richter, in whom Londoners “saw greatness.” Mr Nettel has dealt fully with the highly successful experiment at Bournemouth, where the first permanent Municipal Orchestra was developed under Sir Dan Godfrey’s conductorship, and he gives Us reasons why it was successful when others have failed. The establishment of the London Symphony Orchestra in 1904, the outstanding work of Sir Henry Wood and Sir Thomas Beecham, the formation of the 8.8. C. orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult, and the founding of the London Philharmonic Orchestra lead on to the final chapter of the oook. Entitled “Achievement,” this chapter brings the book up to date, covering the formation shortly after World War II of the Arts Council of Great Britain, the Covent Garden Opera Trus* and the Philharmonia Orchestra vhich. with no permanent conductor, “has both style and flexibility of response to different guiding minds”; the tremendous developments in long-playing records. commercial tape records, and in 1955, “stereosonic” tapes; a discussion of the main British concert halls and their reverberation rates; and concluding with the situation of the present day composer in England, film music (why is “Sinfonia Antartica” spelt incorrectly twice on one page?) and a comparison of concert manners today with those pertaining earlier

Throughout this book constant reference is made to the work of the Royal Philharmonic Society It was the impoverishment of the rank and file of orchestral musicians which prompted the professional musicians in London to embark on a reform to place the art and their profession on a firm basis. “This reform was the foundation of the Philharmonic Society to which orchestral music in England owes a greater debt than to any other influence.” Again, the rise of the conductor and the use of the baton *is traced through from the times when “every performance was subject tc dual control by the principal violin (or leader) and the continue player, although in practice one of these players would lead the other.” Interestingly written, and showing the hand of wide research, “The Orchestra in England” contains many interesting anecdotes of famous musicians which will delight the reader. Several have been

added, while at the back appears a bibliography and a comprehensive index. With the growth of interest in New Zealand in orchestral music through thd National Orchestra concerts and the availability of large numbers of orchestral long-playing records, the appearance of this new edition of what has come to be regarded as a standard work on its subject is most timely.

Australians are noticing a change in one of their institutions. The “Bulletin,” still in its pink cover, has changed the size of its sheets. The old 15£in x 9£in page (which persisted for 77 years) has been reduced to 11 Jin x BJin. The first specimen of the new size to hand (the March 27 issue) is much easier to handle. But drastic change applies to size only As one turns the pages, one is quickly reassured to find oneself in familiar territory. r