THE WEEK’S RADIO Early Operas From Hamburg

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29800, 17 April 1962, Page 20

THE WEEK’S RADIO Early Operas From Hamburg

The first public performance of an opera in the German language took place in Hamburg in 1678 and the German vogue persisted in the city until 1838, when the cradle of German opera succumbed to the Italian style.

Han-del started his career in Hamburg. as a second violinist in the orchestra at the Theatre in the Goose Market, where the principal composer was the brilliantly-successful Reinhard Keiser, who wrote more than 110 German operas, full of melodic charm and dramatic power. It was a lucky chance at Hamburg that helped Handel to make a brilliant debut as a composer. Keiser, lost interest in the opera “Almira” which he had to produce at a certain date and Handel boldly offered to take over the libretto and provide a new score by the appointed date. The great success of “Almira” resulted in Handel being commissioned to write two more operas for Hamburg, but before the second of these was performed he left for Italy, to the considerable relief of Keiser who perceived in the young Handel a dangerous rival. Another of Handel’s rivals at Hamburg was Johann Mattheson, with whom he fought a duel in 1703 but later became friends. Excerpts from operas composed and first performed at Hamburg in the early days of the 18th century will be heard in John Gray’s "New Records” session from the YCs at 8 o’clock tonight, with the opening trumpet, piccolo and drum Sinfonia of Keiser's "Croesus” (1710), the ballet music from Handel’s “Almira” and excerpts from Mattheson's “Boris Goudenow.” The Mattheson opera, first performed in 1710, is about the same guilt-stricken Tsar as Mussorgsky’s opera and like that famous work has a bass in the title role. The part is sung by Theo Adam in tonight’s recording, in which Wilhelm Bruckner - Ruggeberg conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The programme opens with a performance by Isaac Stern with Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra, of the posthu-mously-discovered early Bartok Violin Concerto. Yehudi Menuhin played this work with the National Orchestra on his recent visit to New Zealand. Played By Handel The organ at Adlington Hall, Cheshire, which Geraint Jones plays in the 8.8. C. programme, “King of Instruments” from 3YC at 7.41 tonight, is probably the most interesting 17th century organ in England to survive intact. Thought to have been built somewhere between 1660 and 1680. it was badlv damaged about 1890, and after being disused for one and a half centuries it has recently been restored. Handel stayed at Adlington Hall

on his way to and from Dublin in 1741-42 and this therefore is one of the few organs on which he may genuinely be said to have played. Shakespeare Music Ever since Shakespeare’s own day, and in most countries, composers have set his songs and written incidental music for his plays, to say nothing of innumerable overtures, symphonic poems and operas. “Sounds and Sweet Airs,” a 8.8. C. programme to be heard from 3YC at 7.30 pm. on Easter Monday, concentrates on strictly incidental music, on the songs, fanfares, dances and “mood music” that accompany the plays during productions at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon. The speaker, John Lowe, describes what is wanted of the music in a modern Shakespeare production, compares various settings and gives information about Shakespeare in the theatre in bis own day and ours. Much of the music heard has been composed specially for Stratford productions, but some wellknown favourites by earlier composers are heard. Tolpuddle Martyrs “Six Men of Dorset” (3YA, 7.30 tonight) is a play originally written in 1084, by Miles Malleson and H. Brooks, to commemorate the centenary of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, who were transported to Australia for forming a trade union. The play has two aspects: a great injustice—‘because the aristocrats, frightened by the recent French revolution, thought the agricultural labourers’ demand for more wages was the beginning of revolution in England l —and on the other hand a magnificent demonstration of the English hatred of injustice. The protest march from King’s Cross—then open country—to the House of Commons was the biggest ever and its result was a better story than anyone could have invented. And nothing had to be invented in writing the play, for towards the end of his life, George Loveless wrote his own account of the affair, telling in detail, simply and apparently without resentment, what happened and what was said. It is a B.BjC. production. Easter Plays “The ’Woodcarver,” by Morris Brown (3YC, 8 pm., Friday), is essentially a play about the development and growth of a group of people The central character is an old woodcarver who decides to create an original carving

of the Crucifixion, rather than copy old models. The finished work, based on the idea of Christ forsaken by God, arouses the anger of the church. The carver is accused of blasphemy and advised to burn the figure for fear of divine retribution. Peter Gurney’s verse play, “The Foundling” (Ziß’s, 9.16 p.m., Sunday), has on the other hand a small boy as its central character. The boy, an organist’s son, makes his playground an old churchyard, where the stones whisper their story to him. The gargoyles and figures in the church come alive and speak to him in his imagination, and a profound experience unidashes the demons of fear. From these he is delivered, but he finds he has lost something in the process. “The Foundling” was produced in Wellington by William Austin, with music composed by Humphrey Searle and conducted by Alex Lindsay. Other Easter programmes include “Most Glorious Lord of Life” (3YC, 9.10 p.m., Sunday), a 8.8. C. anthology of music for strings and harpsichord, by Purcell, and verse read by Christopher Hassall and Barbara Jefford. A service of Easter carols from King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, will be heard from 3YC at 10 p.m. on Sunday, and on Friday at 7 p.m. the YC’s will broadcast a performance of “The Passion According to St. John,” by Heinrich Schutz, one of Bach’s great predecessors. This work, which is for unaccompanied voices, was recorded at the 1931 Adleburgh Festival and the part of the Evangelist is sung by Peter Pears.

Boy’s Opera Mozart wrote his little opera, “Bastien and Bastienne” in 1768, when he was only 12, for performance in the garden of a family friend, Dr. Anton Mesmer, who discovered mesmerism. The plot goes back to the intermezzo, “Le Devin du Village,” with text and music by Jean-Jacques Rosseau, in 1752. Rosseau’s work was parodied and staged successfully under the title, “Les Amours de Bastien et Bastienne” and it was a German translation of this comedy that served as Mozart’s libretto. In a performance of the opera to be heard from 3YC at 8.54 p.m. on Saturday, the singers are Kathe Nentwig (soprano), Hetty Plumacher (contralto) and Gustav Neidlin.ger (bass).