Variations on the same theme

Press, 20 October 1980, Page 18

Variations on the same theme

r — Radio

Heath Lees

In the days when Brittania ruled the waves, and the 8.8. C. the airwaves, the business of music description was easy. Music was either classical, light or jazz. And in that order. Classical music was cultural and edifying, while jazz was positively frowned upon.

Programmes which were intended to cover a wide spectrum of taste like “Family Favourites” were arranged so that the big, classical-music finale was the main climax to the occasion, and Jean said a subdued farewell to Michael with “the wonderful sound of” Ravel’s Bolero, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture,, or some other war-horse ringing in her ears. On the day that they actually played Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” as a finale everyone realised the nation had gone to pieces. But still the description of music poses a problem. Tastes are widely different, but programme planners like to have some way of informing potential listeners what kind of music they are likely to hear. So adjectives are invented which tend to describe the group in mind rather than the music itself. “Serious” music has an implication of appealing to those who are deep thinkers; the unfrivolous. The YA stations have a mid-week label of “sophisticated music” which suggests that it comes in a plain brown wrapper and appeals only to adults. Around 6 o’clock in the evening the Concert programme’s “Dinner Music” is not played on the spoons as you might think, but is exactly the kind of light classical music you will hear on the National programme about the same time, but labelled, with disarming simplicity, “Music.”

Light music itself doesn’t appear as a title nowadays — so oldfashioned and meaningless — but for some reason is allowed when the programme comes from another country, as in “Light Music from The Netherlands.” “Afternoon Music” (National’s description) again duplicates the Concert programme’s light classical repertoire, but has something more of a Palm Court aproach — all sweetness and sostenuto. Outside of the radio schedules, music is sometimes still sold on oldfashioned snobbery or an

appeal to Universal Significance. The Music Federation shamelessly advertises its concerts as “quality” music, while the N.Z. .Symphony Orchestra with its slogan of “International Music” reminds us that Beethoven and Brahms are played in other countries too.

When a film uses classical music it often make it into a hit and then has to whip up a frothy version of the original to fit the demand for a two-and-a-half-minute record. Kubrick’s “Space Odyssey” put Richard Strauss into the charts, though only the opening two minutes of a 45-minute piece- was used, to the infinite boredom of those who bought the LP later. The recent film “10” unRavels the Bolero. C.B.S. calling it “The Classical Bolero” making for confusion over whether you plav it or wear it. No doubt all this categorising and popularising has to happen in our market-obsessed society. Still, I would have thought than any surviving Patron Of The Arts would abhor it. The only contender for such an august title nowadays, at least on a national scale, is radio, particularly the Concert programme. If the Concert programme starts to carry advertising it will no doubt be very select, very discreet (at least to begin with). It will only be included in the sports programmes, they say. But the whole sinister baggage of gaining an audience, selling the music, and defining tastes will have arrived, and will sooner or later begin to shape the choice of the music in the minds of the planners. The “quality audience” will be cultivated, and snobbery will become fashionable in music again. The adjectives will take over.

“And now we present 50 glorious minutes of highclass music for the discerning listener. Superb recordings of these beautiful sounds are exclusively obtainable from . . .” Wouldn’t that be awful?