‘Sea Wolf’

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 19

‘Sea Wolf’

Listening

The “Sea Wolf”, of Jack London’s story, now adapted as a play for radio (National, 8.45 tonight), is Wolf Larsen, a “Nietzschean superman” who glories in matching his brute strength against God and man. A man without conscience, Larsen is a superb seaman, a violent captain and an erudite scholar. One of Jack London’s most colourful characters, the “Sea Wolf” Larsen embodies the rare mixture of brain and brawn that the author himself enjoyed. San Fransisco-born London, himself a fine seaman with a complete contempt for danger, could out-fight, out-sail and out-drink any man he met His own lust for adventure became the stuff of his best-selling books. London died by his own hand in 1916 at his baronial California estate, “Wolf House.” Dreamland Last year’s election promises are commented upon in a programme entitled “Dreamlands” by Les Cleveland of Victoria University’s political science department. He asks: What were the implications of the promises? What visions of our society did they indicate? What role do they play in politics and elections? Concert, 9.20 p.m. ‘Valkyrie’ Part two of Wagner’s mas-

sive music drama "The Ring of the Nibelungs” is “The Valkyrie.” The Concert programme is broadcasting the complete "Ring” cycle in the English translation by Andrew Porter. The three acts of “The Valkyrie” can be heard on consecutive evenings this week, beginning with Act I tonight at 8.00. Reginald Goodall conducts the soloists with the English National Opera Orchestra. NJZ. Composer The music of the Welling-ton-based New Zealand composer, William Southgate, is

featured on the Friday Concert programme at 7 p.m. Southgate himself directs the New Zealand Jazz Orchestra in an excerpt from his “For the Man in the Hat” and conducts the New Zealand Symphony with trombone soloist Barney Hamid in his Concerto for trombone and orchestra. Then his Occam’s Razor is played by duo pianists Bruce Greenfield and Philippa Ward and finally the Piatti Players perform Southgate’s Cassation for clarinet, percussion and piano.