LEAGUE OF PENWOMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20625, 25 July 1930, Page 4

LEAGUE OF PENWOMEN.

RUSSIAN MUSIC LECTURE

On Tuesday evening the musical circle of tho league held its first gathering in the new club rooms, Short's Buildings, Queen Street. The convener, Miss Gertrude Bertram, presided, and a large and enthusiastic audience thoroughly enjoyed the address upon "National Composers of Russia," given by Miss Rence SatchweJl, L.R.A.M. The lecturer gave a brief summary of Russian history, explaining the effect of racial conditions upon the people and tracing th« gradual development ol their musical art. In all Russian music there is a strong racial flavour, derived from the extremely varied and fertile folk-music of the several divisions of the vast- empire. I'lns folk music is otio of the most interesting types found in Europe, u subtle blending ol East and West having instinctive melodic beauty, latent harmonic richness, and restless rhythmic individuality In it may be dis corned two contradictory strains, the one sombre and somewhat melancholic, in duced by the use ol the old Gregorian modes the other gay, reckless and wild, which portray the Slavonic temperament and the social conditions of the country as a whole

The " Russian movement " of the musical world came into view about the middle period of the nineteenth century, staled the locturoi, the pioneers incluil iug Glinka, Lwoff, and Dargomyzski. Their followers became numerous, and the " New Russian " school of national music was established. ' Borodin, Cm, Mussorgski, Rimski-Korsakow, Scriabiue and Tschaikowski have all gained world wide recognition, displaying great versatility and unmistakable powers of

creative art. Illustrations from the compositions of famous Russian musicians were given as follows:—Piano soli. Mrs. Herbert Bloy, Miss Reno Salchwell; violin soli, Miss J. Rankine-Johnston; songs, Miss Amy Hansard; quartets, Mrs. 11. R. Ilesketh, Misses Amy Stevenson, Edna Shelnierdino and l'hiilips.