The beginnings and development of a New Zealand music: The life ...

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tren.ds in the area of applied music, and does not attempt any
evaluation of the work achieved by composers.
Thus, although this special edition of Canzona provides the
most detailed account of the general topic of New Zealand composition
(collected in one publication) of all the literature available on the
subject, it is by no means a comprehensive examination. It provides, as
it was intended to, little more than a wide-ranging, general coverage of
some of the aspects of New Zealand composition between the years 1950
and 1980.
Before zeroing in on an examination of the literature related to
the specific topic of this study - the life and work of Douglas Lilburn -
mention must be made of a number of bibliographies that cover the
general area of New Zealand composition. Leading the field in this ~s
the bibliographic work undertaken at the (New Zealand) National Library
School, Wellington. Judith Egan's "New Zealand choral composition, 1930-
1967" (compiled in 1967) and B.P. Merz's "Published instrumental
compositions by New Zealand composers" (compiled in 1972) provide a
cataloguing of works within the areas defined by their titles. Ellen
Ellis's "New Zealand Composers:
A critical bibliography of New Zealand
book and periodical material 1940-1969" (compiled 1970) provides an
invaluable list of references, with critical annotations, of material
written about New Zealand composition during the defined time period.
M.J.H. Wyatt's "Twenty-One Years of N.Z. Music: A bibliography of
writing on New Zealand Music and New Zealand writing on music 1946-
1967" (compiled in 1968) is of limited use as a companion volume to
Ellis's bibliography, covering, as it does, the wider, more general
field of music in New Zealand and writings on music by New Zealanders.
To these National Library School bibliographies can be added a
number of bibliographies, catalogues and lists that document works,
written by New Zealand composers, according to differing sets of
criteria. These include:
Australasian Performing Right Association. Catalogue
of major musical compositions by Australian and New
Zealand composers 'Wellington 1965. 53pp.
Australasian Performing
compositions by New
1965. 18pp.
Right Association.
Zealand composers
Recorded
Wellington
Australasian Performing Right Association. [§upplementary
catalogue to Catalogue of major musical compositions •• ~
Wellington 1967. 5pp.