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

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23 If Mr Lilburn's music seemed to come out of the blue, utterly original, unrelated to the past, containing nothing of any. other man's music, then we would properly throw it into the dustbin ••• "48 It was 'Marysas' also who, in his colourful review of the first concert devoted entirely to Lilburn's compositions,49 slipped in an observation, which,although subjective, strikes what could be a general truth about Lilburn's music. 'Marsyas' wrote: Ending a paragraph on Landfall in Unknown Seas, "The last word is the hardest one to have, and I have yet to hear a finale by Douglas Lilburn that sings of what has gone before as his 50 overtures and allegros sing of what is to come." Such, then, is the literature available on the general topic of composition in New Zealand and the specific topic of the life and work of Douglas Lilburn 1940-65. It is a literature that, although of some quantity, is haphazard and scattered through numerous newspapers and journals, many of which are now defuncl. The unpublished literature is likewise scattered around many libraries and private collections. In recent years, though, much of this has been gathered in the Archive of New Zealand Music at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington. 51 It is a literature that tends to concentrate on a few biographical facts, and in the main avoids any specific comment on the music. Where comment is passed on a composition, it is usually superficial and stems from an individual's subjective reaction. To be fair, though, many of these commentators (particularly in earlier years) did not have access to scores or recordings. In many cases, commentators were forced to rely on their aural perception of a work (usually from a single concert or broadcast performanace) to provide the basis for their writing. Without the benefits now enjoyed of printed (or photocopied) scores and recordings, it is little wonder that few commentators 48 'Marsyas', Some Recent Music No.14. New Zealand Listener vol.6 no.155, 12 June 1942:13. 49 Held on 29 September 1943 in the University Hall, Christchurch. 50 'Marsyas', Music by a New Zealander: "if he can do this already, what may he not do in time?" New Zealand Listener vo1.9 no.225, 15 October 1943:13. 51 See Appendix AI for details of this archive.
24 attempted anything more than a surface description of a work. In short, then, there has been little of consequence written about the tradition of composition in New Zealand, and equally as little about the one composer who initiated and, more than any other, developed this tradition. Certainly no systematic study of Lilburn's life and career exists, nor is there any detailed appraisal of his work as a composer. Douglas Lilburn's life and work warrants such a documentation, both on the strength of his success as a composer, and his achievements as a composer pioneering a tradition of composition in a young country. If further justification for such a study is required, then it rests with the need to promote a greater awareness of the important and prominent role that Douglas Lilburn has played in the growth of a cultural heritage for New Zealand.
Page 1 and 2: THE BEGINNINGS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A
Page 3 and 4: ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wish
Page 5 and 6: made access to personal documents a
Page 7 and 8: CON TEN T S VOLUME ONE Abstract Ack
Page 9 and 10: INTRODUCTION
Page 11 and 12: 2 colleagues for the opportunity to
Page 13 and 14: 4 to his compositional activity. As
Page 15 and 16: The first of these was Music Ho, th
Page 17 and 18: 8 the sounds of Vaughan Williams an
Page 19 and 20: 10 London. That New Zealand had nO
Page 21 and 22: 12 "He is most likely to be found t
Page 23 and 24: 14 [Broadcasting Corporation of New
Page 25 and 26: 16 of letters by Douglas Lilburn to
Page 27 and 28: 18 writings on these works, also to
Page 29 and 30: 20 study. On a number of occasions
Page 31: 22 Frederick Page for the volume of
Page 35 and 36: 26 1 PREAMBLE The society into whic
Page 37 and 38: 28 oratorio (courtesy of Great Brit
Page 39 and 40: 30 (ballads, popular songs, drawing
Page 41 and 42: 32 the four main centres, there was
Page 43 and 44: 34 ••. You know wh,en you talk
Page 45 and 46: 36 Consequently, great emphasis was
Page 47 and 48: 38 Interval 10. Orchestra, "Stray S
Page 49 and 50: 40 Since all things fade Into a sen
Page 51 and 52: 42 It seems unlikely that this deci
Page 53 and 54: 44 currently housed at the Alexande
Page 55 and 56: 46 awarded to Miss Dorothy I. Johns
Page 57 and 58: 48 study with Vaughan Williams. It
Page 59 and 60: 50 3 1937-1940 ROYAL COLLEGE AND CE
Page 61 and 62: 52 the essence of a personality and
Page 63 and 64: 54 subsequently accepted by, the Go
Page 65 and 66: 56 featuring entertainment from a w
Page 67 and 68: (57) 7. Two Pianos and Orchestra. E
Page 69 and 70: 59 Of the Drysdale Overture, Mr Try
Page 71 and 72: 61 cannot be over-rated: for the fi
Page 73 and 74: 63 4 1941-1945 WELLINGTON TO ~HRIST
Page 75 and 76: 65 house under the guidance of Deni
Page 77 and 78: 67 the dress-rehearsal on the Sunda
Page 79 and 80: 69 Nunc Dimittis,24 Five Bagatelles
Page 81 and 82: 71 On 29 September J943, the first
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73 for violin and piano, the Sonata
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75 No.less deserving of praise were
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77 Correspondence on the subject wa
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79 Inglis Gundry recalled an incide
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81 But I think too, that an occasio
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83 some aural tests, and in general
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proved unworkable,17 with the resul
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87 entitled Song of the Antipodes (
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89 "Not in Australia ••• alth
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9 I In 1948 Lilburn continued commu
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93 to New Zealand music. The immedi
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generated interest in his compositi
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56 Music School, was with trying to
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99 6 1950-1960 WELLINGTON "So I put
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101 feature film related the storie
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103 The next production in which Li
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105 original and the slow movement
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107 An article in the New Zealand L
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seemed; had been lost. Only Sings H
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1 I I Peter Crowe, an ex-pupil of L
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1 13 through the years. Douglas [Li
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players from the National Orchestra
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117 intolerable - to spend one's li
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119 Following approaches from the A
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12 I yield strange and evocative no
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123 12 Lilburn for his composition
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'mecca' for composers, musicians an
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Meanwhile, Lilburn was preparing to
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and met its director, Mr Walter. 12
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The Return was, with great rapidity
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Overture and Landfall in Unknown Se
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135 8 1965-1980 By 1966, Lilburn ha
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137 The main part of these sounds w
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139 for the Wai-te-ata Press Music
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14 I established, that 'Nothing is
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the working area from structural vi
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abstract movement of six dancers on
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147 personal contact. He continuall
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149 1 OVERVIEW "A Romantic in corse
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On the basis of duration, and exclu
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was completed with a .view to a per
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shows little more than that Lilburn
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157 coupled with Lilburn's Symphony
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159 Lilburn's music. If greater emp
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161 Piano, in particular, is a succ
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163 2 MELODY IN LILBURN The music o
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165 be drawn. Specifically, these a
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167 with less frequency and is less
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169 rhythmic and announced in the v
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17 I it has a pastoral flavour, alb
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173 Ex.13: Song of the Antipodes, v
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Ex.16: Symphony No.2 movement IV, h
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177 Ex.20: Symphony No.1 movement I
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179 Ex.25: Diversions movement I, v
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181 Ex.28: Diversions movement III,
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183 Ex.3): Suite for Orchestra move
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185 Ex.36: Festival Overture, cello
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187 simultaneous use. The motif emp
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189 clarinet at bar 4 (see Ex.46).
Page 201 and 202:
191 shared between groups of instru
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193 the fifty above examples. All i
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195 3. Landfall in Unknown Seas mov
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197 Ln examples 7,12,17,18,23,24 an
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199 12. Song of the Antipodes (see
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201 a theme, and the woodwind and s
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203 first composition period. In re
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205 Section AI (bars 46-54) announc
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207 Ex.la: Diversions movement IV,
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209 bars: SOtlletimes a variation o
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211 Ex.2: Theme 1 of Landfall ~n Un
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213 Ex.6: Theme 4 of Landfall in Un
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215 un comparison to the five movem
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217 Table 8: Structure of section B
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A two-bar bridge passage (bars 128-
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221 This first statement of theme 1
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223 This transformed version of the
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225 But this brief period of motivi
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227 developmental treatment of mate
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A second, and this time tutti, stat
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231 dissonant chords (combining the
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233 lines between the three section
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235 Ex.3Ib: Symphony No.1 movement
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237 However, this is more an exampl
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239 melodic cue from the tailpiece
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241 Some themes are even briefly de
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243 unfolding of the second subject
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245 Table 14: Relative durations of
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Compare with Ex.4Ib: oboe bars 38-4
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249 Ex.45c: flute I bars 145-52. Ex
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Ex.48: Symphony No.2 movement I, cl
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253 Szmrhony No.2, a full recapitul
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255 100-149 Development beginning w
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257 2. The material that forms the
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259 harmonies above a pedal note, o
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261 4 HARMONY IN LILBURN If anyone
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263 chromaticism. This chromaticism
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265 Thus, the above five examples i
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267 Ex.S: Diversions movement II, b
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269 in this extract is echoed in th
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271 Ex.12c: Aotearoa Overture, stri
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273 The only two that do not show e
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Ex.14: Festival Overture, bars 230
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277 independence of the bass-line.
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279 Ex.19: Festival Overture, bar 3
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281 preparatory to its move to the
Page 293 and 294:
However, most of these F minor stat
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285 heard from bars 10-15 is the no
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287 note is articulated, yet where
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289 Ex.27: Aotearoa Overture, bars
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291 Ex.32: Symphony No.2 movement I
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293 Ex.35: ~~hony No.2 movement It
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295 development sections are marked
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movement has begun, the music remai
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299 Where a bass-line does contain
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301 Here, it is the viola, cello an
Page 313 and 314:
303 Ex.5: Aotearoa Overture, rhythm
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305 , I , ~r"'·f ..,... ~..L +" f
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307 Ex.12: Aotearoa Overture, clari
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309 suddenly thrown onto a weak bea
Page 321 and 322:
221 222 224 227 231 233 235 238 239
Page 323 and 324:
The first three of these four examp
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Ex.24: Symphony No.2 movement II, c
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317 listened for to be appreciated.
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319 Several points about this extra
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321 The second movement of this sym
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323 rhythmic whiplash, a veritable
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325 apart from the work of the stri
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327 unison by an instrument of a di
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329 The texture of this passage can
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331 The trumpet also reflects this
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333 With the exception of the octav
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335 Ex.7: Symphony No.2 movement I,
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337 Despite the frequent recurrence
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339 Ex.ll: Alle~ro for strings, bar
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341 one-half of the piece. The viol
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343 10 Th.,. .p :[ Yla. 'fIe. .p Db
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345 In summary, Lilburn's woodwind
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Ex.16: Symphony No.1 movement I bar
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349 the timpani is in the main used
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35) Ex.24: Symphony No.2 movement I
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353 7 INTERLUDE Discussion in the p
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355 quick-slow-quick or slow-quick-
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357 development as a composer did n
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359 after they were brought into cu
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