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

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51 TlMETABLE 3 Terms in Principal Second Extra Teacher Teacher College Study Study Study Teacher 1937 Christmas Composition Vaughan Piano Mitchell Williams Piano Mitchell 1938 -- Easter Composition V Williams Piano Fryer Piano Fryer Midsummer Composition V Williams Piano Mitchell Piano Mitchell Christmas Composition V Williams Piano Mitchell Piano Mitchell 1939 -- Easter Composition Morris + Piano Mitchell V Williams Piano Mitchell Midsummer Composition Morris + Piano Mitchell V Williams Piano Mitchell Christmas Piano Taylor + Composition Morris Conducting Jacques Alexander Composition Morris 1940 Easter Piano Taylor Composition V Williams Conducting Jacques Composition V Williams Midsummer Piano Taylor Composition V Williams Conducting Jacques 3 weeks Composition V Williams Lilburn recalls his composition lessons with Vaughan Williams: "When I first walked in I found this big lumbering man wrapped up in tweeds and I'd heard he'd said 'Another wretched student wants to come to me.' Okay, he agreed to take me on and I was second student in the afternoon. After he'd had lunch he yawned terrifically - but after the first term I found I was number .two in the morning. I took that as a signal for courage. Oh he was an incredible personality. He wasn't clever. He didn't tell one a lot about technical things at all, but I could learn that from elsewhere; But he did convey 3 From a copy of Douglas Lilburn's timetable, op.cit.
52 the essence of a personality and this thing about integrity - he liked to say cut out all the bits you like best. You know this is a paradox, but it conveys the message don't be clever, don't be silly, don't try to impress - search for what is valid in your intuition, your understanding, and go from that. Vaughan Williams didn't admit a grammar. He felt that musical manner should be inbred. As a teacher he trusted you to know exactly what you wanted to do, and how you wanted to do it, and his only concern was to see that you did it without a lot of superfluous notes •••• He was the last person to talk about his own music, and I suppose that made an impression on me too • ••"4 The success of Lilburn's study at the Royal College became evident when he won the annual Cobbett Prize (worth £10) for a string quartet composition in 1939. For this he wrote his Phantasy for String Quartet, a piece based on a version of the fifteenth-century air "Westron Wynde". News of this success quickly reached Christchurch, and a performance of the work was soon arranged as part of a Laurian Club concert played by the Christchurch String Quartet. 5 One reviewer wrote of the work: "At a first hearing, it impresses the listener as a singularly moving work. From a young composer one might expect a work full of tricks; what came through so beautifully in this work was the complete lack of artifices. Also most noticeable is the way in which it says its say, and then, having said it, concludes. One looks forward to a second hearing of this quartet, to hear again the opening bars, to enjoy its apt use of material. The performance, a good one, though lacking in the contrasts that are so clearly marked in the score,< should have been repeated. A further hearing at one of the midday recitals at Canterbury College this term is promised."6 Already, it seems, Lilburn had attracted a small following, in Christchurch, of people interested in his development as a composer. Further success came for Lilburn at the Royal College in 1939. 4 Douglas Lilburn, as in Jack Body, Fragments of a stolen conversation. Douglas Lilburn 2nd ed, Composers Association of New Zealand, 1980:21. 5 Membership of the Christchurch String Quartet comprised: Messrs R. Sutton, R. Moon, J. Mercer and L. Hunter. 6 Laurian Club music for strings. Unsourced clipping, photocopy with author.
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THE BEGINNINGS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A
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ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wish
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made access to personal documents a
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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 and 32: 22 Frederick Page for the volume of
Page 33 and 34: 24 attempted anything more than a s
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: 50 3 1937-1940 ROYAL COLLEGE AND CE
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
Page 83 and 84: 73 for violin and piano, the Sonata
Page 85 and 86: 75 No.less deserving of praise were
Page 87 and 88: 77 Correspondence on the subject wa
Page 89 and 90: 79 Inglis Gundry recalled an incide
Page 91 and 92: 81 But I think too, that an occasio
Page 93 and 94: 83 some aural tests, and in general
Page 95 and 96: proved unworkable,17 with the resul
Page 97 and 98: 87 entitled Song of the Antipodes (
Page 99 and 100: 89 "Not in Australia ••• alth
Page 101 and 102: 9 I In 1948 Lilburn continued commu
Page 103 and 104: 93 to New Zealand music. The immedi
Page 105 and 106: generated interest in his compositi
Page 107 and 108: 56 Music School, was with trying to
Page 109 and 110: 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).
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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
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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
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221 222 224 227 231 233 235 238 239
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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
Page 343 and 344:
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
Page 357 and 358:
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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