Music and Letters for April is of special interest to
musicians.. In an extremely well-informed article Mr. Herbert Howells vivisects the Pastoral Symphony of Dr. Vaughan Williams. A month or two ago this Symphony was heard at the Queen's Hall for the first time. It is undoubtedly a work of great importance, and, until the score is published, the numerous extracts from it that Mr. Howells has made, together with his detailed analysis of the work, will be most useful. Mr. J. B. Trend, who showed a real sympathy with the spirit of Spanish music in his recent book, A Picture of Modern Spain, contributes a delightful study of D. Manuel de Falls. He traces the influence of the guitar in the pianoforte music of such widely contrasted com- posers as Scarlatti and Debussy. Debussy, of course, did much to help the recent development of Spanish music, and, signifi- cantly enough, Falla's tribute to his memory, the Ifomenaje, is written for what we in England hardly recognize as a serious
Instrument, the guitar. Mr. Adrian Boult gives some reminis- cences of Nikisch, under whom he studied. He emphasizes Nikisch's greatness as a conductor in" the narrowest and most technical sense of the word, rather than his aatounding powers of interpretation. Articles on Diodat de Severs°, Church Music, Cathedral Music, and Music, in the Public Schools are among other interesting contributions to this excellent musical quarterly.
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