SINGERS AND PLAYERS. FROM THE MAGAZINES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 177, 26 July 1913, Page 14

SINGERS AND PLAYERS.

FROM THE MAGAZINES.

Mr R. A. Home, manager of the Dresden Piano Company at Christchurch. who returned from England by tbe Arawa this week, met Miss Rene Queree, of Wellington, in London. According to Mr Home, Miss Queree is quite a little artist at the piano keyboard. He heard Miss Rosina Buckman sing at the Palladium, where she received a triple encore. Mr Home thinks this lady should rise to eminence as a dramatic soprano. lie saw tbe Quinlan Opera Company at Capetown in "Aida." and reckons New Zealanders have a real musical treat in front of them. Here is an extract from tiie London "Standard" regarding Mr Arthur Alexander's.! Mr Arthur Isaacs, of Dunedin) Aeoliau Hall concert:—"To accompany oneself through Schumann's "Dicbterliebe' besides two other groups; of songs is a task that few wingers would care to undertake, however good their ability as pianists may be. let Mr Arthur Alexander accomplished very surprising results in thia respect at the Aeolian PI all. Naturally, it is impossible to confine the attention to two things at once, and if, in the case of Schumann's 'Song Cycle' .it was the accompaniment that suffered. Mr Alexander none the less deserves all praise for his fine performance. His tenor voice is of the same-ring-ing, penetrating quality as when he was heard here two years ago. It is under admirable control, and this enables him to gain his effects with conspicuous ease. Whatever technical shortcomings may have 'been apparent in his playing now and then, Mr Alexander succeeded in achieving that which he set out to do, namely, to give bis hearers a true idea of what lie was singing about. Mr Alexander's recital was the work of an artist, wimse hand has in no way lost its cunning." ■Mr .lohn McCormack has been engaged by Messrs .1. and N. Tail for a tour of thirty concerts, whicli will embrace the principal cities of Australia and "New , Zealand. Since he left Australia the Irish tenor hassling at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. London, the Metropolitan Opera. New York, and other opera houses, and besides lie has appeared on the concert platform throughout England. Ireland. Scotland, and America. On this tour .Mr McCorli'.dck will be supported by Mi-s May Huxley, a young English soprano; Mr Vincent O'Brien (pian-ii-U. conductor of the Dublin Oratorio Society, the Dublin Cathedral, etc.: and Mr Donald Meßeath. the young Australian violinist. The lour commences at Sydney on September 4th. During the last few years no personality has so steadily and surely been gaining ground as has that of'Cesar Franck. We know so little about him, that his acclamation by many Continental writers as the greatest Krench composer, will come something in the nature of a shock. Born in Liege, in Bels"ium. in 1822, his life wais for the most part spent in iParis, where he held a position as organist. ,Franck seemed oblivious of worldly honours. For nearly half a century he unobtrusively worked at his art. rising at .*5.30 every morning, and devoting from then until 7.30 to composition, l-'or the rest of the day it was necessary for him ,to earn his living by leaching music. In those two hours his finest masterpieces were conceived and executed. Fate with true irony brotight him his ftnst success with the performance of bis stirring quartet at the .Societe Natiouale Concert in IS9O. The shy and bewildered Franck, un- I accustom el to such an ovation, naively remarked to his pupils the next day, "You see, the public is beginning to un- ' denstand me." He was ■then in his sixty-ninth year. Since then his works have been heard in every musical centre of the world. Isayc 'who has done -a great deal in introducing his violin and phvnof.-vrte sonata. "Liat," was an ardent admirer of Franck. Franck has also given us such masterpieces as his Symphony, the pious Quiwtel, Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra. Prelude Aria and Finale, and Prelifde Chorale et Fugue (two great piano works), three organ chorales, and finally "The Beatitiulnis." Franck cortainfly solved perhaps more successfully .than anyone else tire problem of reviving accepted forms without in any way destrovinothem, thereby carrying on the tradition of Bochane Beethoven The future must pass an opinion on his work which will always stand as a monument to his genius. A printer's error ou the programme submitted by Mr David Bispham at the Sydney Town Hall, by 'which Mendelssohn's "it is enough," was attributed to Haydn, gave the popular baritone an introduction to an amusing story, which be told his audience. "There was," he said, "a man who knew nothing about music, hut who endeavoured to give the impression that he was thoroughly acquainted with the art. Speaking to a friend, who was musical, he asked: 'And this H-adyu: is he still composing?' The friends ans-wer was brief and to the point. 'No,' he replied, 'he is decomposing.' " The yarn was well enjoyed by Mr Bispham's audience. Xo principal singer could sing every night iu the week. Star tenors seldom sing mo-e than twice iu one week, and at rehearsals they sing for the most part in a falsetto (says the "Manchester G-uardian"). It is said that the great Tamagno used to take such care of his voice that he never even spoke during the day when he was singing at night. He carried on conversation 'by means of a slate hung round his neek. Some baritones, on the other hand, have been habitually careless about their voices, and Berlioz speaks of a splendid bass singer who tramped about tbe mountains in the snow all day with his throat exposed and sang magnificently the same night. But in the wings at Covent Garden you may see Siegfried in shining armour with a woollen muffler round his throat. The diamond jubilee of Saint-Saens was celebrated in London on June 3 by a concert in the afternoon, at which the veteran played, and by a festival performance at Covent Garden of "Samson and Delilah" at night. It. appears that Saint-Saens dates his career from his third birthday or thereabouts! He is now 77. The performance of "Samson and Delilah"' was notable for four things especially—the great performance of Kirkby Limn as Delilah, the staging of the opera, the singing of the chorus, and the conducting of -ig. Polacco, the successor to Oampanini at Covent Garden, in whom an undoubted "find" has been made. 'He is a. master of detail, -and altogether a director of masterful intention and effect. The choruses of the first, act (100 choristers I were a revelation. Kirk'by Lunn gave a noble rendering of Delilah's music. At the opening of the second act especially, and in 'Mon Coeur S'onvre." she w-.is superb. Franz, the Samson. I did not like He possesses a ■big voice of hut little beauty. SaintSaens had an ovation at the end of ihe second act, when Kirkby Lunn. who had been supporting him. rsin off, leaving him to stagger under a huge laurel wreath and great and sustained cheering.

FAMOUS WAB-hobses 1 here is always somethin about, the war-horse of a f 8 ca P*bating Mr James Grant Se *- era S "Century," recalls son* o ' f _\ tt « May to history, including- w-.n- ose known onhagen." This ""Cop-sto-k. and cost Wellin !r i n T'- a fa mous guineas. Two years late™ J* 1 1513 .-t«0 ous victory was won. and Uvii-** t "* e lamheld his historic intervieww^ 011 had the Duke dismounted at in ,\ Bll * cher ' '•Copenhagen'' was led awavYv M he playfully threw out M£ \ ***? S"*>K "good-night" salutation to hi, _ **** a master. It was always Well n i Uc ? ssfu l act before .eaving £." London on public or private _„• or walkottttotheadjacUpadd^t? l ; his favourite charger. *** to P»t The second Duke of Wellington i_ two monuments on the grounds of fieldsaye. One of these i s to _. of his "illustrious father, the other W.' 7 of "Copenhagen." The latter inscription:— tDe "Here lies Copenhagen, the <_. Tser ri , den by the Duke of Welling th f Lg day of the Battle of Waterloo it ISOS, died IS3G. ' mm God's humbler instrument, though meaner Should share the glory of that glorious dayThe inscription is on a simpfe marl) , tombstone standing under the shadow of a spreading Turkish oak. Chief among the celebrated batu. chargers of the nineteenth century wy "Marengo."' Napoleon's favourite wathorse. Napoleon rode this Arab steed for eight hours at Waterloo, and prey", ously in many battles, as well as iu the tl'isiastrous "Russian campaign. it was said that Napoleon had nineteen horses killed under him. On Napoleon's own downfall a French gentleman "Marengo"' and another favourite horse "Jaffa," and sent them to Glastonburr! Jaffa's tomb bears this inscription:-!! "Cnder this stone lies Jaffa, the celebrated charger of Napoleon." Marengo's skeleton is in the United Service Institution, and one of his hoofs was made into a snuff-box. whicSc used to be at St James' Palace. The last horse used by Napoleon was purchased at St. Helena". He was a small bay of about fifteen hands called "King George." but afterwards named by the Emperor "Scheik," whicli became much attached to him. The most celebrated charger in the American Civil War was General Robert iL Lee's "Traveller." It was Lee who once' said, "There is many a war-horse that is more entitled to immortality than the man who rides him." "Traveller" survived his owner, and at Lee's funeral was placed close to the hearse. When the flower-covered coffin was carried out from the church the faithful animal put his nose on it ard whinnied! "Traveller" died in 1572, and his skeleton is still to be seen at Lexington. Virginia, as well as that of Stonewall Jackson's famour "Sorrel." One of Sherman's favourite horses was "Sam." who acquired wide reputation as a forager, and always contrived to oV tain a full allowance of rations. FA_E MOSTEY. Of all the so-called "Great Powers," Italy has the most unstable and most unsatisfactory currency. Not alone is tbe exchange subject to fluctuation (that is true, in greater -or less -degree, of the currency of every country), but there i3 a great, mass of counterfeit and worthless money floatiug about the country for the undoing oflthe unwary. In the first place, the. engraving on the paper money is of inferior quality, and hence easy "of imitation; secondly, there are so "many worthless or doubtful coins in circulation that the temptation tc add to their number is not easily resisted. Like some of our own paper money, savs a writer'in tbe "New York Tribune," the Italian is allowed to remain in circulation until disgracefully dirty aad nearly obliterated, and therefore difficult of recognition as counterfeit or genuine. To add to the confusion. French silver is generally accepted, while the coins of Switzerland. Belgium, and Greece, although officially" recognised, are, as a rule, refused in commerce. Numerous Papal and Roumanian Joins are still in circulation: although valueless and accepted only by unwary foreigners, whom the Italians regard as fair prey. ln addition, none of the large number of one-lira pieces coined before 1863 can be passed, although intrinsically of equal value with those of later date, since the period arbitrarily fixed for their redemption has passed and the Govtrnment refuses to accept them further. Under this curtais- fall ail coins bearing the head of Victor Emmanuel and lie word "eretto" ("elected") on the fact. Tbe Italians possess a mania '.or mutilating and perforating the five and ten eentesimo copper coins; but, Jiving to their small denomination, th'U usually acts as no bar to their acceptsiiee. "Oh, it's half good!" is often heard from some philosophical storeleeper, ai he tosses a doubtful coin int< the tilt lideed. tbe traveller is constmtly reminded of Korea, the classical <ountry of counterfeits, with its complic-.trl scala ->f descending money values, rhich »« good, half good, bad. and ccinterfeit" that are good only after darl But let the foreign visitor who ha" served as a clearing-house for worthless money beware of entertaining te fallacy that the rule, is capable of invrsc application. Like the legendary romory of elephants is that of' the Italin cabby or retail merchant, leading hi* to pursue through storm and darknes the man or woman who has passed alvorthless ,oin into his keeping. On on occasion 1 was tracked even to the diner tab*jT of friends, and forced to redeei a.doubtful ten eentesimo piece (two cats) vrhic-i 1 had inadvertentlv offered a a tip. Instead of seeking to strflgthen the basis of the country's pape and silver monev, the Government adofed * De "" erJ ' measure calculated still furter to debasethe currency in the public und. According to the' ruling of tr- P° 5t od authorities, all monev orers must be purchased with gold. suV and pap« r being refused. Owing. Invever, to the premium at which gold ■ held by the banks, this results in eosiderable I°=* to those sending monev fl this manner, and often also to gres inconvenience after banking hours. To accentuate the incflsistency of tne countrv's refusal officiall.to recognise'" own currency, it need cJy he mentioned that the amount of Italu S" ] & in **f " ence is a negligible qtntity, and W« the ruling results in ireing those patronising the post hce to purchase French gold. • tuslly angered by his mCOnastenO on one occasion I ricved my feelin.!"*" m the presence of t" °ffici*l 'vho W refused the offer of V-to n 'T' !by a sarcastic refereic to the n° r, " c>x '' ]l ence of native gold ainage. The re * I tani indignant scare through i»* moße - [drawer failed to re-ni a ltaua I gold piece, alt-hong U ir ---'- __ t attack of apoplexy irought S" " v "-*" , riotic wratlt.