THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 89, 16 April 1927, Page 29

THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

COMING SEASON'S EVENTS.

All admirers of Toti Dal Monte will be pleaded to know that she will tour Australia and New Zeland in 1928 as the soprano soloist in the Greand Opera Company arranged by J. arid N. Tait.

Mr. Hector St. Clair, who is at present cjiowin'' in town, is a very versatile arti-t. He '- ft very gifted comedian and violinist of no mean order, and is of an arti.-tic temperament, as is evidenced j n ln's violin solos. His violin was preened to Lira by a well-known citizen of Hobarr, who admired his artistic effort, and is reputed to be very valuihle. He is also a keen cricketer, and carrii'S about with an autographed bat p'rosoiued to him by Gregory. That bis v,-jt i.- not coniined to tlie stage is evidenced in the following anecdote: Fritz Kreisler, ihe famous violinist, was to commence a season in Melbourne, so St. Clair wired him. saying, '"Ck>od wishes for season. I open in Melbourne on | Satnrdav. don't fear me." This intrigued! Krei>ler". who asked for him to be pre- I gen tod to him. after which they dined and Kreisler invited him to play on his' Strad. j The Auckland Competitions Society will hold their annual two weeks festival ilurinc the school holidays, commencing 22. So as to give more classes to "music and elocution, the committee have cut out all national dancing, leaving fancy dancing only in this section. With the assistance of the Superintendent of Music in Schools a very strong section for juvenile choirs has been arranged, and it is hoped to receive an entry from every primary school. Another new departure this year is the section devoted to inter-house choirs, which should be very popular. It is also gratifying to note that Auckland is following Wellington's lead in issuing a list of barred selections so that teachers and competitors will be compelled to depart from the presenting the tame few pieces year after year. This Should five greater variety. The musical judge is Mr. F. W. Slater, A.R.C.0., a new arrival who has settled in Wanganui and is at present conducting the Wanganui Choral Society. Mr. Slater has adjudicated at most of the leading Welsh festivals. The elocution judge is Mr. H. C. Borrodale, who will be remembered by manv as manager, before the war, of Sinner Sewing Machine Co., in Auckland. He was a champion elocutionist. and after winning most of the competitions in New Zealand, he settled down to study and became a teacher of elocution. "He has judged extensively in Australia. The syllabus will be issued at the end •of this month. The St. Andrew's Society will commence their season next month, when the usual programme of socials and concerts will ' e arranged. The Auckland Library Winter Entertainments Course will be commenced with a concert at Remuera on May 3. Then will follow Grey Lynn, Grafton, Epsom, and Parnell in that order. An interesting course has been arranged, to consist of concerts, lectures, debates, etc. For the concerts the following gentlemen have made themselves responsible: Messrs. F. Adeane, E. Waters, W. Impett, L. K. Lady and Son, Auckland Operatic Society, Rev. Jasper Calder, Messrs. Barry Coney, Maughan Barnett, Mr. and Mi's. Cyril Towsey, Miss Maida Hooker and Miss Berta Carr. Two musical lectures, Gilbert and Sullivan night by Mr. K. Atkinson; two English madrigals, by Mr. J. Tait, A.R.C.0., and his madrigal choir.

Miss Etta Fields, the talented Ancle- J land soprano, has returned, and no doubt j we shall be hearing this artist in a i recital in the near future. Xapier Musical and Elocutionary Festival extends from April 14 to 20. While Mr. Temple White of Wellington is the musical judge for Gisborne, and Prof. Maxwell Walker of Auckland is the elocutionary judge. Madame Francis Alda, of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, is on the list of famous artists to visit New Zealand in the near future. Madame Alda' is the leading dramatic soprano of the operatic stage, where for years she had the privilege of enchanting with interpretations of the principal roles of many operas, together with Caruso.. Gigli and other world-famous singers. Madame Alda was born in Christchurch, and it will doubtless be gratifying to the music loving public of New Zealand, to hear in their own country one of the greatest sopranos of the day, the greatest singer New Zealand has ever produced. Paderewski will give two recitals early in -Tune in Auckland, two in Wellington with Christchurch and Dunedin to follow. He will ouly give seven concerts in all. His tour of New Zealand will be an important musical event. It will be a rare privilege to hear such a supreme artist. In the past Listz alone wielded an equal magnetism over his hearers and commanded the universal admiration and esteem of all who came in contact with him. Paderewski cannot be judged by any standards, for s-iuce his meteoric rise in Europe, he has dominated the musical world and sui> passed all contemporary pianists by his extraordinary genius. There has only been one Listz, and there is only one Paderewski. The executive committee of the Wellington Competitions Society, at which meeting several teachers spoke of the desirability of barring certain pieces in the "Own Selection" classes, has decided that owing to the frequent repetition at various competitions the following vocal item 3 will not be accepted for the 1927 Festival: "Prologue" (Pagliacci), "Stai of Eve," "One Fine Day," "Softly Awakes My Heart," "He Was Despised," "Voi che Sapete," "Flower Song," "Annie Laurie," "Banks and Braes," "Robin Adair," "She Is Far From the Land," "Minstrel Boy," "Loving Smile of Sister Kind," "Last Rose of Summer," "Lolita." "Ombra Mai Fu," "Your Tiny Hand Is Frozen," "Arrow and the S'ong," "On With the Motley." "My Task," "Bird With a Broken Wing." Many wellknown elocutionary pieces were also barred.

Joseph Hislop, the first British artist to sing at the Opera Comique, in Paris, secured a brilliant success in the role of -Rudolio in "La Boheme" on a recent evening. The occasion was billed a 3 a gala performance, and prices were doubled. The theatre was packed, and an unusually large number of British and Americans were present to hear the Scottish tenor. Mr. Hislop, who was in fine voice, sang in Italian, the rest of the cast singing m French, and sang with great clarity and richness in' -Che Gelida ;V an . I , n a> the aria in the first act. This "rilled the audience and brought forth a burst ot applause which lasted several minutes. The audience called repeatedlv 101' an encore, but the conductor persist„y "fused, amid shouts of protest 4T d " a PP°»ted persons in the hall, ■uie enthusiasm was repeated at the end of the act, and Mr. Hislop had to take a curtain calls.