THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 134, 8 June 1929, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

GOSSIP OF, THE PLATFORM.

FROM PAR AND ITEAB.

(By ORPHEUS;);

From "The Etude" They tell me you love music. He: Yes, but never mind; keep on playing.

Felix Weingartner, the Jamous German conductor, ha 3 been visiting London, where, at the Queen's Hall on March 25, he conducted a Beethoven concert for the London Symphony Orchestra.

Jascha Spivakovsky, the famous Russian pianist, is at present touring Australia, where he is being enthusiastically received, • In Perth recently Sptiyakovskjr'fl manager announced the closing of the season, as no theatre or hall was available. At this, the Governor of Western Australia, Sir William Campion, offered the use of the ballroom at Government House. A special stage was built, and room was found for more than 1200 chairs. Under these ideal conditions the pianist gave a series of five concerts. There is a possibility that he may be heard in New Zealand before long, where he made a very favourable impression in 1922.

W. H. Haddon Squire, the London critic, had some strong remarks to make about the difference between artistic composers and inartistic ones, and the abundance of tho latter sort. He sums up the distinction he makes as follows: An artist, the dictionary too optimistically tells us, is one who practices one of the fine arts. Alas, it is quite possible to practice the art of, music in any of its branches and yet remain the same sort of "artist" as tha virtuoso who turns the handle of a street organ. Genuine aesthetic sensibility seems to be just as raro among musicians as among other men —sometimes even more so. We all know those respectable sonatas, string quartets or symphonies which give the impression of having been composed by a committee, and which disclose loss sensibility, imagination and glamour than does the average company prospectus. The artistmusician, of whom Debussy is the ideal type, has one invariable characteristic, i.e., a heightened sense of the qualities and values of sound, as sound. Just as the painter sees relations of colour or form which remain hidden from the ordinary eye, so sound unveils beauty after beauty to the quickened ear of a Berlioz, a Debussy, or a Stravinsky.

The "Christian Science Monitor" has this to say in regard to popular musical taste: A short while ago, when Dβ Groot, the popular violinist, was asked why he did not introduce more classical music into the recitals he was then giving at a Sheffield cinema, he replied that he would not bo serving his public in any way if he played Brahms and Beethoven, because only a trained musician could appreciate such composers. Alongside this remark may be set a statement recently published to the effect that middle class people have been told so often that they are musically ignorant that they acquiesce in remaining so. There will probably always be some individuals to whom music is nothing but a disagreeable noise made on purpose, just as some people will always consider Charlie Chaplin to be no more than a clown. But both classes are in small minority; and it is difficult to believe that the fault is inherent in the masses if to-day they do not appreciate good music; if they do not like good music it is because they get so little good music played to them.

The perennial argument as to whether Berlioz was a musician or a charlatan has spluttered into flame again in the musical press of England and America. One critic, acting for the defendant, says: "When Lemuel Gulliver voyaged to Brobdingnag he found in that race of exaggerated beings no creature more fabulous than the man whose ideal orchestra included 30 grand pianos and 30 harps, in addition to whole batteries of heavy and light percussion and wind enough to blow hurricanes. The evolution of modern harmony has encouraged a more intensive and "vertical" form of musical attention, and some of Berlioz's listeners seem to miss, as they did in his lifetime, the relations of his long sweeping melodic lines. With him, as Jacques Passy shows, the most frequent phrases consist of 12, 16, 18 or 20 bars, whereas with Wagner, phrases of eight bars are rare, those of four more common, those of two still more so, while those of one bar are the frequent of all. Of course a big building may be as well constructed with small as with big bricks. The point is that Berlioz uses big ones and this may account for some that ho drops on tho toes of his critics."

It is to be hoped that the City Council will support Mr; Christopher Smith, the municipal bandmaster, in his' recommendation that everything possible* be done to reopen negotiations with the Radio Broadcasting Company in regard to the relaying of the band concerts. There is no doubt, in my opinion, as to where the blame must fall for an understanding not having been reached before now. The offer made by the council was a very reasonable one. The Broadcasting Company is a trading concern, run for profit, and it has no right to expect concessions from the council or anybody else. The band concerts, before they were discontinued, were the most popular programmes broadcast, and thousands of listeners were disappointed when they ceased to bo relayed. The new council will, I hope, do its best to restore the broadcasts. Some doubts have been cast of Mr. Smith's statement that his band compares favourably with the best military bands in England. I am not in a position to criticise the judgment, but several people who are able to speak with authority have told me that it is easily the best in Australasia. It; is certainly worth the utmost support the council and the musical public can give it.

REVIEWS OP NEW MUSIC. We have received two popular pieces from Messrs. D. Davis and Co., Sydney. "Happy Days and Lonely Nights," despite a certain over-lusciousness of sentiment, is a good number, nicely syncopated. "If You Want the Rainbow You Must Have the Rain" strikes a high moral note and becomes delightfully coy at the finish:— "What if your love affair should break up, as tliey sometimes will, . When you kiss and make up, oh, what a thrill!" Both these pieces are above the average of popular ballads. Without being strikingly original, they are pleasing and melodious, and would make first-class dance numbers.