THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 88, 15 April 1933, Page 7 (Supplement)

THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

DIAPASONS AND ECHOES.

FROM FAR AND NEAR,

(By ORPHEUS.)

"If all the saxophones in the United States were placed in one.pile in the middle of the Sahara Desert—it would be a good idea."—"El, Paso World News,"

Miss Dorothy Thomas, a young coloratura soprano, who has already sung with much success in London, Paris and Berlin, will give a concert at the Auditorium, Melbourne, on April 22. Miss Thomas, who is the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. T. J. Thomas, of Caulfield (Melbourne) has adopted the professional name of "Canberra." (Perhaps it is just as well that Wolloomooloo was not selected as the site of the Federal capital.)

One morning last week, the writer, upon tuning in to an early broadcast to get the correct time, haxl an unusual and delightful experience. After a little of the usual type of "morning music" there was broadcast Mozart's lovely serenade, "A Little Night Music." It was just like emerging suddenly, and unexpectedly. from a slum area into a jasmine-scented garden.

A writer in the "Monthly Musical Record" remarks: "The idea that a brass band must make an ear-splitting noise is a totally wrong one. • The loud tone, though full and sonorous, need not be coarse, nor are its volume and quality so shrill and piercing as the sound of many a full organ played in a church. The softer tone can be surprisingly light and delicate." He goes on to say that "a well-trained brass band of the first-class is able to, and does, bring the music of the greatest composers to the ears and homes of countless thousands of people who otherwise would never hear anything but the most ephemeral and worthless of pieces."

A recital is to be given by Mr. Denis Sheard and Miss Lilian Quinn at the Lewis Eady Hall next month. In this they will have the assistance of Mr. Vincent Aepey (violinist). Mr. Sheard's contributions will include operatic excerpts, ballads and lieder. Miss Lilian Quinn, who has returned to Auckland after a course of study in Australia, will be heard in pianoforte selections from the works of Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Chopin, Schubert, and Granados, the latter composer being represented by his "Allegro Di Concert!." Mr. Aspey will play violin numbers by Sarasate, Dittersdorf, Granados and Dvorak. Altogether the programme is well diversified and should be quite interesting.

' Melbourne is indeed fortunate in having public-spirited citizens who are taking an active interest in the formation of a permanent symphony orchestra in that city. One of them, Mr. Sidney Myer, has given £14,000 to help to finance the new Venture and the prospect of a fully endowed orchestra appears by no means remote. The public appeal is for £50,000 as an immediate objective, but it is realised that £100,000 is the ultimate goal, and to enable persons of limited income to support the movement an accompanying scheme will provide for a large number of annual subscribers at £2 2/. The sum of £50,000 will provide for regular full rehearsals and will retain the services of from 15 to 20 professional players. Tho main difficulty, so far, has been the difference in personnel between the orchestra at rehearsal and the orchestra in the concert hall, but this method will insure the regular attendance of all the leaders and of a few other reliable musicians. Has Auckland no wealthy citizen interested in good music who will help to start a subsidised symphony orchestra here?

According to an American paper thirtyfive high-class but unemployed musicians in New York City formed a symphony orchestra, played gratis for the pleasure of audiences, and found themselves soon in demand at union rates, thus once more proving (the paper goes on to say) how nearly impossible it is for us to add to the harmony of others without adding to our own. Perhaps some of our Auckland unemployed musicians may get an idea from this.

Mr. Len Barnes is presenting a programme full of variety at the vocal recital to be given by him in the Lewis Eady Hall next month. There will be four groups of songs. The first will include Schubert's "The Linden Tree" and Loewe's grim ballad "Edward." The second group contains five songs of a light character, such as "The Wreck of the Julie Plante" (O'Hara) and "Reveille," by Rogers. Songs with violin obligato make up the third group, the composers represented being Techaikowsky, Arensky, Massenet and Bach. Mr. Haydn Murray is the violinist. A group of four marching songs will complete the programme. The titles of these are "The Convoy" (this depicts the march of the convicts to Siberia before the advent of the railroad there), "Ethiopia Saluting the Colours," "Route Marchin'" (Stock), and "The Two Grenadiers" (Wagner —not Schumann). Mr. Eric Waters will be the accompanist.

The programme for the Brahms' Centenary commemoration concert, to be given by the Auckland branch of the Society of Musicians on Sunday afternoon, May 7, will include the quintet in F minor (Op. 34), in which the players will be Miss Dora Judson (piano), Miss In a Bosworth (first violin), Miss Lois Walls (second violin), Miss Amy Stevenson (viola), and Miss Lalla Hemus ('cello). Miss Hemus and Miss Judson will play the "Sonata in E Minor" for 'cello and piano (Op. 38). Brahms' "Intermezzo" (Op. 117) and "Ballade in G Minor" (Op. 118) will be played by Miss Rona Richardson. The vocal side of the concert will be supplied by Mrs. Cyril Towsey, who will sing several of the composer's beautiful songs, and a brief account of the great musician's life and works will be given by the president of the society, Mr. J. Maughan Barnett.

A chicken has come home to roost. A few days ago the writer received the following friendly note from Mr. T. Lindsay Buick, the well-known New Zealand historian, of Wellington: — "Dear Orpheus,—For a reason far removed from music, I had occasion to-day to scan a copy of the 'Auckland Star' Supplement of March 11 last. Besides the article in which I was interested was your column, and as I always read music notes whenever I see them, I glanced over your contribution, in a portion of which you rebuke the carelessness, or ignorance—whatever you like to designate it—of certain people who miscall well-known musical compositions, such as 'The Elijah,' 'The Samson,' 'The Judas Maccabaeus.' This is all to the good, but then you proceed to mar the beauty of your paragraph by saying, ' "The Messiah" is quite in order.' The correct title of Handel's great oratorio is 'Messiah.' Where, then, do you get your authority for saying 'The Messiah' is quite in order?" The answer to Mr. Buick's timely challenge is "long and intelligent usage." It is fairly wellknown that Handel wrote the one word "Messiah" on the manuscript of his original score, and, when one remembers that the whole work was written in 24 days, it is quite understandable why the composer omitted the article "the." •It also should be remembered that the word "Messiah," unliko "Elijah," stands not so much for an "individual" as for an "office," and means "The Deliverer," or "The Anointed." In this circumstance it is right to say "The Messiah," and this contention is borne out by the fact that most editions of the oratorio bear tha inscription, "The Messiah," whilst performances of the work are referred to, under a Bimilar heading, in such authoritative musical journals as the "Musical Times." Purists will, no doubt, contend that, as Handel named his oratorio, "Messiah," so it should be called.

Misa Marjorie Lawrence, a soprano from Geelong, received a great ovationat her debut at the Paris Opera House in "Lohengrin."

Why is it that so many ■women singers delight in singing songs which, from the sentiments expressed in the words, should be sung only by men? For instance, it is difficult to tune in to a wireless station without hearing "Annie Laurie" being maltreated by some misguided mezzo-soprano.

A writer in "Popular Science" explains '/why men with mediocre voice 3 sing in the bathroom but not elsewhere." (Don't they! It is very patent that he has never heard one of our "studio" programmes.) The reason given te that the bathroom is usually small with surfaces that reflect sound well and with no furnishings to absorb the noise. In such circumstances, a weak voice assumes volume and it is not difficult for the singer to convince himself that he possesses a grand opera voice as he listens to the notes bouncing back and forth across the walls.

The following, taken from tie correspondence columns of Musical Times," is particularly interesting at the present time when the fate of our own musical societies lies trembling in the balance: "At a time when many choral and orchestral societies are dead or dying, there is urgent need of a call to revival of interest. Broadcasting has undoubtedly discouraged the amateur; musical standards are to-day so high that he realises he himself cannot compete on the old lines with that which is done so much for him. He must henceforth work out his own salvation on different lines, and by adopting a new outlook." The writer goes on to point out two factors which have undermined concert-giver's foundations during the past twenty years. One of these is motoring, and the other is the "cinema habit." "Two or three times a week thousands attend, and, finding the heating, seating and lighting arrangements and social amenities are up-to-date, what chance is there of getting an audience in uncomfortable and inadequate halls at prices which are two-thirds higher? It costs £80 per night for Queen's Hall, and although I fill it twice yearly, seldom does a concert pass without complaints of uncomfortable seats and loss of membership. When can we expect to see up-to-date concert halls at a fair rental?" It would seem from this that our own Town Hall is not unique! This writer, evidently the secretary of some amateur orchestral society in London, holds that broadcasting has discouraged the amateur performer. He, of course, refers to the fine programmes broadcast by the 8.8.C. Out here we have to thank (or blame?) the wonderful improvement in electrical recording and reproduction in recent years, for the higher standard of musical appreciation that now obtains. After hearing performances by the world's greatest artists, given with almost life-like fidelity per the medium of the modern electrical reproducer, the concert-goer is not content to hear an indifferent local performance. Once upon a time this may have satisfied him, but now he knows better. The remedy is, of course, obvious; the local artist or musical society must strive to give better performances; and these can only be obtained by frequent and conscientious practice. There is no. royal road to perfection.