THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 58, 9 March 1935, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

NOTES OF THE DAY.

FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By ORPHEUS.)

"Can I sell you a piano-player?" "No; I married one." "I meant, of course, a mechanical piano-player." "Well, that's the kind I married." —"British Musician."

A young Viennese violinist has invented a form of mute which can be put in and out of action by a tiny, imperceptible movement of the chin. On the 'cello or bass the mechanism acts by a movement of the knee.

The February number of "Music in Xew Zealand," contains a lecture delivered in a Now Zealand church by a layman upon the subject, "Music and Life." This is well worth reading:, and is one of the best features of this issue. Other interesting contributions are: "Pipe, Shepherds, Pipe," by Violet A. Rucroft; "Some Considerations for Harmony Students," by T. Vernon Griffiths; and a review of Percy Scholes' "The Puritans and Music." This being the "off" season for concerts and other musical activities, the journal hae but little to say about these.

Edwin Henry Lemarc, the well-known organist and composer, passed on, at Los Angeles, on September 2.j. He was born at Ventnor, Isle of Wight, on September 9, 1805, became Goss Scholar at the Royal Academy of Music in 1878, later was, made an associate, and subsequently a Fellow. He held a number of important posts as a church organist, and was also a noted composer, Lemare, the composer, suffered, however, from the undue popularity of some of his weakest works. One of the best known of these was his "Andantino" in D-flat, the air of which is familiar to most through an arrangement entitled "Moonlight and Roses."

"The root of the nineteenth century devotion to oratoria lies in the fact that a certain type of religious thought considered all music as almost harmful unless it were set to the words of Holy Writ. They wanted to hear music, but they dare not do so unless it were of that peculiar brand known as 'sacred music' It was hoped that the words would cancel any evil which the Devil might have slipped into the music. This accounts for the popularity of such songs as 'The Holy City , and 'The Lost Chord.' Whatever happened in the opening verses, one knew that the last verse would mention the Divine Name, and one's susceptibilities had thus been properly considered; in fact, this last verse (properly treated) admitted many a song to the sanctified circle of those compositions which might safely be sung on Sunday—thereby increasing the amount of the composer's royalties to no small extent. It is little wonder that certain unsuccessful operatic composers should see the possibilities of euch an attitude to music. The music which had failed when wedded to an ordinary libretto might possibly succeed if words of a religious character were substituted. In making such a change composers were rarely disappointed in the measure of approval which rewarded their efforts." — (From a lecture, "Music and Life," printed in "Music in New Zealand," February, 1935.)

SOME COMPARISONS

In view of the approaching visit to the Dominion of. the celebrated boy violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, these remarks, taken from the music column of the "Birmingham Weekly Post," may be of interest to readers: — Yehudi Menuhin was the attraction at the Celebrity Concert in the Town Hall last week. He opened with a Mozart Concerto with piano, and then played the great Bach "Chaconne." These two items alone were worth all the money charged for admission, and ;n themselves sufficient to stamp this violinist as the greatest of his kind since Paganini; and as I never heard Paganini, I am prepared to leave even him out of the running! Let me sum up this boy of seventeen years of age. Perfect intonation, magnificent phrasing, bow control of amazing timing, and a tone of astonishing richness and clarity. That exhausts my adjectives for the moment.

Youth v. Age. I think I may say without egotism that I have heard most of the great fiddlers of the past thirty years, but never one to compare with this youth. I have, on many occasions, closed my eyes to listen to so-called accomplished violinists, fearful that my hearing might be prejudiced by what I was able to visualise, but there was no necessity for this with Menuhin. Like Horowitz, the pianist, ho is supreme on his instrument. We may never look on his like again, but it is pleasurable to think that, humanly speaking, there are many years in front of those who are young enough to enjoy his playing in time to mmc. I was asked at the concert, by a friend, how Menuhin compared with certain other great violinists, including Kreisler, Heifetz, Kubelik and others of {in older school such us Joachim. Well, the older school may be ignored, for the majority of them rarely played in tune! Kubelik I would also dismiss from the discussion for the reason that I never was able to place him in the ranks of the greatest fiddlers, but one must bring Kreisler and Heifetz into the arena. Kreisler has always been considered the great interpreter of violinistic music, Heifetz the most perfect technician.

Overrated. The latter was termed "cold" by British critics when appearing in this country; Kreisler subject, by the same standards, to infelicities in intonation occasionally and guilty of playing too many "Kreisler arrangements." In other words, both wore wanting in important and vital essentials. With these opinions it is impossible to disagree. I have still doubts about Heifetz; I still think he ie a greater violinist than critics on this side of the Atlantic have judged him, but I have no qualms in saying that Kreisler is, and always has been, a grossly overrated player. At the risk of heresy, I will say that hii* programmes of trifling music have often disgusted me and that his intonation at times has amazed, me. Not, mark you, exactly out of tune but by no means, shall I say, perfect to the tempered car.

Menuhin is not like either of these. His interpretative gifts are absolutely mature, his intonation impeccable, and his tone of a quality which has never before been approached by another violinist within living memory.