THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 9 (Supplement)

THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

NOTES OF THE DAY.

FKOM FAR AND NEAR,

(By ORPHEUS.)

An impresario thinks America is the future capital of music. Already, of course, we own 10,000 of the world's 400 Stradivarius violins.—U.S.A. paper.

Tschaikowsky's Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor, for piano and orchestra, will be presented at the Bohemian Orchestra's next concert. Eva Stern will be the pianist.

Mendelssohn's music has been banned in Nazi Germany. Even his incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" —one of the brightest gems in that nation's musical crown—has been ordered to be replaced by new music for performances at the Stadttlieatre of Dusseldorf.

August will be a busy month in the musical life of this city. On the first, the Auckland Choral Society presents Handel's oratorio "Judas Maccabeus"; Miss Gladys MoncriefF and other artists will be heard on the seventh in the New Zealand Broadcasting Board's charity concert at His Majesty's Theatre; while Yehudi Menuhin appears at the Town Hall in his final New Zealand concert on the eighth. Concerts are being given also by the Auckland Chamber Music Society, the Bohemian Orchestra and the Royal Auckland Choir.

The latest arrival in the way of musical societies is the "Music I,overs' Club," which has been formed, as per prospectus, "with the object of affording opportunities for self-expression to promising vocalists and instrumentalists." The clubrooms are those of the Overseas League, in Queen's Arcade, and meetings are to be held on the iirst Thursday in each month at 8 p.m.; the first of these taking place on August 1. It is interesting to note that "all programmes will be drawn up by the president, who shall have absolute authority to decide who shall perform, and what compositions shall be rendered."

All those who appreciate the fact that in Miss Lcela Bloy we possess a young violinist of exceptional talent and of great promise will bo pleased to know that a strong committee has been formed to establish a fund to enable her to further her studies at the Conservatorium in Melbourne. When Mr. Claude Kingston, the well-known Melbourne organist and concert manager for Messrs. Tait, was here recently he heard Miss Bloy play, and was so impressed by her exceptional technique and excellent tone that he immediately communicated with the authorities in Melbourne and, as a result, has obtained the offer of a scholarship for her. A concert in aid of the above-mentioned fund is to be given in His Majesty's Theatre on August 14, when several of Auckland s most pi eminent artists will assist.

The Melbourne "Sun" is again offering prizes for the best singer of two arias from operas, both to be sung in English. This "Sun" aria test is being held at Ballarat in the first week in October, when the preliminary tests will be made. The final will be held, before an adjudicator of great aperatie experience, in Melbourne on October 10. The winner of the first place obtains a 120 guineas prize and 10 guineas for becoming a finalist; the second a 20 guineas prize and 10 guineas as a finalist; the third 10 guineas and 10 guineas as a finalist. of whom there will be eight are to receive not only 10 guineas each, but a share in the net proceeds of the final test in the Town Hall. This competition is open to cither Australian or New Zealand born singers, whose age must be under thirty and over seventeen. Two New Zealanders, one an Auckland girl, it will be remembered, won prizes last year. Entries for the new contest will close on August 23 with Mr. L. A. Blackman, general secretary of the Grand National Eisteddfod at Ballarat, and intending competitors should apply to him at once for fur.her particulars at the South Street Society s offices, Grenville Street, Ballarat.

In the course of an informal chat held a week or so ago, Mr. Menuhin Senior gave the writer some very interesting information about how his son's records were made. He said that a recording might very easily be better than a concert performance for the reason that the latter could be affected by atmospheric conditions, while the record was the ultimate result of a number of attempts to get a perfect performance. The various recordings of each side are sent to Yehudi, who gets together a jury of friends, whose Judgments he respects, and the best of these is selected. All the other recordare then destroyed. If you were curious to know which of the various attempts was finally chosen, said Mr. Menuhin, a close examination of the plain surface near the centre of the record would disclose a series of code numbers and marks, amongst which would be some small Roman numerals. Thus if "VII." appeared there, you would know that the seventh repetition was the one chosen by the artist. He had known, however, of an artist making as many as thirty attempts, and then in the end choosing No. 1.

I had the privilege last Monday afternoon of having a quiet chat with the members of the charming Menuhin family. The word "privilege" is used advisedly, for they see very few people, and all invitations are declined, and for a most commendable reason, too. Mr. and Mrs. Menuhin travel with Yehudi and his two sisters simply to retain the atmosphere of family life, a condition ,it would be impossible to preserve were they to break their self-imposed rule, j When I arrived at their private suite in the hotel, Yehudi had just awaked from the two hours' nap he has every afternoon, and his two sisters, Hephzibah and Yaltah, were writing and studying. The father, an erstwhile professor of mathematics, was a most entertaining man to meet. He told me, with pardonable pride, haw his wonderful boy had been inspired by music from the time he was taken as a year-old baby to a symphony concert. It might be mentioned here that Mr. Menuhin naturally has very strong views about the need of giving children the opportunity to hear the best of music as often as possible, and mentioned the children's hour on the radio as one medium which should be used as much as possible. He also had a lot of , interesting information about new and much improved methods of recording that are being developed abroad at the present time. In order to remove any doubts as to the correct pronounciation of the famous young violinist's name, here it is as given to me by the best authority on the subject, his father: "Ye-hu-di" (accent on the second syllable) "Men-u-hin" (first syllable [accented).