WORLD OF MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 106, 7 May 1938, Page 22

WORLD OF MUSIC.

NOTES OF THE DAY.

FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By ORPHEUS.) Wednesday, August 10, lias definitely Ikmmi chosen as the date for the Music Festival given iiniiiially l>y the secondary sdiooU of Auckland. Mr. Howard C'arr, who for some years past has Im'cu tli<; conductor of the Sydney Philharmonic Society, has resigned (ho position, iui<l applications are now licillg invited to lill the post. EMPIRE DAY CONCERT. Mr. Hubert Carta. the well-known New Zealand tenor, will bo singing in the Command performance to l>e •riven before Their Majesties the King and Queen at the Koval Albert H.fil on Empire Day, May 24. COLIN HORSLEY CONCERT. Before leaving for Kiifrland in July. Colin Horslev. the brilliant young YVanganui pianist, is to Ik> heard in a piano recital to be given in the Town Hall concert chamber on June lti. The arrangements for this benefit performance are in the hands of a local committee, the members <>f which are working hard to ensure its financial success. ALEXANDER XIPNIS. This, famous Russian bass ha* beer engaged by the National Broadcast in" Service, to tour the Dominion national stations. Two public appearances will be made in Auckland, the dates beinj; Tuesday, July 1!», and Saturday. Jul\ •i.'i, both concerts taking place in tin Town Hall. Kipnis has a world-widt reputation as an oni'l'lltU: and lie<lei singer, and judging by hi<4 numerous recordin<rs should provide a rare treal tor mn«ic-lo\ers in this eountry.

AUCKLAND PIANIST'S SUCCESS. Word has come to hand tha£ the local •xhibition allocated to North leland itudents by Trinity College of Music, London, has been won by Mi*s Rosamond Caradue. This adjudication wae liaeed upon tlie marks gained by tins vouixr pianist, 9fi out of a possible 100, when who was awarded the medal for the higher local examination held at Hie end of bust year. AUCKLAND JUVENILE CHOIR. Conducted by its founder, Miss Ida Ifolnies, the Auckland .Tiivenile Choir will srive its first concert of the season in the Uwia Kady Hall on Thursday evening Ma v 19. Part-songs composed by Beethoven, Brahms. Mendelssohn, Stern hsle Bennett and Kdward fierman will be »un"\ The assisting artists will be Mi« Isobel LanglamU (violinist) and Miss Ailecn Warren (pianist). MR. BERT SKEELS. Private letters from Ixmdon state that Mr. Bert Skeels, the well-known Auckland male alto, is making good progress there. Besides being attached to th« choir of St. Paul's. London, Mr. Skeels is also receiving offers to sing at other cathedrals and churches, for, even in London, male altos arc exceedingly rare It is said that the unusual quality of his voice has created somewhat of a stir ir musical circles abroad, together with much favourable criticism. Jt will pTo hably l>e some considerable time before .Mr. Skeels returns to New Zealand. RICHARD CROOKS IN OPERA. Writing of a recent revival of Gounod's njiera, "Komeo et Juliette," at th« Metropolitan Opera House in New York Mr. Pitts Sanborn, the well-known critic remarks: "The present revival oosseeees in anV case, the advantage of certair leading singers schooled in the Freneli tradition. Mr. Crooks, for instance, ha' lieen at pains to become proficient in the language and the style of the work, n>\< ] with gratifying results. His singing wa.authentic in manner and diction and often delightful in phrasing and tone ANo his growth as an actor was agree altlv in evidence. ,.

STOKOWSKI AND MICKEY MOUSE. According to a dispatch from Hollywood, Leopold Stokoweki, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, is now there to direct Mickey Mouse. Walt Dmney nrti.sU will animate a picture to the music of the tone poem, "The Sorcerer s Apprentice," by Paul* Dukas, with Mii-kev Mou«e in the role of the apprentice, dancing.aml acting to Mr. Stokowski'e baton, t SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS. An interesting programme has been arranged f»r the monthly evening to be criveri by the Auckland Society of Musicians on Monday, May i>. Beethoven e Pianoforte Sonata in E Flat, opus 31, will be played, with the various movements divided amongst three pianists, a* follows: Miss Nancy Vaughan w>ll plav the Allegro; MUs Norma Francs I he" Scherzo, Trio and Minuet; Miss Nina McLeod the Presto con fuoco. Chopin's Ballade in A Flat will be played by Miss Dora Judson; Miss Helen Cray (violin) and Mi*s Jean Clarkson (piano) will be heard in Beethoven's Sonata for violin and piano, opus 24 ("The Spring' , ). Mi«sß Dawn Harding and Mi 4 . Robert : Simmers will each present a group of three of Schubert's songs.

RAIE DA COSTA./ A correspondent in Gisborne, -who ~i«n.« himself "Interested" and who somewhat flatters "Orpheus"' by saving that lie reads this column "with keen interest each week" (!), asks that some information be given about Kaie da Costa's eareer and death. Here are a few details: —Born in South Africa and originally intended for the ballet, a serious fall prevented her from dancing and she turned to the piano. Like Myra Hess, she was a dwt-iple of the Matthay method, and it was not long before she played Beethoven's "Emperor"' concerto wit'll the Capetown Symphony Orchestra under Leslie Heward. Although a very line piajiist with exceptional technique and, despite a brilliant Press, Miss da Costa failed to receive due recognition of her talents and. in despair, turned to jazz in wliieh field she immediately • scored a great success.

There was, however, tragedy behind this success. Raie 'la Costa was never a jazz pianist at heart, circumstances had drawn her into a field with which she had little natural sympathy. She became essentially a recording artist. However, she made a single appearance at Queen's Hall in the Franck "Variations for Piano and Orchestra." Her death in 1934, after an operation for appendicitis, at the early age of 28. left the musical world the poorer for a pianist with great natural gifts.