MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 13

MUSIC.

[Br TE'ehi.E CLBF,]

Mmo. Tetrazzini, before leaving London • paid a visit to tho Gramophone Company'* premises in tho City-Road and sang into one of the recording instruments. Among the rcco.nls taken were "Card - Nome'! iron* 1 :"Eigoletto," the "Air" des Clpchettes" fronsj Delibes' "Laknio," tho "Polaeea"' froiV "Mignon," and the/.'famous "Alll fors ® lui," from."La Traviata." Mmo. Tetrazsinn*was distinctly nervous at first. Tho rioyolt-jf of having to sing into , tho hell-mouth of >> hiigo trumpet instead of to an audience"/ handicapped her, considerably.; Still lieE splendid E flat in alt iti tho "Ah I fors o lui" came out with all her accustomed ease ani, purity,' veritably making 3 tho rafters ring/' ; • 'All singers are.nervous the first • make records," said a representative of tiny, (irm'aftervyards., "The slightest-slip willbe!. faithfully reproduced," and. cither necessitate another record or go down to posterity to tie,, detriment of. the artiste. But they I soon get used to it, 'and.' I. think' tho' : Tetrazzini records aro going to bo a greatl success." '" ' \ ' ' " In Ilerr Slapoffski tho Sydney Amateur' Orchestral Society liavo'obtained a conductor of-wide musical .experience . (says: tho' '■' '.'Telegraph"); /As a wonder child (violinist); ' of. seven years'of age ho attracted the notice-. and interest of-their Royal Highnesses/ the, Dukes of Edinburgh and Albany. ■ At this - 1 time tho' youthful SlapolTski was .travelling-.. ■ /with Sims Reeves. Ho entered' the'Royal-i • • Academy of Miisic,. studying .tho violin un•der Prosper Sainton, and,theory and harmony,- * with Sir. Arthur Sullivan. .An . / appointment" followed,- when -he' entered Richtor's(orchestra, ■ with-; which- :Herr - oifski remained seven-years, and contemporj ary with tho Into Gerard Vollmar. Heper-/ formed as a principal member of t-lie orchestral! , at most, of the/.English festivals,/including . ' Birmingham, Leeds,-and Norwich; and -was] concerned ill tlio original production of Sul-> liyan's "Golden Legend," Stanford's, "Re-« v v'engo,". Dvorak's' "St.'LudmiUs," and'Mae-'> kbnzie's "Roso of ' Sharon." Later,- Herr Slapolfski joined tho Carl Rosa Opera Com- 1 .pan?'as']eader, : and subsequently as conductor,^assisting,thq'lato' Carl Rosa ' in the.: original in English-of -Wagner's ■ "Die" Meistersinger," ; ''Valkyrie,"' '"Sieg-;','. - friod," "Rienzi," and "Tannhauscr." Verdi 8 "Aida" /and ; "Otello,''. Maic3gni's /"Cavalloria/ Rusticana," /aiid Leoneavallb's - ','11: 1 Pagliacci." -In-1897, at the Theatro Royal; : Manchester, : Herr: Slapoffski {javo tho first ■English-production of Puccini's / "La.': Boheme." - Herr .Slapoffski made'his first, acquaintanco' with'; Australian' . audiences . as' '. . .'conductor' for Mr.- Geprgo Musgrovo's i. . lislv ;Opera Company, and during tho seison,. last'-year, of_Mr. -Musgrovo's Gorman Opera l , 1 ,/ Company, his noteworthy achievement- was: tho' first Australian'-! production :• of; "Tho. / ;Valkyrie." / Herr ' Slapoffski is English by education.; His i father is Russian,' his ■ mother"'of Scotch ' descent and ; born- in; Syd- . ' is 'the 1 new/i .conductor's intention,- . ■/ ■with tho assistance' of, his' talented 1 wife, 'to '. ; establish an operatic school in. Sydney. -.'!- ; /. ,Sho VVac Satisfied. v ' / Tho celebrated. English singer Missßateman while going across to America, organised'/'.- ;■ a big: concert on- board a steamer in aid o.' the Sailor's Homo and at tho end of pre .' ceedihgs;went.round amongst,the passengers,•." with a collection plate.'.-. Coming to a mil--lioiiair'o Miss .Bateman hold tho plate nude* '!/i his nose—it was rather easy—and, asked fo* a trifle for charity. Tho . millionaire gal' ■lantlv-flung sixpence amongst tho sovereigns. . and half-sovereigns and ).sat back morally re - . freshed. >.■. "Never mind "said Miss.Batomaß' '.in response, to.,the ill r suppressed;titter of, a> .' • wellrwishor. who'was sitting near. "Never • mind, v I am satisfied; -ho has not taken anything out." • •':.,/ Another Find. -~i • ~Yet another musical find I Mr. Edward : Spsyer's'history'of 1 tlio stray;lcaves from tho j, , : MS/of 'Boethovens Ninth Symphony which 'ho; acquired;not long 1 ago .from Sotheby's .makes\interesting reading- -They hod bc- ! loilgbd, originally to tho faithful Shindler who; sent'them to> Moscheles m London in : return.f()r his kindness in getting a plr.lniarmonic' society/to' send' tho historic one . : htuidred.pounds; Mosiheles presented them - N ,. •in j return/to' Heni-y; Phillips a well-known ! English'singer of his timo and: in due course they: turned'' up/in .tlio/ auction rooms./ Tliafc. : they 'are tho gehuino' pagos of tho' original ; seo'rb'whioh'is ono'of^tho' I .treasures of the':: Royal Library at Berlin has ■ been clearly . , ptoved," z ' - " ; : /; : :/' V; '' / /''■'■ "Old. Models." . ■ iSaysiEnglish "Truth"—Ono of. tho hardy ' perennials of the violin-world 13 tho wondertul neiv yialm mado by a modorn maker who • has discovered at last the secret of tho old Crcinoha masters, and.is enabled therefore toolfer:. instruments every vrny equal to -tho old Stradivari and.Guarnerius at ridiculously ■ moderate prices.- Sucb-is the claim being put; forward '; at ./tliq/- present, i;time with' . ■ niuoh booni iliy a /commercial' organisation calling/Jtself] tho/Now Cremona; Company-:-' on behalf, .of certain' ■ German.. instruments; ln'ado'according to '.tlio' princixiles. of ono Dr. Max- Grossman of Berlin. ' Dr. Grossman,. .• wo are told,. has. mado a life-long study or . ; ;'t.h"e.violin, and after, many; years of oxperi- v- • -iinontiiig lias' proved that tho 7 secret' of that / ■; wondertul ,so-calledltaliantono is an . acoustical one based on a law as fixed' as the ; l.a.w K of'.;gravitatidii. Grossman's, theory , /v. : consists. ; iii' the niairi ' in' attuning the hack -s and -front of iho violin so as to establish' .-o sympathetic, vibration. Tho/ application.of.. : ; ;this' secret, wjiich seems so simple in theory/ is -highly complicated in practico. ; Dr. j Grossinuh , is - tho ;- first j person^:;."sinco the .Cronibna ''masters'' to m'ako-prnotical applica- - /• tion of tho .secret. And so on. /. Then follow,; a .series, of testimonials ■ from well-known , v -violinr'pls^ora.-*./-'.Nosr<-;lriitho>-"faco--of; theso ' / it.', may ■ seem .pVesiimptuous to ,-./ oltoiv contrary/opinions; let how many of ' theso.'.higli authorities 'actually play/on- tho- •>. violins in question Not Musicians lira • ail easy-going - raeo- who-, do: hot. always ,realise tho importance likely 1 to bo -attached''/., by the uninformed to uttcra'nces of this '. .kind." r V • ./'■'- •Notes.- .": " " In a small town of Sicily a poor old man 'was found'dead from want, v, Ho'.wasjideuti-.' lied as the violinist Cuvillier, /from; Paris, ,-yv once a prix do Rome, and employwl also as musician at tho Vatican. :,;/ / : " -~/ Arnold Foldbsy, tho Hungarian 'cellist, who was' a member of Mr. J. Ci; Williamson's - last concert - company, r gave a recital, recently.: . : in- New York. ■ "./■ - Enriohotta Eoseari, a direct and only deseomlant of the Dogo Foscan, of Venice, lias l'otired'.frbm the stage at .'tho ripe ago of 81. ; Sho;,had', beonvwitli many; celebrities of her.; ;- titiKi, and v.us lately in-a Venetian dialect company. ' , The new operatic star, Mdme. Tetrazzini.'

has'signed contracts with 'Mr. Hamiiierstein|. ■ }'. of- the Manhattan (New York). Opera House, for 20 weeks', to appear 40 times, tho engage-' ' : m'eiit* to ! l;ist three years: ' The' rate' of pay- 1 ' inont tor oaeh performance is as follows:— First year, '£300;.'scGbnd. year,' £400; third 4. ;>< year," £500."/ :•;■•■ •'':' -'•

. Mr. John AVrcn, of Melbourne, is said to be negotiating with Caruso, the great Italian 1 tenor, concert tour of Australasia.

An opera, ''111/ Battistai'V is. how . beingplayod m Italy)'' in which Christ !is;tlieVprin--cipal character. It was Written by an Italian pricifij- tindis played with tho approvul of tho Church. "It will also be played in America.

• -The London' Symphony Orchtstra'continues its Sunday afternoon concerts at' tho. Albert Hall, whoro the attendances are simply astonishing' (writes a London'correspondent on December 20). A week or two'ago, r when Jljno. Gay ("Carmen") was the vocal soloist, 8000 people/ were; present, at. prices ranging from two guineas to sixpence, with a littlo standing room in the topmost gallery of charge. > •. ; ■■ ■. ■

' Sigiior Caruso tool; with him to New York' an - Italian tailor, who will make all the' ' clothos the tenor weara 'during his stay in America.' The tailor is ' installed in a room ■ • adjoining Signor;,Caruso's hotel suite, and Jim work an twolra .suits of clothes •' ■