MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 211, 30 May 1908, Page 12

MUSIC.

[BY TKEM.E'CIef.]

Death Pf Clara Novello. The celebrated daughter.of a famous musical, house lias' passed away in Rome, where Mine. Clara Novello died, on March 12, at the advanced age of eighty-nine. Glara Anastasia Novello, Countess Gigliucci, .was the fourth daughter of Vincent Novello, the" great composer, and founder of the 'well-known firm : of Novello : and Co., and was born in Oxford Street, London, on Jnne 10, 1918.. .. She studying singing and pianoforte playing at an early ase, and wheii she was nine hecame- a'student at the. Paris Conservatoire. She returned to England in 1830, owing to the Revolution, ' and made her" professional debut at a concert at Windsor m 1833, when her beautiful soprano voice, with its remarkablo. ransfe of two clear octaves, at 6nco attracted the attention of musicians. Subsequently she took part in tho musical festivals at Birmingham. Worcester, Gloucester, and other cities; Sne was littlo more than fourteen vears of ago . when she appeared at the Philharmonic Society's concert and at the Ancient Concerts. In 1837, ; at. the invitation of Mendelssohn, Clara Novello went to Leipzig, and. appeared at the Gewandhaus Concerts,, and two years later proceeded to Italy to study for the stage. Her first anpearanco in opera was made at Padua "in 1841, in Rossini's " Semiramide," with much success. ' Afterwards she. sang at the principal opera houses in Rome, Bologna, .Milan, . Modon/i„ and other towns. When Rossini produced his " Stabat Mater " in Bologna, the composer selected Clara Novello for the soprano part. She returned to England in 1843, and appeared, in opera at Drury Lane and in oratorio at the Sacred Harmonic Concerts and the Birmingham Festival. In November of that year she married Count Gigliucci, and withdrew from public life, but after the political events of 1849 circumstances induced her to again resume her profession, and -she made _ her reappearance in 1850, when sheVing in opera in Rome and Lisbon. Mme. Novello was heard in England in oratorio i and at concerts during tho following year, and made one more appearanco at Drury Lane, m 1 Puritani," In 1853. Her position as one ot the most prominent singers of tho day gave her a place in the musical ceremony at the opening of the Crystal Palacei in 1854, and in tlio Handel Festivals of 1807 and 1859. Her final appearance was made in oratorio, and a performance of the "Messiah _ given at the Crystal Palace m IS6O was the last occasion on which she appeared as an oratorio singer in this country. Sue 6J V 0 a benefit concert a short time afterwards before returning to Italy, which until her death had been her home for the past fort}-eight years. b Ernest Toy in Australia. Mr Ernest Toy., the talented violinist, is hack'in-Australia. Ho gave at Glen's in Melbourne on May 13, of which tho "Age" says:— .■ Mr. Ernest Toy's concert was in almost every way a bis success. Ihe Concerto in A minor' bv Vieustempa, clovor and effective though it undoubtedlv is, relics too much upon bravura work to be a real "classic"; but Mr. Toy is Quito at home at ■ this ' business j ho knows all the rules of the game, and can go as far as most people in the way of malcuif dry bones live. His execution, save lor a "passage near the outset, was almost perfect and tho double stopping in the first movement— especially in the cadenza, witn its continued trills—is no child s play, but in Bach's Prolude and Fugue m G mnibr for unaccompanied violin, he did oven better. The fugue is for three "voices," and though it is plainly impossible to keep three separate parts going each its own individual way on a single violin, it was extraordinary how the third "voice" made' itself hoard while the other two wero stijl in conspicuous evidence. Such a performance stamps the man as an artist, ami no oncore over accorded in Melbourne was mora richly merited. Tho transcription by Wilhelmj of i Chopin's Nocturrio in D flat was tastefnlly given, and tho Faust Fantasia, by Siu-asato, , quite bore out tho favourable impression previously created. It is a pity'that Air. Toy's i JlolbourtiQ appearances have been so limited, as lie is a performer: to whom it is a genuine pleasure to listen. Tho vocal contributions of Miss Hortenso I'Mo do not s.xun to cull for special mention, albeit slio gained aii oncore after her " Lascia ch'io I'ianga"; hut ; a word of emphatic praise must bo put in I for Misn Lila Jaques, whose accompaniments i wero always tasteful and "safe."