MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 9

MUSIC.

.. (Bt Teeble^Clef.);,;:'V./;.;..;;' Mlscha Elman, ..- ',- ' ;■ . V/ t 'The London special correspondent of. "The Sydney Morning Heral," ' iii, a ,note- relating ■ to llisclia Elman'.s. farewell appearance prior to leaving for. the United States and the Commonwealth,, says:—"Kubelik: you know. : Ysaye is a very great artist, of: commanding power,, technical brilliancy, and: reposeful maturity .of style. His technical;.appeal, is always .kept subservient to .the' musical interest, in'hand, and his interpretations of the great works.,for the instrument are regarded as the last, word in masterly violin.expression. Elmanlias, not his classic repose, nor his maturity of istyle'necessarily; / but. in .respect of emotional, appeaj,.. of: pas- . sion,.of power to touch.an audience, this 17- ' year old boy .seems to, me unrivalled.';,! have" never, heard, emotion conveyed, by' a .musical instrument as. Elinan!s,i:violin',,'conveys -it. Sometimes .he sems. to gather upland I .suggest in a. single, phrase, of .poignant tone -the sor-' - rows ,of; ; a,lifetime,, and one : is- staggered 'to realise; that, the" artist who ; has. hushed a groat; audience to sombre' stillness is himself, the'merest stripling. Of course' he has an incredible technique, and ho .plays," too, with quite wonderful verve arid abandon. ■ -.-• His performance .of the. Paganini or:'the '.Tschai--kowsky-concetto is a breathless.'business.. But' it;' is .when ,1 sit listening to ■' pour' out 'some slow movement in- tones' alive, with emotion, and,filled'.with. ;.a ; :; poetic: fervour rivalled by no artist, of his time, that I most readily recall Schumann's -exclamation,to his, friends, concerning, the young Brahms—'Hats' off, gentlemen; a .:.:.;.■:,'; .;.- Juncker's "Dalsevlk.!'.;.'■ '- '';'■ '■■■, ;';1 ! ;':'! '■■". m , .The: limited '■ output: of. musical 'pieces ■'-, of. local origin; which during the past- year.or two has'brought forward: comic operas'by' Alfred Hill (I'The Moorish "Maid"); "The ■Emperor'?- and ,"The Coquette" -(both by Aruudol:. Orchard -and > -W.' l-h- -Curtis),-: '""and ."Lady,Nora"i(Dr. Chas! W. MacCarthy and Harry' Taylor), .is likely to 'be ; increased during., 1909 i. (writes , a /contemporary). ■■ - In addition, to'the dashing musical comedy"The Whirl'of the composed by Miss'Nao' Theakstone, arid. ready for the stage at any opportunity, a) new work, has just been ''com- : pleted by Aug;: W.: JuncKer.:, This well-known oomposer, conductor, and'teacher, will shortly arrange for the performance- of; his • new comic opera in three acts, entitled "Dalsevlk.", The' libretto,' .by, /Stuart Thornton,' is on'a Scandinavian subject, treated, humor-' ' ously, and there,will be, scope f-ar-spectacular effect, as: the'action lies' amidst the mountains, and .fjords .of -Norway.-,- -The- composer has high, hopes :of. his. share' in the-work, and unbounded confidence, in - the libretto, a. circumstance which carries" some .weight, owing, to. his' long acaWntance.:with stage affairs as a theatricaf::conductor, 'and also because- of the melodious .'.'nature .of -his _Romance; of Corsica,"-: an opera he produced; at the old Opera House'on; an elaborate scale years ago. When Mr.; Juncker was;in New York,' three'or four years ago, ho p ayed through his: sorig ,"I Was Dream-' lng, at that^ time much sung in the United Mates, .to Mr..- Charles, Frohinan. That manager'promised' to have carefully ■ read and considered, any, work his'visitor might send him in the future, and "Danievig" -is the result: of the; suggestion; .'; : :.' : .i. :-' ' '■' The MarshalH-lall 'Orchestra. :;' ■-'■ ' ;:v _ The'/movement for 'the 'universal, estaiv lisnment of a normal 1 , pitch in music : wiH' receive a great .impetus :in" Melbourne -as a result of the'.handsome; gift of '.instruments made by Madame Melba to the board of management of : the Lady, Northcbte 'Per-' manent Orchestra vTrus.t Fund. : ;The i case" containing the instruments, 24 in 1 number came- by.the steamer. Miltiades days ago, ,says a Melbourne, contemporary,' .and the process .of, unpacking at Glen's music warehouse,' Collins. Street,' yesterday aftcrnoonv.w'as'eagerly watched by members of the' board of management, including' Dr. Barrett and-.Mr.'. Pirani; the director of-Madame Melba's tour;-: Mr. J: Lemmone,' and members ':,of the Marshall-Hall orchestra, •' by whom .the instruments will' be' used. These are of normal-pitch, of the .very best, make';and the motive which- actuated Madame 1 Melba m making the gift is. to .-"assist in. the formation of a permanent'. orchestra to : definitely, settle' the question of/pitch, 80 as to bring it into line with other parts "of-the world. After testing the'.:instruments; most' of which were supplied by Rudall, Carte, and Co., of-'London, the, members - of: the orchestra grew. quite, enthusiastic 'in'.' regardto their merits. : lii. a cable-message to' Mr. Lemmone, Madame Melba'has expressed, a. wish that she should have an opportunity to make the formal presentation-personally to the board of management, arid the interesting event will take, place' on-'her. 'arrival in. Melbourne. Professor Marshall-Hall has :rei ceived a letter froin-Mr. Landon Bonaldj the English: oomposer, congratulating hiih "•'on; the acquisition the orchestra of the wind instruments donated by Madame Melba.: Hesays the orchestra is now in the'possession' of tho finest set of wind .'iritruments in.the world. ■ .-'"'•:■■'.' ,"■' ■,'•'.' '; '■■; "''■ College of Organists.The authorities of the Boyal College of Organists-have altered their examinations in order; to make them more practical.-.: In the associateship tests the playing from afigured bass has been withdrawn, and the additions include an' "ear test"—which "will consist, of a diatonic melody of .about eight .notes, or the melody of a single playing from vocal score in four parts (written in three 6 clefs and an F clef); and ('the accompaniment of voices ' singing -aCanticle or Psalm to an Anglican chant or a Gregorian tone: the Cathedral Psalter will be used for the former,, and the 'Eavenshaw and Eockstro Ferial Psalter for. the latter!" Various changes,; including the addition of an "ear test," have. been, made in 'the. Fellowship, Examination; but this diploma will : not "obtain its full and proper, value -until it includes proficiency, in choir-trainings and gives greater attention,to -the all-iniportant matter of accompaniment. These . combined qualifications in a church organist and choirmaster—for the two offices; are invariably united—are what the clergy and their congregations rightly _ regard as being of supreme importance in the music of, the sanctuary,; . . r,.' -,-'.-'■ ...'.. ~ ■

Mr. John Linden, who appeared wry successfully at a concert at Glasgow, played on tli'o Strad 'Cello presented to him by the late Mr. Seddon, Premier of New-Zealand. ■'•'•■