MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 502, 8 May 1909, Page 9

MUSIC.

(By Treble Clef.) How Harry Laudor Composes. " It takes timo to ripen a song as it doe fruit," says Harry Lauder, tho Scotch comc diau of his uniquo methods to a New Yorl interviewer. "Tho way I coom to write ' llavo a I was playing in Aberdeen aaid ono night .'when I left tho stago someon gavo me a letter from ray wife. I opened th letter aikl spread it out in front of mo an read it whilo I was taking my makeup ofl It-waß a long letter, with love in it licto an there, and while I read it. the words bega: to ring in my earsj 'I ha 1 a lassie, a fin bomiio lassie,' an' whilo I was readin' th letter tlio wliolo chorus como to me. It too! mo two years to work the song up to wher I wanted it. "So with 'Tho Saftest Onoo' tlio Family I was sitting at tho window on a Sunda afternoon a lookin' down the street ail' a bo passed. He was a glaikit—what you won] call a stupid boy, a silly,. an' I bcin? feyther mysel' felt tho pity o't. I though how it would bring the'grief'nestlin' liko blackbird in my heart if I had-a child Jib that. ' An' then I remembered what m mother used to say. .When we childre would fight sho would always say of m brother Jock, 'Now what's.the use o' fightiT with, Jock? He's the saftest ono cr th family.' Tho words kept repeatin' there selves in my head an' I couldn't' got rid ( thorn., It was ten years before I got it whei I was willin' to give it to the public. " 'The Woddin' Bells' came easier. W had had company at the house ono night,'an it was late, eleven o'clock, an' my wife said 'Harry, I'm tired, an' I think I'll go up't bed.' I said, 'AH right. I'll stay here for quarter of an hour .by myself an' rest.' sat therp smokin' my pipe and t-hinkin' < the pleasant evenin' we'd had, when in m ear there sounded tho ringin' of bells. \Vv had that feolin'? Some say it's caused b a cold. Well, then, I thought, 'That' sound like weddin bells,' and tho lino, 'Tho wcddii bells was ringin" "kept goin' over , again i my mind. • I heard a rap ontlio window, ar I got up an' saw it. was tho family doctoi He says, 'Aro you sick?' an' I said, 'I'v been makin' tho .chorus of a now song. Whs do ye think o''it?' an' I sung it to,him. C yes, sung it! Tho words an' : music alwaj come ,to mo together. I never took a musi lesson ,in my life. But I'm always, hearir tunes. I got it fromimy father's side an'm mother's side. There's-musicians in th family of both. • "He liked it, an' after bo loft L fixed-u a verse. I iouldn't sleep that night becaus the song kept me awake. By mornin' Iha two verses of it.! It didn't tako long to gc that ready for tho stago', only eight or nin months. I never had doubt about th audience likin' ifc. It was so merry." Tricks of the Trade. Tho critic of the London "Times" has vor properly drawn attention to what hoicall "the well-known fareweH.'ruso" on. the pai of musical artists. It is announced that on certain night the , artist will ''give his las rccital, and the following day, or ,often: o: tho programmo for that very evening it i stated that, in consequence of a generally expressed desire, he has consented to giv another concert; and the little game goc on just as long as there seems any chanc of securing another audienco. . Tho ~'offc;] der-'in - this; particular case was Mmo.V.Cai reno, and her managers have written wit a fine show of righteous, indignation, pre testing that tho recital announced as th last was really intended to bo so; but, "i conseguonoe of the unusually largo demaiv for tickets, and in response to tho man requests on tho part of the musical public', : they induced Mmo. Carreno' to ' alter he plans, and give another " farewell recital.' It .may have been so in this case; but, as rule, these extra concerts have been ai ranged for from tho first, and tho whole bus; JiGss is just an advertising trick. Of coursc it' has now become so common that' it d< feats itself, for ov.eryono.iknows. that, aftc tho alleged last appearance, there, are su'r to bo two or three' more, and 'so-they ,tak no notico of what has. become a /trpnsparen dodge. -The game is 'played.-out;-and th sooner managers recognise the fact the bel tor it will bo. ' How New York, is Catered For; Two paragraphs from tho' New Yor "Post" of. March 1 "Geraldine Farrar will appear as Marguei ito in -'Faust' on Monday, with Martin a Faust, a: new Mephisto (Rains), and . a nei Valentino : (Amato). Bonci ■ • rcaippears : o Wednesday in 'Le Villi' and-in tho'-'Cava] leria Rusticana' following it, Gadski will b tho Santuzza. - In 'Manon,' on Thursdaj , Farrar, Caruso, Scotti will appear. Destim Grassi, and Amato aro in tho cast of 'Mac ama. Butterfly,' the Friday opera. Tho .amus liig Bohemian;opera, 'The' Bartered Bride , with Destinn.: Jorn, Blass, Didur, Reis: I will be the Saturday, afternoon opera; an in tlio evening Wagner's 'Parsifal' will hav its last performance, beginning at seven an ending before midnight. .Tlio cast will ii cludo Fremstad, Homer, Burrian, Amatc Hinckley, • Goritz. Verdi's Requiem Mas Will be sung to-morrow night by . Dcstinu Homer, Martin, Hinskley, and a chorus c '200,'.' with enlarged orchestra .under Tosca nim. ' ' ■. "Tetrazzini sings -in this city only one next week, in 'Puritani,' on AYednesdiw with Constantino. !The othev Manh'atta: operas wilt bo 'II Trovatore' on Monday with Agostinplli, Zenatello, Gerville-'i.leiclic Sammaroo. Verdi will also be representc by 'Otello' (Friday), which enlists Labia Zenatello, Sanmaroo. 'Louise,' with Gai den, Dalmoros, Gilibert. is the Saturday ai ternoon opera, and in'tho evening Miss' Gai den appears again, with. Renaud and Du franne, in Massenet's charming 'Juggler o Notre Dame.' At to-morrow's concert JlisClu Elman will play -a Saint-Saens concerto, am Labia and Coiwtautifio wili bo th singers.- Cliarlier will direct tho perforin ~anco'of the first movement of Dvorak's 'Noi World Symphony.' An interesting novelt; will bo Parelli's Umbrian Rhapsody,' basei on themes from Umbrian Folk Songs. Til composer will conduct tho orchestra for it first performance in America." Strauss's "Eloktra." Richard Strauss's now: opera, "Eldktra,' was triumphantly successful at its first per formance at the' Royal Opera House, Dies den, on January 25. Mr. Paul Corderwrites after hearing it tlireo times: "On each oc csision tho impression received lias been th' same—an overwhelming sense of tlio bignes of the latter part of, the opera. Tho'. curtail descends, leaving one for a moment stunnei by tho awful tragedy oflilektra's life." Tin orchestra contains, amongst other things seven trumpots, eight horns, eight clarinets and two B fiat and two F tubas, as well a a row instrument called a hekelphonc, whicl appears to bo a kind of tenor oboe, and'i ruto or rod, which produces sharp blows a: of a cano striking the edgo of a table. 'Om combination, of four inuted tubas and pic colo, produces a result less liko music thai anything Strauss has dono before; at least that is Mr. Corder's opinion. Thoro an many striking dissonances, as ono wouk havo expected, but they are reserved for oc casions of extreme emotional, stress, am there are numerous beautiful cffccts, botl of molody and harmony, in the quieter part: of the opera. Australians Abroad.. •An interesting letter from Will R. Barnei to J. C. Williamson contains tho following items of news about Australians in the "Uiiitot States Annette Kollerman is appearing ii vaudovillo and quite taking her audiences bj storm. Bert Levy js in the samo class ol business, and liko Miss Kcllorman, is a topliner. Hilda Spong is at present travelling wjth a dramatic sketch on a variety circuit Fred. Rjvenhall has adpptod tho music hal stago, and is in rocoipt of a line salary, Greorgo Maje.roni is with tho Shuberts principal, baritone, whilo his brother Marie has been engaged , for the third season bj Charles Frohman to support John Drew, Paul Scardon, who is with tho Shuberts, has built himself a fine house at Now Jersey, and bus adopted tho hobby of brooding nrizt English bull dozs.