MUSICAL EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 506, 13 May 1909, Page 4

MUSICAL EDUCATION

IN NEW -ZEALAMD, (Bt C. A. yocso'.) m. As a cons;ouoiico of tho existing low level of musical wlucation in tho Dominion, th? public aro not ablo to discriminate when they hear cood, ba<l, or indifferent music. ■ Comio Opera, and a'general low standard of meretricious music, amuses while it vitiates, Tho general public being uneducated cannot approbate a higher standard of musical composition nnd technique, anclsp wo seo tho amazing spcotaclo of an.audience partly desiring to get tho most for their money, but greatly desiring to give proof of their high critical appreciation, noisily applauding each and every item of a programme. That a little knowlcdgo is a dangerous thing is more applicable to nuisic than to tho other art?. Everybody considers themselves capable of criticising music, and tp . a certain extent they aro. Most. of enco pleasure when listening to musio played in tunc and time,- our emotions aro moved by lively and gay music, and aro sympatkotio when a sweet or sad tuno, or a sensuous valse floats oil tho air. When wo hear tho words of a song or hymn being sung its music impresses tho meaning conveyed, and if it bo a good hymn or tile oftener wo hear-it tho more tho musio intensifies tho meaning of tho words. But all this docs not onablo us, to understand the art by. which, the. artist; is thus ablo to toilcli our feelings. Wo fool, and heroin lies tho great superiority of music to her sister arts, but wo cannot express in words what we fool,, unless wo aro educated in th« scienco of music. With an ignorance appalling people will venturo to' oriticiso musio who would staro in dumb astonishment at a painting, or a piece of sculpture; as, being' ignorant oftecnnjquo, of, tho inspiration which suggests, of proportion, form, colour, they are at i a loss for words; whilo pootry, twin sister of music,'is a mere' inharmonious senseless janglo of words when thoy attempt, to oxpress vorso in artioulato sounds. ■ .

Putf Advertisements. ; Nor are they entirely to blame for this state of things; : advance agent 3 advertiso their companies in the most exaggerated and fallacious language, Second and third-rate singers who have attracted some local attention in their home neighbourhood in America or Australia are advertised as great artists, and even! English artists, who have their value and rccognisod positions in the Loudon musical profession, aro advertised .here, in a stylo that must make them blush when thoy see tile advertisements. ' Oiio visitor is styled tbq greatest oratorio: contralto: singer in the .world, and ills the bill by singing us a few, royalty fee drawing-room songs, another, on flaming posters, is styled the prima donna of chree or (was it) four, Continents; 1 Tho Press and Musio. Reporters, unable themselves to discriminate, oulogiso tho performance of a peregrinating brass band, the singing or playing of a star, wandering minstrel ( a promising but disappointing local celebrity, or an • indifferent comic opera company in similar high falutin' terms/ These gentlomon are indefatigable in persuading a credulous public— thoy possess a wealth of imagination and considerable powers of invention—and are to ba found in oiir provincial capital cities discovering what thev call ' promising ' stars. In tho northern capital thoy more than once publicly stated that a. vocalist engaged in a local effort had been a prima donna of tho Royal Italian Opera, Garden, London'; imagjnation could not well : soar to greater heights than that, Theso they "puft" • into notoriety, and after some successful local effort the poor dupe wakes to find herself— for these local, stars . ; are ' mostly fominino—• •famous, and is persuaded to adventure hor whole future lifo upon the sea of an inflated vanity. ' This results in a benefit concert •being tendered by-Woll-meauing but mistaken' friends as a '/send-offand a visit to.Europo for that musical training which common sense admits is not to bo_ obtained in tho colony, and a reputation which, like a rocket, ascends in a. brilliant coruscation of light, and descends like tho, stick ■ into, darkness and ob- ■ ..... ' . . v\. . N cw.. Zealand.. is , thus ' diligently'. Becking a Jlelha or an Ada Crossley, and tho pity of ( this' manner' of is,'that when- a great singer is .born to tho "colony, tho people, so often,-: disappointed, may leavo, her to I'rovidence to exploit.:.

Uko Empty Braes. A musical criticism, generally speaking, consists' of a janglo of, musical terms 'meaningless to: the general public, exaggerating and conveying- itfallacious idea of a public performance. Any musical tyro- could cull such a sweet • smelling, but. nauseating> bouquet of vmußioal. expressions, from filcs.of the Australian newspapers, or fronr a dictionary of musical; terms. . Few musical criticisms appearing in the newspapers of; the; Dominion emanatefrom tho pens of, niusioiaiis whoso' judgment lias been matured by-ripe experience and travel in the musical: centres of the world, beyond tho seas; and .thus those who attempt to educate and elevato musioal public opinion lack a standard"of comparison .to; steady and guide. tliem in their .criticisms, The ' fow wandering stars : which have of ; recent years . visited, our .Southern '.Hemisphere should- not' of ..themselves constitute' a com» potent critic's' education. : < ■, The critical .senso vjs . tho educated sense, such.' education means hard study of the science of music,. sevoro and long' hours of practico, passing one's daily' life jn a mufr' ical atmosphere, with tho. opportunity, of. flssooiating with awl hearing and comparing the greater singers and players as ; thoy eom.o and go .through the years,; These, with the musioal temperament to appreciate and assimilate what .oiio' sees, and hears, palco the critic in the; position to educate, elevato, and lead public opinion, and this,is the function of;.tuo musical critic.: " Moro Competent Critics Needed, Surely; that' section of.'tho public which loves music as an art; and which desires that their children should bo educated na well as amuaod, when they attend a publio concert or other musical entertainment, are entitled ,to greater consideration than they receive from tho musical Critics .for the press. Discriminating criticism is what is requirod, not fulsome flattery; and criticism to bo healthy should b'o just. Musical opinion in New Zealand is surely more robust than to dosiro to bo fed upon nauseating and enervating "piffle" supplied by unscrupulous advance agents, and uneducated musical reporters and critics. Those articles were written pro bono publico. -No offoncois intended, and : f their tone- or style has given offence to any readers, tho writer can only hope tho end may be found to justify tho means, aud that pardon may .be extended, when it is stated tho objeot was to provoke controversy, so that the expression of opposite opinions, through tho medium of tho press might clear the issue, and enable the public ,to arrive at a conclusion as to whether or not 1 tho time has arrived for a supervising authority over our present system of musical education. 1