MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 9

MUSIC.

. —« ■ . . (By Treole Clef.) Kubelik on Arnold Trowell. . . • A letter received from Mr. Thomas Trowell, formerly of Wellington', and father of Mr. Arnold Trowell, tho talented 'cellist and composor, informs his correspondent that Kubelik has been saying beautiful things about young Trowell's compositions, in which lio is taking the warmest interest. With tlio letter was forwarded a copy of tho violin journal, "The Cremona," in which appears an intervjew with Kubelik, in the courso of which ho says:— "But, there is a modern composer who interests ino; I will not mention his name, but lie has written mo a concerto for tho violin which I am studying very carefully.- .Hβ is tho bearer of an Euglish name, and he is a musician, a fine musician. This concerto I hope to play at a concert in London next year, and it should become very popular. It is very free in form, , following nbno of the old arbitrary divisions, but there is nothing bizarre about it. Tho harmonisation is beautiful, and fantastic though the idea is, the composer has carried it out without any buffoonery." One can only assume that Kubelik was speaking of the ex-St. Patrick's College. boy, but why he'ehould refrain from, giving him tho full measure of praiso by mentioning his name is not understandable. - .. . Kubelik went on to eay:—"Notliing, perhaps, is more difficult for a musician than tho presentation /of a novel piece to tho public. Ho has not .only to bring out the hidden meaning of the composer, he has also, to make the public understand that meaning, and it is often only when' they have heard the piece three or four times that they can do that. The modern soloist must be a man of all-Tound musical education. The days 'of the violinist with ft repertoire of fifteen pieces and ■no knowledge of any other instrument jito. long rince past. There has come a great,change in the conditions governing both opera and orchestral composition, . and the players, who thirty years ago stuck in their little'furrows , with their own little fads and would .not look around them, or learn, conld not exist now. For some reason or other critical students of musio' disclaim tho majority of tho writings of Paganini. Yet.his Variations, to take an example, are as valuable in violin music as are tho colatura passages for the soprano in lucia di Lanrmermoor' or "La Sonnambula.' Yet these aro not decried!" While in Paris Kubelik was decorated with tho Bed Ribbon of the Legion of Honour. Amy Castles in Melbourne. Miss Amy Castles must bo hard to please indeed'if she. is not delighted with the warmth of tho welcome she has received'in Melbourne (says-tho "Argus" of September G). It reached its culminating point on Saturday evening at the Town Hall. Her oveiy appearance was greeted with. enthusiastic applause; all her songs were encored with the warmest unanimity; the platform 1 was heaped with lovely flowers in her honour;.and at the end of'hor last number, which was, as, evcryouo had hoped, "Home, Sweet Home," the whole house roso and cheered with all the power of its lungs. Finally a big crowd waited to seo her leave tho hall,' and made Swanston Street reecho with its hurrahs. She has won all thie by tho real excellence of her singing, and .tho fulness of promise that sho-has shown by developing into ono of the. world's greatest vocal artists. Miss Castles repeated what has been perhaps her most unequivocal' triumph, Verdi's "Ah! fors e lui," and she gavo a fresh exaniplo of her growth in power of interpretation in the Prayer from Puccini's "la Tosca," in,, which, there wore movements of real passionate intonsity. ■ This is also trie of hersinging of Tqsti's "Good-bye." Again sho delighted her hearers with an ideal. rendering of Gounod's "Serenade," with Adrian Amadio and his flute to help her, and slie wou the hearts of the- audience by tho simplicity and , tenderness,of her; singing of "Tho. Last- Rose', of 'Su'mmerA'jftnd.'Tipnie, Sweet Ho'ni'c," There;is nq-need v t6'repeat' r wha|, nas'.b'ee'n said .again-, and ag'a'in'.'pf 'tho charm. of.'.heir stylo,,- the ibrflhancy ofher, fibrituri,, the 6ireetnoss of her tone. All ,were once inoro exemplified in, the < fullest degree; and, as the-passing years , give ,, breadth and depth to. her-emotional , lifej her.power of dramatic "interpretation; .yet fully developed, wi]l, doubtless" become- as remarkable as her vocal gifts..,■ ' , ~ .. Ths Sydney, -. On last ; Wednesday, week, the/Sydney Liedertafel: similarly, celebrated 'its one l hundred, and fiftieth, appearaScoVin public.-'' Mr. , '.F. ■■■ C.' Brewers *sketch''of'' the-'sooiety's, achievements ,shpws: that until ,1531 .part singing.;.for male voices qhly-'was'i corifiiied to the' members of thy German Glee, Club', under thV,late C. B. Siissnjilch. ' Late,in that-year, however, .the Lioclertafel was founded, with Lord Augustus Lofns as patron, Sir Patrick Jennings as president,;, andrMr.- Hugh George (at that timo genera!'.'manager of the "Sydney Morning , Herald") as vice-pr-esident. -' Mr. , 'Ashcroft Edwards was the first conductor, and the vocal force, eventually to stand ;tit nearly thrice that number,,, consisted of only 31 voices. ;Herr;Max Vogrich, ,tho German,- pianist, : who arrived hero. ■with-.iiWithelnijjv was .:thoi-.next.;6onductor ( :'and . tb> him , , whs •■ due' the- introduction' W ■"Men'flels> , ■$oh.n's7 music f6r ,;: '"Antigohf" : "an'd "CEdipus," 'as ; . well'- David's' , ' , "Tho. "Desert"— \yorks'that "are• likely:to .remain--.lbng'.in tho repertoire....' For twelve, years from October, 18S5, the late J.' A. Delany wielded'-the - baton, and was heartily with tho enterprising conimitteo in sending to' Melbourne for Mrs. Armstrong (Melba). iAt that time tho Liedertafel assembled at the Protestant Hall, where, to accommodate all the subscribers, the same concert wa9 : given on consecutive evenings, and in this way Mrs. Armstrong' appeared' on December 22 and 23, singing "Qui la Voce,". with "The Bird that Carao in Spring" and "Dear Heart" as encores. As, so., many... people imagine ■ that the world's soprano of-the future was not-then appreciated, it is.'of interest to note that the critics-. of that date : remarked that "she created a: furore:": Two nights later the youthful singer appeared in the■ "Messiah with -the. Philharmonic Society at the Exhibition Building. It was in that building that Delany's "Captain Cook" cantata, written by P. E. Quinn, was-proposed. Mr. Alfred Hill, the New Zealand composer, directed tho Liedertafel from 1898 until the accession of th« "present :conductor, Mr.. W. Arundol i Orchard (who alsofwcnt from New Zealand), in 1902. ■ V '.■ . ,\ . ■ :.. '■■:.-■■;: . . The Name of Melba. ',':" ■ ■, : , ~■','.,..'':'•'. : From '.a , v Sydney "". correspondent- , Madame ilelba .received the, following letter:— ■:. - ■ "Madame, ; -TW following may be of interest, if not already known to you:—The'general impression is that you were,'the; first to" coin or usei tho.name 'Melba,' :butj curiously enough, somewhere about the middle of tho 18th contury the name 'Hirundo' Melba' was given by Linnaeus in his 'System of Ornithology' to the Alpine swift. I say ouriously, because no one sefittis to have the' faintest idea whence lit »ot the word, or what ho meant by it. 'Melba' is not Latin (except inform), nor is it Greek; and it could hardly, have , been taken from the name- 'Melbourne,', because (leaving the city, oi , conrse, out of : consideration) the great Lord Melbourne (the second Irish- viscount) was born a year after Linnaeus died, and the 'System' was probably written before the titlowaj in existence. Kuskin, who was an authority on,words if not on birds, mentions this swill in 'Love's Meinie,' and commeats (excusably, sinte his preface bears' the'date 1881) 'lyhat "Molba" means, or ever' meant, .1 have nc conception.' ■ . '-.'• . "For the rest, it is pleasing to add that the Hirnnio Melba, however it came'by. the latter 'lm!f of its name, does its modest , .best to deserve it, as all- atithori ties agreo, that it is pre-eminent-among birds for tho graceful ease and-power of :its: flight." . .' ■.--. , ■ ,Notes, '■;, ."■"-■.-' " : , ... ; ■;■..;'.: Madame Melba has arranged tomake'hei reapjiearanoe at C'ovent {Garden," London, in Verdi's "Otello"—an opera for which she has a great affection. ■ Signor Giovanni Zouatello is to sing and act the part'of tho Moor oi Venice. Zenatcllo 6ang for. sovcral' years on the operatic stago as a baritone. Hβ is now in "tho first (light" as a robust tenor, upon whom the niautlo : of tho trumpet-voiced Tamagno'nas, fallen. .. :'. A prospective opera called "Trilby," founded on Du .Manner's famous novel, tho book to bt by Mr. Harry B. Smith, and the music bj Reginald de koven, has been purchased in advance by Mr. Oscar Hammerstein, for production at "the Manhattan Opera House, probablj with Miss Mary Gaden in tho title role. Th< contract signed by Mr. Bammorstoin and Mr, do Koven calls, for tho delivery of the work during tho autumn of 1910. Mr. Smith, it is said, has gone straight to tho- Du .Mauriei novel, rather than tho existing. play, for his libretto, in order to permit tlio introduction of effects which-will give Mr, de Koven greatci opportunities. , . .;■/•. Wagner enthusiasts . have risen in protesl against the municipality of Lucerne, which has decided tp.-puU-down tho composer's residence, the VillavTribsch'en,' and: erect in 'its stead t> station-for Zeppelin airships. .' '■■- Pad«?ewsl:i has. received the.Cross 'of.'pflicei of the French Legion of Honour. . It,is said that only- two- other musicians ■ have received such an honour without first being .made a chevalier inoroly. They aro Liszt and Rubin etoiiu