MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1019, 7 January 1911, Page 9

MUSIC.

» —: —- (By Treble Clef.)

Losnoavallo's New Opora.' - Tho new opera composed. - by. Leoncavallo, "Malbrouk at tiio War's,"- has been heard in Florence, Home, . and Naples, and reached Paris last month. The hero, Malbrouk; is described as a sort of Captain Bombastes, who, to judgo from tho dresses, seems to have flourished in tiie spacious stagey days of coats of mail and chain armour. According to the Paris cerrospondont of tho London "Daily Telegraph," tho work represents the first' essay of tho composer in opera boufi'o, but its fault is that there is not enough boull'o about it. Its main quality is tho solidity and seriousness of its score. A little more fun might possibly, in a work of the sort, havo pleased just as well. Tho composer has introduced parodies of Rossini and Wagner for a joke into his score, but- tliey are described as not ! extremely humorous. Musically, the best role is, that of Malbrouk a >typical comic Italian baritone part. His itrcmendoiisrfurioso style,, . his grand ; warrior manner, his truculent jealousy, are good burlesque. Dramatically, tho best two parts are-those of a grotesque ■chamberlain and an . amorous ducnuii.

Cast of Tuition In Cormany. ' "i'wentv-iivo years ago," ' says - tho editor of tho "Etude," "it was possible to go to oiio of the big German music ccntres and secure instruction that was really .first-class for three, four, or fivo marks an hour. Now wo find, in a recently .published' schedule of tho prices of tho leading teachers of Berlin, that five, six, and eight dollars a lesson arc by no" means extraordinary. Indeed, wo find on this very list tho names of teachers who havo taught- in , Amcrica for two, three, and four dollars an hour charging doublo in Berlin. Of ono tiling we may bo sure—these .teachers are not tho ones who depend upon.tho German public for their •, pptronago'. No ; their patrons are almost' entirely Americans, tho very peoplo'who boast of their Yankee common-sense. If a gentleman of Chicago, Detroit, or Cleveland were asked to pny double or treble for a basket of American potatoes solely because these, potatoes bad been permitted to basic in tho Teutonic atmosphere of' a German music centre, lie would soon denounce tho transaction as an outrage. But ho will send his daughter three thousand miles to buy music lessons which sho might havo' bought for half at her very door."

Sinsing and Art. After learning to reason, you will learn to sing, for you will want to. There is so much reason for. singing- in this sweet world, when one thinks rightly of it. None for grumbling, provided you havo entered in at tho strait date. You will sing ail along tho road then, in a little while, in a manner pleasing for people to hear. The first great priuciplo we havo, to hold is that tho.owl of art is not to amuse; and that all art which proposes amusement as its end, or which is sought after for that ond, nuist bo of an inferior, and is probably of a harmful, class.

Tho end of art is as serious as other things—of tho hlno sky, and the green grass, and the'clouds; and the dew. They are either useless or they are of much deeper function than giving amusement. Kvery well-trained youth and girl ought to bo taught the elements of drawing, as of music, early aud accurately.—Ruskin,