MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 9

MUSIC.

(BY Tuebi.ECLEF.) - * i Miss; Amy Castiqsj jv,: ; If' Melba bo Australia's 'nightingale, as. sho has-ofton bben termed, ancl.it.is only permissible''-'for tho continent to claim; olio of tho \ then/ Amy Castleo must ;bo Australia's thrush. Her,notes.aro remarkable for tho samo limpid quality, and'thcir soft vibrancy, oven as are thoso of tho sons bird mentioned. .Thoso who experienced tho 'delight ,of witnessing Miss Castles as "Hadamo'Butterfly " will ''.not readily forgot; ?plo,' Across. tho' littloiibridio in the, glow.',of. a \ Jaiiancse^siinset. 1 Miss ' Castles'.is not. d'onb' with'igrand- opera : yetJ.-*';Sho has acquired a, mild: fever--for it, andintends to- devote 'herself' to -a studyof.many.Jof tho big roles at 'the''termination "of .'her..present'. concert tour,in May next. ~.So: far tho .concerts Miss Castles has jiven in thoAsoutli have been-most.-successful, and all lovers of finished vocalism will look forward to her appearances at' tho Town Hall on March 4 and-6. > •

Miss Castles will bo supported by Mr. Alexander Camphansen, -an operatic baritone,- Herr Louis "Hattenback,'; a brilliant 'cellist, ; and Mr.. William'Conway, pianist. ■ ' ' "C.8.5." en Muslo.-. *; . Mr. Bernard Shaw,, speaking beforo the Musical Association, at the King's' Room, Conduit Street, W., , recently, referred to tho cliango which had como over popular taste, in .regard to music. They woro gradually 'getting in England ,a really, genuino machinery.for tlio performance','of music-and an .-appreciative public;; Oil tlio ono hand 'tuoy' had people-'who, cared for. politics,, horses, and sport, and thoso peoplo formed the great mass of English society and were entirely .different from the.peoplo who fond ofimusic and did not care for politics ior sport,, and very often, did pot caro for rcligion. .One-of the real oddities of tho position was that thcro' was often, more bruto musical.faculty! in tlio lion-musical than in tho musical Englishman.:; He illustrated this by explaining how his, father could vamp oil tho trombone, but knew, nothing about tho classics, while his mother- was very fond of music and could, sing ' Mozart and Beethoven'. So .there were two persons united in matrimony who ,cbccluded each other musically., This c»dition still existed in their midst.,'if they gave a scries of concerts devoted to orchestral Works they would get their cultured-'audience, but let tliem aiiiionuco at;.one. of the ; concerts , the .engagement of Clara Butt or. somo famous 'singer/and invariably, they got a now sort:of audience, The*;-whole atmosphere was entirely ' chinged, .and yet tho people who camo in were intensely'fond of music. "Hp"-looked forward to tlio time when .tlio distinction would gradually cease. A solid body of .culture, they could ;not got until music-'became more popular. There was no reason-why, good' music should not bo .given- in every' town in England; Tlio thing that they must fight for was that all the money-.earned ,by music should go to the endowment of music.

A;; Prima Donna's Christmas Evs. ■!ln 'Sail Francisco' on. Christmas Eve Madain'o Tetrazzini delighted all people, and moro csnccially the poor Italians, by fulfilling , her promise to give h froo perfornianco ill tlio' open air. Fully 100,000 v'ncrsoiis,,. says the London "Daily Telegraph's" San Francisco corrcsponde|it,' crowded the Vstrcots 'in the neighiiourliood. of Lotta's Fountain to hear tho diva sing. Wraps and umbrellas weri left at home, . becatiso itlio' evening was iust as mild as a July night- in England. Grcoii fire was burnt from the windows of the houses when Madame Tetrazzini appeared 011 tho stand - near tlio fountain, and sho was cheered to tho .echo. .'Madame Tctrazzini ■ fang "The. Last Rose .of--Suni-iner," and the waltz , song in "Romeo imd Juliet," and the ijicat .audience roared ; its appreciation. She was heard-to snlendid advanta"'-- by the assembled thousands. A fine orchestra played, and a vested choir sang old English, cajrols.