MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1114, 29 April 1911, Page 9

MUSIC.

(By Tiiedle Clef.) Seusa on Musioa! Husr.bug. In music as in everything clan there is a groat deal which can ho aptly characterised by the lain W. E Gladstone's expressively coined phrase "tommy-rot." In his "Ideas on Music," John Philip Soiisa, the famous "March Kins" (lives vent to some straight talk on the ques-t-ion. Ho says:—"There is a good deal of. humbug in the theory that certain hoys in music represent definite ideas. Tonal pitch itself Ins undergone such great changes during the- past hundred and fifty years that a key that- would be considered trite and commonplace fifty years ago, would now- come under the head of 'soft and veiled.' The theoryis tantamount to that of facial expression. It depends entirely upon how you look at it. 1 remember reading of a celebrated actor who was making faces, expressive faces, expressive of the different emotions for the education of a pupil. He wrinkled his forehead, dropped his jaw, corrugated his checks, and assumed a most puzzling expression of countenance. Then lie asked the pupil what he thought his face indicated. The answer was, 'Why grief, of course, sir!' 'Oh, no, my boy,' replied the actor, with a disappointed air, 'my faco was intended to portray the very extreme of ecstatic joy.' Following out this lino of reasoning, would-be musical mystifiers will tell you that G flat is heavenly while that some other key in the scale is horrid. The abstract in music expends altogether upon your point of view. All is entirely a matter of association of ideas. There are some effects which easily interpret themselves, but not many. Anyone can t«;r the difference- between a dirge and a paean 9i victory, but when it comes to defining an avalimcbo or some other great commotion in nature, the- fall of a brick houso represented in music might answer for a thunderstorm or an earthquako or a- cyclone, according to the interpretation of the listener." Music in Hawaii' Mr. Ernest Kaai, the musical director of the Royal llawaiians, now Riving pleasure with their concerts in Melbourne, speaks with animation of_ the charm and variety of social life in Honolulu. Ho states that the population is now about 45,000, of which the Hawaiian race represents exactly one-third. Music is greatly loved there, and he himself conducts a Hawaiian glee- club of 75 voices, the characteristic of which is that all the members, whilst singing, play their own accompaniments, generally on the ukulele Mr. Kaai, who is head of a school of music, the principal class in which includes 38 pupils, die - much to invent and improve tho instrument in question, which is shaped like a very small guitar. It is light in tone, and lias no bass to it, but lends itscli agreeably to accompaniments. It is easy to play, and as some facility upon it can bo acquired in a week tourists flock to Mr. Kaai's studios to learn it. The national music embraces love-songs, i serenades, songs to the flowers, ballads and vivacious dance themes, but nc [ comic songs. Humour is not considered as capable of expression in music—in which respect tho Hawaiians show sound judgment. Mr. Kaai explains that European music was first introduced in the island 35 years ago by Captain Berger, ; a German miiitary bandmaster, who j formed tho Royal Hawaiian Band, which he still conducts. A writer in c 1 Melbourne paper says that lit ' heard this band plav tho overture to ' "William Tell" in" September, ISS6, when the rendering, as a whole, was excellent, and the incidental fluto solo was brilliantly played. ' Ribhtcr Retires. Hans Richter, the great conductor; | and one of the world's musical lights, has retired, partly through ill-health ' and partly through a desire to speiu: , more of his time in Vienna and Berlin, [. Every man in Europe who holds a baton ' acknowledges the greatness ofßichter. Many times during tho past twenty , years the man with the mild personality I and the authoritative style as a musi- [ cian has been admired and honoured as the prince of conductors. Richter it was who popularised the performances of Wagner's operas in London —the per , formauccs in German. Apart from his 5 association with grand opera at Coveni .Garden, Dr. Richier was the conductoi for ten years of tho Hallo Orchestra ai Manchester When tho Hallo Concert Society was formed in June, 1899, aftei s the death of Sir Charles Halle, tin guarantors approached Dr. Richter. A' ' that timo Dr.* Richter was .not able t< free himself of his engagements ii l ' Vienna, but in June of tlio following '" year a contract for a term of fin years was signed. The "born leader ol " men" was to have conducted a "Hallo' !l concert for the last timo at Manchestei j: on March 23. Dr. Richter will probabh i retire to some quiet place m German.i l ~ or Austria, whero lie can devote him 3 > self to literary work.

Poverty a Crusher. Richard Strauss does not believe that poverty is good for composers. He himself is rolling in wealth. To the American composer and pianist, Ward Stephen, ho accorded an interview last summer, during which, as recorded in the "Pictorial Review," he was asked: "Do you feel, Herr Doctor, that you have given to tho world your best work, or may wo look for greater things?" Tin's seemed to amuse him. "Why should I feel that way about it? Why, lam only forty-six now, and have hardly begun my life's work. In fact, it is only when a man is free from any thought of money matters that he can give "all of himself to his art, and as l~have said before, that is what I hope to do very soon." "It is very evident that you do not believe that poverty is a good thing for the artist born?" "I do not; it frequently crushes the best in a man. Worry alone is enough to kill a sensitive man, and all thoroughly artistic natures arc sensitive." Now I had heard that Strauss was not very indulgent with the struggling composer; in fact, that ho refused to even look at manuscript sent to him for inspection. Ho denied that by saying:

"A great ninny manuscripts are sent to me, and if I were to give a careful analysis of each cue I would have no time' loft for composing. Ido glance through the larger works, and if any real merit shows itself I look through it carefully and return it with a letter, often making suggestions. More than this." he went on to say, "could not he sxpected of me. as I am not a proofreader for others."