MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1509, 3 August 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

(Br Treble Clef,) Male Voices Wanted. Mr. Robert Parker said in tho courso of his valedictory speech at the farewell concert in St. Andrews's Schoolroom a lew nights ago that one of his chief difficulties had been to get young fresh voices—particularly malo voices, mid that he had had to depend too much on middle aged voices for some time past. Ho could have gono a little further and still kept within tho bounds of truth, for tho Union's chorus has been below par for some years, and the fact has been pointed but by tho critics on more than one occasion. Mr. J'arker's candour was one of tho best features of the most interesting speech which ho made last week. For instance ho freely stated that on occasions performances had not come up to his ideals and results ho had looked for hail not been achieved. , Quito so! Ono has only to recall "Tho Golden Legend" concert to realise that tho standard of performance was not a high one—was not nearly as high as tho one conducted in the Opera House in tho festival of 1893 when Wellington, was not nearly so largo a city as it is today. But that does not dim the lustre of the pioneer -.work he has dono in tho art of music in this city. He is a sound musician, an excellent teacher, and his knowledge of the lore and history of music is profound. His lectures on music subjects are pure delight, and his verbal annotations at rehearsals, vioned with subtle humour, are a feature which will long be remembered by those who have sung under his baton. His appeal for male voices' is a timely one. The younger Reiteration are hardly aware of the pleasure .they are missing by not being ablo to "sing a hit" though niniij- hundreds may have really excellent chorus voices. Choral singing' opens up a new world both of occupation ami thought, it .very quickly teaches the receptive young man or maid the essentials of music and how to sing at sight, ■ and. opens up tho glories of tho great composers to the view.

Firm for Qaulily. If tlic lnursio lover would pause to think—ami a great many tlo—lhov would perhaps realise that where the 'firm of J. ami. X. Tait is concerned they have no n?ed to concorn themselves at nil respecting any doubt as lo the quality of tho artist or organisation. Tliey havo proved over a period, now wearing well on into the second decade, that they touch nothing hut what is really the highest quality. Ono has only to recall' .as many of those artists and combinations of artists which the Tails -have brought to Xew Zealand. Take for example, Paderewski, John Gerartly, Mark Hambourg, Leonard Berwick, Kubelik, Hecrmali, Percy Grainger, Hattcnbach—what a group of instrumentalists! - There is nothing meretricious, nothing secondhand, nothing not quite first-class in each case. Then as\ ro sinners, instance Clara Butt, Charles Santlcy, Kennerley Pumford, Ben Davies, Calve, that delicious person Margaret Cooper, and now wo arp to hear Madamo Kirkby Lunn. Ono has only to. con these names over to thoroughly grasp the fact that the Tails aro always on the look-out for the best that is offering, and if they cannot get the. best they accept no other.

"The Children of Don." Tho'London "Times'' gives little encouragement io thoso responsible for tho creation, of the' new grand opera "Tho Children' of Don" (music by Mr. Holbrooke, book by Lord Howard do Maiden), founded on some ancient and involved legend in Saxon mythology, and pro-' duceU at the London Opera House on Juno 15. Says tho. "Times":—"The Children of Don" was produced at the London Opera House on Saturday night before an audience who received it with expressions of goodwill. Its reception must dispose once and for all of (lie theory that tho public condemns English opera unheard, for though the house was by no means full, tho audience, which' included a great number of musical people, .listened sympathetically and patient-, ly to tho end. Nevertheless, this production has probably been the most scvero blow which the struggling causo of English opera has sustained for many years; for whatever may bo said ill praise of the ingenuity of the librettist and tho composer, the fact remains that in spite of a production on which all possible caro had bceu expended, and in spite of the fact that the score had been placed in tho hands of one of the most experienced conductors of tho day, the wliolo thing was quite unintelligible lo all who had not spent some hours ci' preliminary Study upon it. There lies the crucial test of aa opera; the action on'the stage must give the outline of tho story, tho words must tell us all thoso things which action cannot convey, tho, music must deepen the emotion beyond 'the power of combined action and words. "The Children of Don" breaks down in the first of these conditions. During .two-thirds of the opera there is no action at all. The characters walk on, talk to one another, ami go away again, and there is nothing even to stimulate an inquiry as to what it is all about. The words'are declaimed in such a way that one often catches quite unimportant details with unforgettable distinctness, while the reaPturning points of the stpry are allowed do drift past smothered in urchestraiion or so badly accented as to be inaudible.

"L'Enfant Prodigue."

Music-lovers who follow as best thev can in this corner of the earth, the march of events elsewhere will be interested to learn that Debussy's 10-niiiiuto opera or lyric scene "L'Er.fnnt Prodimio" was produced in Sydney for the first time in Australasia on July 20 by tho Quinhin Opera Company, which bracketed "this powerfully interesting work with Huniperdiuek's "Hansel andGretel." In the course of its criticism of (lie opera, tho "Daily Telegraph" said:-

"When the curtain ascended, revealing a beanlifal En-tern picture, (he shores of a lake surrounded by loftv palms, Lia stood in (ho centre of the stage, pouring out her soul in the mournful crv, 'Azaoi, wherefore didst thou leave mi?:-"* In these ejaculations-of despair. Miss Agnes Nieholls realised the depths of emotion with certainly and conviction. She was thoroughly artistic at. the meeting of mother and son; tho appeal to Heaven to spare his life was pathetically realistic, and the dramatic note of joy at the pardon of the wanderer thoroughly genuine. Mr. Allan Hinckley, commanding in presence as the patriarchal Simeon. A'zael's father, made a deep impression by his dignify, and by the solemnity ami reverence of his prayer for inspiration as his erring son knelt at his feet. Mr. Spencer' Thomas, in the title role, as the famished and haggard wanderer, limping forward on bis pilgrim's stall', and suing for pardon from his parents, acted with earnestness and feeling, and sang commendablv. His demeanor as Azacl, forlorn ami dejected, as tho strains of the village festivities were borne to his cars, was quite convincing. The beautiful duet between mother and son, in which (he jubilant note is so aptly struck, was delightful."

Notes. Tsehaikowsky's symphony "f'raneoseadi Kiinini" was played for the first time ill Australasia by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, under .Mr. Joseph 'Uradlov, on July 20. Liza I.ehmann has written a duet to Shakcs>'-'aro's words "How Sweet the Moonlight" (from "The Merchant of Venice''), which is being featured in Loudon by Madame Clara liutt and Mr. K.eilr.erley llumfcrd,