MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1539, 7 September 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

[Bγ TnEnt,K Cu;i\"| Kh'kby Lunn in Melbourne. Madame Kirkby Limn, the inuch-heralil-cd pontrulto, nia'de her Australian debut in Melbourne before a crowded Town Hall on Saturday, August 2k In its notice of tho concert, the. "Argus" said :— The prinia donna began with SaintSacns's ■popular ario, "Softly Awakes My Heart." In tho singing of this sho disclohcl a voice of rich, even quality, ami one of groat range; she allowed also a mastery of the technique of vocalisation, and a thorough knowledge of the musicianly requirements of plirasinj; and tonal changes. Yet it' cannot be eaid that the singer wholly captured her audience with this preliminary display of her powers. Perhaps it was that, tho sons—a rather commonplace thing at best—has been done too often, and'overdone. Maybe, also, the shallowness of its sentiment with a sincere artist precludes-anything-like a proper display, of the finest, qualities, and so led in tins case to an absence of atmosphere. All tho same, it cvokcil loud applause, numerous recalls, and, finally an encore, Loss-en's "All Soul's Day," a tender bit of song.writing, so expressively sung as to call for another audition, "jock o'. Ila7.okle.an." Iu her eecond selection, however, them

was something of altogether different order. Brahms is said to bo caviare to'the' multitude,'and probably, ho is—like every other great 'composer—when poorly done, lint there was no question that tho multitude liked him in the three selections given by JLulamo Kirkby Lunn. They were "Von Ewiger Liebe," "Sapphisclie Ode," and "Dcr Schmied." So great was the impression that tho second had to l>e repeated, and the last followed by Schumann's superb setting of Huckert's "Du Meine Seele, du Mein Herz." In doing these Madame Kirkby Lunn disclosed her real gifts. Her first selection had been ordinaiy; her second was extraordinary. Second-rate music she can sing effectively; in music which sounds the depths of feeling sincerely and convincingly she is an artist of vory high rank.

Her most characteristic* quality is, paseibly, her reserve. In certain phrases she miglit almost be said to proclaim the triumph of reticence. She gives her hearers plenty of tone, but not too much; just enough .to quicken the hearing,.and set the mind following the purpose behind the tone. In her handling cf a melcdy, too, frho disdains tho "booming" method and the obvious, with the result that when (he work done it is. worthy. There is presented a eonliuu.nl play of changing cniothn. When tlii.i emotion happens to deal with works of the liedor order—those intimate personal confessions, in which the German wears his heart, not on his sleeve, but enshrines it in his music —the feeling is never strident; it moves and imprests, but without ever taking one into the shouting regions of the tennational. Let it not be thought that Madame Kirkby Luiiu lacks power of toiK , , or the ability lo tin-ill with climactic outbursts: She very decidedly has both, villi many more things which she will disclose in hsr later programmes. Furthermore, she crv.i, when sha likrs, bring out notes of glorious quality, while her ability (o carry on a crescendo to its proper issue was manifested more Hum once with conspicuous success. In the main, however, Madame Lunn will, by those win hold out for purity of tone and artistic presentment, bo "most admired for such artistry as she gave in the Sapphisclie Ode"—the pianissimo ut-thoeml was something to remember— and the other Brahms's songs, to say nothing of her finely-thought-out performano3 of Schumann's "Hidmung." The Laic Mr. Coleridge-Taylor. America's meagre list of musical composers of prominence will i:<> weakened by the untimely death of Mr. Samuel Col-eridge-Taylor, the Afro-American musician. . ■ . ■ So far we only know ilio deceased, by his "Hiawatha," and a song or two, but in the euntala mentioned, hi' displays anadmirable facility for melody of an entirely original vein, and a capacity for colouring his themes faithfully in harmony, with (ho first of the P'lL't's I ir.es. The work has bk'ii performed in Wellington on two occasions and each performance lias incrta'cd the respect for (ho composer: It is smnewhal. of a coincidence 1 lint (lie Hoyal Choral Society of Wellington have at the present time Mr. ColeridgeTaylor's new cantata "A Tale of Old Japan," which has been adjudged a success iu America. Mr. J. Maughan. Barnett is highly pleassd with (lie work, which he thinks will become popular when known. '. Miss Bosina Bnckmann, (ravelling Homeward, writes from Colombo as follows:—"Had a lovely time so far. All well—voice doing nicely. Will write from London." A paragraph in an Australian paper announcing the return lo Sydney of Mr. Spencer Clay, says that Miss Buckniiinn will probably bo a member of tho John M'Cormack Concert Company next j-eara