MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1704, 22 March 1913, Page 9

MUSIC.

riiY Treble Clef.l Miss Nora D'Argel. Miss Ivora D'Argel (who, some eight or ten years ago, was .Miss Nora I/ing, of Wellington) is making considerable headway oil the grand opera stage. At latest tutrices sho was the prima donna of tho Quinlan Opera ' Company, which played a season in Dublin in January la-st. This fnUc' engenders the hope that tlio young Now Zealand singer, who has climbed higher than any otlier vocal artist New Zealand has yet produced, may visit Australia with that company next vcar. 'Writing of licr Marguerite in Faust," "Freeman's- Journal" said: "Miss Nora D'Argel, was an acceptable Marguerite. Greater Marguerites havo failed bring out as clearly as sho'that touching-note of sadness which underlies' Gounod's musio of tlio ga'rden scone. The trill and rising inflection of the Jewel Song, were very neatly executed, and tlio introductory 'King of' Thule' was charmingly given. Tho most delightful part of. her ringing was that of Marguerite at tho windoiY calling on the voices of nature; It was bMut.iful_ and pastoral. Gounod is tho iiymphonist here, and all the orchestra united with tho woman's voico in . the expression of/love, innocence, and liiclatiicholy. Throughout tho garden sceno .it was the singing tholt 'made its appeal. In the church' and ' street ' scenes, and, abavo all. in tho. prison scene, Miss D'Argel showed a, dramatic quality that was hardly expected of her, so much, had phe given herself to song in the earlier • apnearane'e."

Of her Gilda in "Rigoletto" the ciitic of the "Irish Independent" said: "Slight and frail of form, Miss D'Argel looks the part of Gilda as weli as sinps it. and, as a result, invests tho character with greater completeness of charm than it has possessed for many years .past. .She is unusually well equipped as a vocalist.'' Her voico is of rare beauty, round and even, and its use, guided by the best princiule3 of tho vccal. art, is well night perfect It was not necessary for her to wait until tho famous aria of "Cara Nome" was reachedbefore she could produce' an imprtesioni oii lj.er 7;Sho created an atmosiihore the.moment slio stooped upon, tho stage, for it was recognised that her presence, her slight figure, and childish mien and^.,stature were a 1 complete realisation of the-character of tho preciouslygudrdpd ■ daughter of ' tlio Jester. Her operatic powers display ' some ' weakness, 011 the purely dramatic sido,. but, she-is youthful, and experience is yet 'to bo ■gained, so tha'i it v is possible to anticipate much."

"The Queen of the Riffs." Under tho title (tentative) of "Tho CJueen of tho Iliffs, Mi\ Alfred Hill's light opera, "Tho Moorish Maid," was sung at tho whit'o rooms of tho Savoy Restaurant. London'-(for copyright purposes) on Tuesday, January 28. . It will 1» remembered that.this opera was successfully played throughout Now' Zealand alxiut livo or six years ago, and that it caught t'liocnr of Mr. Ctmmnghani Brid'fonran,. of London, who deemed it worthy of the London lyric stage. Tho cast of this performance (a private one) was as follows:—Don Cazelio, Mr. Arthur Hoyd; Gastro and <Ali Mahomet, Mr. Reginald White; Elferino. Mr. Montague Bonvcll; La Zara, Miss llofina Buckman Cwho played the rota in New Zealand); ITnshma, Sliss Evalyn Altli.ms: Meua, Miss Jessie Rose; Usa. Miss Eveline.Matthews. Miss Irene Asdailo presided at tho piano. . . :

Over 120' guests were present, including Lady Plunket, Sir Joseph Ward, and all tho big ;ncn in the musical world (states a private letter received by' Mr. E. J. Hill, of Wellington). "Miss Buckmann was in good voice, nnd received a great reception, anil both tho tenor nnd baritone rcero splendid. 'Jlie artists all gave their, services free, and the wholo performance turned out vory satisfactory. You cannot shako Mr. Bridirman's faith in' tho opera nnd in Alfred Hill. Ho is doing all ho can to push Miss Btiekmann along. She is doing well at Home, and has just signed a contract to appear ut Covenl' Garden next seawn. She had a ereat reception at the Qu""n J s Hall last Saturday week, when the Telegraph" cuid:—'Tho feature, of tho afternoon was tho singing of two Maori songs !>'- Miss Buckmann (which is saying u lot)."

Referring again to '.'Tho Oueen of tho Riffs." ' the. letter says—'"Tlio musical people are all raving about it, and $ay ill's the host thing heard since Gilbert and Sullivan." , Excitable Germans. According to an Australian student who is now in Germany, tho Berliners aro not altogether abovo reproach in their behaviour at tho opera. It is quite a oommon practice, ho says, for tho people in the front rows to stand up from their seats when tho curtain rises, and thus obscure tho view of those behind. These latter vent their feelings by hisses and "sitzen" (sit'down)—which in itself sounds very much like a hiss—and other forms of objurgation. But it appears to be of no uso, and eventually those who aro prevented from seeing havo to stand up too. With tho Wagnerian operas, lasting in some cases flvo hours, musio under such conditions becomos, even to. enthusiasts, something of a trial.

Bpoaking of Wagner, tlio eamo correspondent remarks that in. Vienna it is quito a common occurronco for pcoplo to bo taken out of tho theatro suffering from hysterics. On three different occasions this happened, and, as our informant, wlio'is of tho fair sex, remarks with somo significance, "on cach occasion tho subject was a man." Whether this is meant as a hint that women liavo greater nervo controlin musical matters than men'is not made clear.- But it may bo remarked that, tho neurotic student abounds on tho Continent. Ho it is one sees in tho. Prater at Vienna with his hair a la Beethoven; in Budapest aping tho manner's of Liszt, and in other art Centres exhibiting similar imitative characteristics. And' it is probably from such that tho hysterical outbursts commonly come.

Notes. Tho fact is not generally known that tho of Canterbury has it in his power to create doctors of music. But such is tho case, and tho Primato has just exercised that privilego by conferring tho degree of Mus. Doc. Centuar on Mr. E. 11. Thome, organist and choirmaster of St. Anne's, Solio. ■ Or. W. G. M'Naught. and I)r. (i. R. Sinclair are among other musicians who liavo been similarly honored in times past. These degrees, according to Grove, are a survival of the.aiicient rights of tho occupant of tho see as Legate of tho I'ope, and tho privilego has, it seems, been contested at various times from tho thirteenth century downwards by tho representatives of the universities.