MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2564, 11 September 1915, Page 9

MUSIC.

TBx TBEBLB CLBf/1 Orchestral Society's Concert. Wellington has a duty to perform on Wednesday ovening nest. Aftermuch trouble and tribulation the Wellington Orchestral Society has been resuscitated from the dust, and an attempt Is to be made to placo it on a permanent footing for all time. There is no reason why Wellington should not havo a permanent orchestral society, _ and there is every argument strongly in favour of its existence. "With Mr. Bernard F. Pago as conductor its new lease of life should bo a long one, but it must be tho public who will .make it so. Orchestral music is the most delightful iorm of music and without it, a community lacks one of the finest sauces which the dish of life is flavoured with. The programme is to bo graced by the playing of Schumann's A Minor Concerto for the pianoforte and orchestra, with Mr. Arthur Alexander, the brilliant New Zealand pianist as soloist. The first movement of the conccrto only will bo played, but as this movement was first written by Schumann as a fantasia for piano and orchestra, and the other two ' movements wore not written until two years afterwards, it is a complete work in itself, and is, moreover, the finest work extant for piano and orchestra, tho score being a very full one for orchestral, and seldom is tho soloist left to himself. There is one notably magnificent cadenza, leading without a break into a brilliant coda that extends to' the end. It is about twenty years sincei the movement has been heard iu Wellington, and for the loan of the ; orchestral parts tho society :is indebted to Mr. Robert Parker, under whose baton it was last performed in Wellington.

A Hymn-Composer's Livelihood. From the Los Angeles ' 'Evening Herald". (San Diego telegram), June 19, 1915' "Clayton W. Pierson,' hymn composer, was sentenced. to serve two years in San Queutin Penitentiary here to-day on a charge of passing spurious cheques and fleecing telephone i girls out of their savings through promises of desirable employment."

How Orpheus Cot Through. When-Orpheus went through the Dardanelles as official .musician with Jason in his quest of the golden fleece ho had as hard a time getting through as the Allies appear to havo' to-day. Apollonius Rhodius says that "when they came to the strait of the winding passage, walled in with beetling crags on either side, an eddying current from 'below washed up against the ship as it went on its way, and on they went in grievous fear, and already on their ears the thud of clashing rocks smote unceasingly." •We are told that, after the ship got through, the'rooks closed up tight and remained shut, which piece of information was evidently inspired by the proGreok sympathies of the writer. ' The hymn to Phoebus which Orpheus, the son of .Oeager, sang-after the straits were passed, had a distinct reference to the long hair of the inyentor of the lyre and the prototype of many modern performers: ■ "0 be gracious, ever be thy,hair uncut, ever free from hurt, for thus 'tis right.'J I It is clearly contrary to classical precedent for a musician to get lis hair cut. His refuge is baldness.

Facing, the Musio. 1 Harvard men, we are told, are hearing organ recitals of classical music to fortify themselves against- tho ordeal of final examinations.. ■ Not long ago -a "model fanner" of New England installed talking machines that sang "Celeste ' Aida" . and "Carmen" while the cows wero. milked, and a higher percentage of butter fats' and oasein was the lucrativo result; Perhaps the Harvard mentality finds that these "herd melodies are sweot,".or perhaps it: requires the ' more '■ sophisticated subtleties of Mas. Reger, Schoenfcerg, and Kicliard Strauss to turn cxaminations into one .grand, sweet song. ' In any case, music is-admittedly a therapeutic agent of potency to the mind diseased or for the lesser ailment of ordinary brain-fag. In many an asylum for the mentally deficient there aro bauds 'and choirs among the inmates, and imported concerts are heard with attentive pleasure. So there is hope even'for the erudite Harvard undergraduate, that 'I3ie "Pathetic Symphony" or the "Sonata Appassionata" or the- "Sakuntala" overture may bridgo the gap betwixt-liis flurried preparation under the midnight tantalum and hisacadomio degree.—Philadelphia I "Public Ledger."-',

A New Catholic Musical Society. His Holiness, Pope Benedict XV, has been pleased to give'his official recognition to a new society of organists and choirmasters, called "The Saint Gregory Society of America, ad mentem Constitutionis Pii Papae IX." Tlio object of the new society is to conform to the prescriptions of Popo Pius X in his Motu Proprio of November 22, 1903. Some of the aims of the new association are: 1. To promote the adoption of the Gregorian Chant and of polyphonic and modern church music in the form and by the means suggested in Motu Proprio. 2. To foster congregational singing according to'the spirit of the Church. 3. To regulate the use of tlie organ and other instruments according to-canonical laws. 4. To establish a summer school where in struction . will- be provided in all branches of sacred music. ■ Notes.

. Mr. Ernest Toy,, an ex-Australian, who has charge of the violin department at tho Lafayette Conservatory of Music, Indiana, • "U.S.A., •• is booking many important engagements for the coming season. He will be playing concertos with the Minneapolis and Indianapolis orchestras. Toy -has been approached by the director of the Indianapolis Conservatory of Musio to spend a few days each' week teaching at the Conservatory. . The death is reported of Dr. Cummings, an eminent English musician, .at the ago of 84 years.. He did valuable work in collecting into book form the works of HenTy. Purcell. As a young n.au he was a notably fine tenor, ana as far back as 1847 he sang in Mendelssohn's "Elijah" at Exeter Hall, London, and received tho personal congratulations of the composer. He was the adapter of the welll-known Christmas hymn, "Hark, the Herald Angols Sin"" (based on Mendelssohn's "Fostgosang"). Mark Hambourg was appearing in recitals in London early in June. The Russian's success was as great as ever, and the Queen's Hall was filled- on each occasion.

American papers chronicle tho death of Mrs. Rose Bauer, of Portland (Oregon),, a noted singer,, and Signor Riccardi Lucchesi, the Oalifornian composor and critic. Joseph Holbrooke, the English composer, is paying a visit to America. By tho last English- mail I received somo excellent postcard portraits of Miss Rosina Buckmann (the Now Zealand soprano) as Clio Cho San in "Madame Butterfly," in which role slie made a success in London. I still 'have 'treasured memories of her Susuki in tho same opera. The latest "Musical Courier" sliows a portrait of Camillo Saint-Saens, tho eminent French composer, arm in arm with Sousa,_ the "March King." The visit of Saint-Saens_ to America has stimulated several singing societies to perform his opera, "Samson and Deli-