MUSIC and RECORDS.

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 224, 9 June 1923, Page 20

MUSIC and RECORDS.

By

C.J.M.

British Empire Music Festival. The inauguration of the British Empice Music Festival has been acclaimed with such widespread public enthusiasm that the only remark one can make is: Why did the movement.not originate long ago ? It evidently supplies a long-felt want to the great British music-loving public and a means of co-operation amongst all classes of British musicians. The festival, I understand, is intended to he an annual gathering in honour of British talent from all parts of the Empire, and is intended to be a meeting of British musicians. Here the general public may annually hear all that is best in new British music, whether choral, orchestral, vocal, or instrumental. Realising that music is a safe and great gathering ground, that composers and artists of our own race have not in the past received their due, this effort will seek to redress this injustice. Publicity is the first consideration to enable merit to receive full recognition. It is only a few years since anyone from the British Isles with a voice had to go abroad and pay for foreign tuition, assume a foreign name, and sing foreign songs before they could get an audience in London, and British orchestras had to call themselves by such names as the “Blue Hungarian,” “White Viennese!” and so forth. This is typical of the attitude of mind produced through generations of exploiting foreign talent. British composers have lived under a - cloud, which it is the aim of this festival scheme to lift and disperse. Musical talent within the Empire is to receive the fullest consideration and encouragement.

Music, as much as any other proposition, is a commercial industry. Art, for Art’s sake, by all means, but to put. it successfully before the public, it must—just as much as any other product —be found a market It is not suggested that there should be a tariff on foreign music, but British music has a right to demand encouragement and opportunities for its musicians. The British Empire concerts will be opportune, as not only will they demonstrate British vocal and instrumental capacity, but they will help to further the “get-together” spirit between Britain and the Domiinons. Tho object of the concerts will be to ihaugurato an annual festival of music from all parts of the Empire and to found medals and prizes for the best compositions of the year for voice, choir, organ, separate instruments, orchestra, or military band. Our National Muslo.

' While considering the projected British Empire Music Festival some remarks on the subject of British, national music may be apropos. National music is, as a rule, representative of national ' characteristics. Spiritual, temperamental, physical, and even geo. graphical influences can be traced in music of, many other nations, to eay nothing of the element of history, upon the making of music. Sincerity is the greatest factor in successful music. Great masters, as a rule, win international laurels because they are sincerely temperamental, and consequently make the human appeal to all hearers, no matter of what nationality. Even jazz is sincere, for the originator realised the rhythm which set the terp-

sichorean nerves vibrating and answering to the lilting melody with the rhythmic beating of the drums. Frequently high-flown individuals with no particular musical capacity of their own will decry all British music, using as their sole excuse that it is not like that of certain foreign nations. Why should it be? We are a people with an individuality all our own, and should cultivate our own musical individuality. The soul of a nation is dependent greatly upon the spirit of the women. In India the women of past generations have been subjugated very considerably, with the result that the music of India has lack of spirit, save for the effect of the drums. Take Russian music, for instance, there is always a degree of melancholy subjugation and often despair in the theme except where overcome by the festive spirit, where both dancing and music become wild, whirling, and almost savage.

Italian music, on the other hand, breathes the atmosphere of the Sunny South. Their love songs are aggressive and loud voiced, because the customs of the country tend to segregate the men from the women, consequently, the amorous young man qnxious to tell the too-sheltered lady of his love, waits for a moonlight night, takes out a guitar and by means of song tells her all about it as well afi the whole neighbourhood. If anything goes wrong with the affair, considering that everybody already knows, there in no necessity for secrecy, so that his sorrow is usually expressed at the top of his voice, B flat above the clef (and fortissimo) being his pet note of distraction.

Spanish music also coming from the Sunny South has a special characteristic of its owr. Cajolery, simulated defiance. mingling with the rhythm, seem to express alternately the Spanish and Moorish extraction of the people. Typically French music has a coquetry and subtle flattery all its own.

The music of our own country is a cross between the highly sentimental where love takes on the form of an indirect soliloquy or a direct and tender appeal. While the national spirit in the past was an adventurous typo of song, even to the extent of being somewhat boastful, like “I will return to the girl I left behind me” (no intention of being killed In the fight—mark you I). This probably comes down to us from the Vikings, who also gave us our seafaring and exploring characteristics, together with our inborn capacity to voyage to foreign lands—and return. - -

The music of the North, again, has two types of its own, the sentiment coupled with the martial spirit. The greatest love lyric of the world was written by Bobby Burns —particularly drawing attention to the words: “Till a’ the seas gang dry, my luv, Ar fl the rocks melt wi’ the eun,

I will love thee still my dear, While the sands of life snail run.” people in most parts of the world was people in most parts o fthe world wao “Auld Lang Syne.” “Not for the music, not for the words, but for sentiment.” . . The pipes themselves are ini que for their courage, pride, and “get-together” spirit. There is the famous story of a frontier battle won by a solitary pair;—a piper and a drummer —isolated from the rest of their comrades, who played on and on through the night—making the enemy think that reinforcements were continually gathering.

Interpretation. Some musicians ' think that Bach and Beethoven, belonging to the • remoter classical epochs, should be played severely, and with no liberties in of time, whereas Chopin and Liszt, being of a later school, may be played rubato, which strikes me as an untenable theory. . The freedom you put into your playing is based on your conception of the composer’s ideas. Beethoven himself played his works, we all know, not m strict time but wjth much rubato. Music, in fact, has always been subject to rubato. As for Chopin, works of his that are in the lyrio or the romantic vein seem to me to call for it, while certain of his etudes do not. Good rhythm and strict time are far from l/aing identical, although a pianist find* it anything but an easy task to perform a piece rhythmically without keeping a precisely measured count. Take shading. A good deal like the problem of rhythm is that of shading. You have more of a job to shade your notes than you do to J play them all with equal sonority. Piano playing can truly be described as a difficult art, though I would not say that merely learning to play the piano is difficult. And as for giving your best in performance and placing your music before the public in the most beautiful manner, sometimes you do it forgetting technique, and all other means, and sometimes you fall short of your expectation. Th© mood of the moment exists for both you and your listener. Stray Notes.

The first choral festival. Napier, was commenced in the Napier Cathedral this week when the united choirs of the district took part. The services were well attended and the singing greatly appreciated.

Great interest centred at the Waikato Winter Show in the competition for children’s choirs, which took place in th© main hall of the show last week-end, states the “Waikato Times.” This part of the building was packed not only with children who were anxious to see their own school win, but also with adults. There were two competitions, on© for choirs of 24 voices, for which .there were four entries, and the other for 40 voices, for which the entries numbered three. “Music is ih«» highest art because it is spiritually conveyed.” Eugen d’Albert’s new opera, “Marieke von Nymwegen,” ha? been' accepted for performance by the Munich National Opera and will bo produced there next season. The book, by H. Alberti, treats of a Dutch legendary theme.

Music is a bond of harmony between the people of the empire. In the hour of fellowship, music will blend your spirit with others in unity and understanding.

Richard Strauss, the supreme master of contemporary German music, is i:i*ely heard—or seen—these days outside of Vienna and Saltzburg, his “pet” among towns, cr possibly America and such countries, where the financial allurements are more tempting than in the land of his birth. Nevertheless the manager of the lovely little theatre in Freiburg has succeeded in persuading the composer to conduct a Strauss festival that comprised every phase of his art. And Strauss himself has npt regretted the effort, for he was given ovations such as, according to himself., he has not experienced in his whole life. The performances proved that people got their money’s worth. While the orhcestra, despite augmentations from BadenBaden and Karlsruhe, was not exactly firtt-class, there was. on the stage, a degree of excellence that would have done honour to any large theatre. Two

performances each of “Salome” and “Rosenkavalier” and of the “Legend of Joseph” together with the “Alpensymphonie,” were conducted by Strauss, who was in excellent spirits, and conducted as he does only when he is at his best.

The choirmaster of St. Joseph’s Church at New Plymouth (Mr. P. J. <j».irke) has recently received a very valuable collection of church music, the gift of Mr. Frank J. Oakes, the well-known Wellington conductor. Mr. Oakes was conductor of St. Joseph’s choir when only 18 years of age. He is considered to-day one of the best authorities on church music in the Dominion, and was specially complimented by the first papal delegate, Mons. Ceretti, on his artisio interpretation of some of Mozart’s old worirs Mr. Oakes’s gift is a token of affection for his first choir. At his last concert in Paris with the Conservatoire Orchestra, Albert Spalding, who was the first American violinist ever to be invited to appear with the orchestra, was accorded a triumph. Philippe Gaubert, the distinguished conductor, manifested his enthusiasm by wishing to engage Spalding on the spot to play the Brahms concerto next season at the Conserva--toire concerts.

The prize of 500 dollars offered by the trustees of the Paderewski Fund for American Composers, for the best piece of chamber music, has been awarded to Wallingford Constantin Riegger, of Drake University, Des Moines, lowa, for his composition, a trio tn B minor, submitted under the initials D.M.I.

Make a large place in your life for music, and it will bring you a priceless reward. All the desire of your heart- will come closer as you become attuned to the rhythm and harmony of life.

Regarding the reported find of a genuine Stradivarius violin at Albury, New South Wales, a resident of North Taranaki is the happy possessor of one bearing the inscription “Autqnius Stradivarius Cremonfis, Fnciebat Anno 1721.” The fortunate owner is now considering whether he will-send the violin to London for appraisement by the highest authorities. Tn Bonn three young men, arrested for hooting and hissing at a theatrical premiere, were acquitted bv a jury of three judges, who, Solomon like, decided that “if the public is permitted to express its pleasure by loud applause and stamping, it also is justified in giving voice to its dspleasure through the medum of \booing, hooting and yelling ‘Pfui.’ ” In the hour of work, you will rejoice the strength and energy which music has given you. ■ Oda Slobodskaja, the Russian soprano who will tour next season with the famous Ukrainian National Chorus has gone to Druskeniki, th# fashionable watering resort of Russia, after her successes in Paris in the new Stravinsky opera, “Mavra.” Mlle. Slobodskaja will leave some time in August for her journey to America, coming via Berlin. In the hour of rest, music will uplifht your spirit and give refreshment to every faculty of your being. The result of the plebiscite taken by Mr. E. ‘J. Gravestock for M. Jean Gerardy’s 9th and Anal concert in the Melbourne Town Hall recently proved aii interesting indication of what the musical public want. Of a list of 60 p’eces submitted, Bach's Aria was the most popular, with 490 votes. Koi Nidrei, Max Bruch’s beautiful setting of the old Hebrew Chant, was second with 424 votes. These pieces were followed by At the Spring (Davidoff), Chanson Louis XIII at Pavane (Coupcrin-Kreisler), Chanson Villageoise (Popper), Berceuse (Schubert), Papillon (Popper), Gavotte Ancienne (Popper), Le Cygne (Saint Saens) Romance (Saint Saens), Evening Song (Schumann), Nocturne (Chopin), etc. The concertos submitted included the Elgar, Haydn Concerto, Saint Saens Concerto, and Lalo. The Saint-Saens gained most votes, followed by the Elgar, but as there was an overwhelming preponderance of votes for the lighter compositions, M. Jean Gerardy omitted his customary concerto from his programme.

The city of Munich is, at the present moment, decidedly shorter of music than America is of the forbidden alcohol. One would be hard put to it to buy a half-litre of good music in this city at present.

RECORDED MUSIC Locating Lost overtones. Reinforcement of the harmonics or overtones in the sound given out by the gramophone has been accomplished by Charles A. Valentine, a New York, banker, according to a writer in “The Popular Science Monthly.” Mr. Valentine uses wooden rods as resonators, and as the richness of a tone depends on the number and character of its accompanying overtones the sound can be improved greatly by using the rods freely. The writer of the article compares these resonators to the so-called “rods of Corti,” in the human ear, which are believed to answer a similar purpose. Mr. Valentine’s early experiments, seven years ago, convinced him that the imperfection in gramophones at that time was their failure to develop the overtones, and so to reproduce the actual quality of sounds created by the artist. With the knowledge that instruments and voices embodying the largest number of overtones are the most pleasing and effective, he worked out a system resulting id hia present instrument. He says: “Perhaps the simplest example of resonance is the tuning-fork, which, when struck while held in the hand, produces very little sound, but when set in motion and pressed against a wooden surface, generates a sonorous sound of considerable volume. In producing the sound, the wood acts as an amplifier of the principal vibrations of the tuning-fork. The quality

and quantity of resonance vary with materials and methods.

“Several years of constant experimentation were required before Valentine discovered the best method of obtaining the resonating effect he sought. Then his problem was to arrange the resonating' members to give the desired result. He finally accomplished this by inserting a number of thin strips of specially-treated wood in a metal support called the ‘septum,’ or partition, and attaching the septum to the top and bottom of the soundchamber of the instrument. When the resonator is in position, it occupies the- entire opening of the uqundcbamber. “To pick up all overtones and vibrate sympathetically with them, the resonator must possess members responding to all the principal overtones encountered in musical selections Each of the octaves of the piano is composed of eight full tones and five semitones. Each tone and semitone has its harmonics or overtones, produced when the principal tone is generated. The effect of the overtones 'can be readily gauged by comparing the tone from a piano having only one string with that of a piano having its full complement of strings. The tone from the single string will seem dead compared with the full tone from the normal p ane. The full tone is created when sound vibrations from one string strike against other strings, setting up harmonic vibrations in them.

“In the Valentine instrument from 6-) to 120 resonating wooden strips, depending on the size of the-machine, are exactly tuned to these various tones. The resonators of different lengths respond in sympathy with tones from the reproducing diaphragm, and it, so doing amplify the delicate overtenps that otherwise would be completely smothered by the harsher full tenes.

“The principle of Mr Valentine's machine, while entirely new in musical instruments, nas a near counterpart in the human ear. WJien sound-waves strike the outer ear and are conducted through the outer passage or vestibule to the inner ear, they ultimately strike against the ‘organ of Corti.’ While the exact function of thio organ is not definitely established, many theories have been advanced, most of them based upon the theory of resonance.

“The organ of Corti consist* of • membrane lined on both edges with parallel rows of heavier membrane, known as ‘rods of Corti.’ These rods bend at the top until they meet, thus forming in the angular space beneath, an opening called the ‘canal of Corti.’ There are about 11,000 of these rods in each ear. Helmholtz expressed a belief that the,.rods were attuned to different sounds so as to vibrate in symj,athy with them. Thus, when a complex sound-wave enters, the rods that are properly attuned will be affected by tne component tones and consequently will set up vibrations that are communicated by cells to the auditory nerve.”

Mr. Valentine’s invention is considered by the writer essentially a new musical instrument rather than an attempt to improve existing gramophones'. A special auditorium model, with 160 resonating strips and a large tone-chamber, has been used successfully in a th'Fitre seating 1400 persons. The volume of sound is great enough to permit a pipe organ accompaniment. There is no limit to the size of the new instniment, as it can be enlarged merely by increasing the number of strips, their dimensions, ‘artd the size of the sound-chamber. He goes on: “The pleasing tone quality obtained is partly due also to a wooden diaphragm in the reproducer that reduces extyancous <and mechanical noises caused by the motion of the needle nnd reproducing mechanism. The needfe-holder is rigidly attached to this diaphragm, which slides up and down in an air-cushioned groove, but the tone-arm itself does not move. This feature removes a considerable portion of the weight from the needle m d increases rhe life of the record. Furthermore, the absence cf metal in the tone-arm eliminates objectionable ‘tinny’ sounds. _ ’ “After the grooves in the record are converted into sound-waves by the vibrating diaphragm, these waves pass up through the wood-sheathed tonechamber. As they expand' they are forced to assume a ‘smoke ring’ shape by passing around a tapering wooden core extending the length of the tonearm, which tends, the inventor believes, to mellow the tones. After reaching the end of the tone-arm, the waves, now freed from any of the crude sounds, expand into the sound-cham-ber, where they encounter >he numerous resonating strips. “Each sound-wave is made up of a multitude of single waves, and each of the resonators within the pitch of the tune vibrates in sympathy with a tone voresponding to one of lhe single waves. Delicate but essential overtones that under ordinary conditions would be lost *re thereby amplified by resonance to their correct mtoi'sity.”