MUSIC AND RECORDS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 35, 4 November 1933, Page 19

MUSIC AND RECORDS

(By

C.J.M.)

New Zealand Girl's Success. The following is an extract from the "Corriere di Milano” of August 10. the leading theatrical journal of Milan, reporting on the first appearance in Italian opera of Miss Violet Bartlett, of Palmerston North. Miss Bartlett’s stage name is “Cara Milva.” “La Cara Milva is a soprano lirico leggcro (defined abroad as a coloratura soprano) of unmistakably successful future, proof of which has been given by the triumphant debut she made as prima donna in ‘Lucia di Lainmerinoor.’ All the local and provincial newspapers were unanimous iu acclaiming her an actress and singer of tiie first rank. For instance, the 'Popolo Valtellinese’ wrote: “The opera was sung by the distinguished artiste with wonderful ability; she was recalled after every act, and at the 'Mad Scene,’ which she sang and acted with vocal and dramatic power, she received such prolonged and enthusiastic applause that she had to rejxjat the famous ‘Rondo.’ “Her limpid and crystalline voice and the facility of her perfect uvula enable her to give out the wide range of her voice iu notes, smooth, pichettate, trillate. rich with . tiie purest and most bewitching sound, so that Cara Milva cannot fail to attain the greatest and well-merited success. “In less than two years la Cara Milva, under the learned and patient training of the very well-known Maestro Marcheselli (the distinguished and noted Director of Orchestra), has had the prodigious gift of learning a very

difficult repertoire embracing 'Lucia di Lammermoor,’ ‘Rlgoietto,’ 'La Sonnumbula,’ ‘Il .Barbiere,’ ‘La Trnviata.' ‘Manon’ (Massinet), 'Faust.' ‘Pescatori di Perle,’ ‘La Boheme,' etc." After a short stay in London. Miss Bartlett has returned to Italy, where she is to appear as prima donna iu “Rigoletto” and “La Traviata.” Before leaving New Zealand for Italy. Miss Bartlett studied for three years under the well-known teacher and voice producer. Rev. Mother Liguori. of St. Mary’s Convent of Mercy, Wellington. A Great Trio. Miss Av:i Symons, Mr. George Ellwood. and Mi'. Gordon Short have long been recognised as among the outstanding solo artists of the Dominion. As members of tiie Synions-Ellwood-Siiort trio, however, they have been so successful in suppressing the purely solo prominence, that their performances have always impressed one by virtue of the unity of their musical thought and spirit. The unusual blending of tlieir tone and what lias been described as the Continental subtlety of tlieir tone and elasticity of rhythm has always aroused the highest praise from critics and audiences. Competent local and visiting critics have stated authoritatively that this trio would grace any European capital and would further enhance the musical reputation of the Dominion abroad. The large and enthusiastic audience which greeted the valedictory concert of this trio at the Concert Chamber last wook provided ample evidence of the high esteem in which it is field by lovers of this exclusive form of chamber music. It is to be hoped that the cessation of activities by this trio, caused by the early departure for Europe of Mr. Ellwood, will be merely temporary. The musical season in Wellington, in the meantime, will be the poOrpr by its loss. During (be eight years of its activity, the trio has maintained tiie highest ideals of programmes and performance. Over fifty trios, ranging from Beethoven, to contemporary composers, have been played. With assisting artists, such notable works as tiie qiiintets of Schubert, Brahms. Cesar Franck. Dvorak, and Dohnanyi have also been given. Many of these works wore broadcast from the 2YA studio during the first years of broadcasting and made the reputation of the Symons-Ellwood-Short trio known throughout the whole Dominion. Tetrazzini Re-created. When Tetrazzini heard the voice of her friend Caruso, which had been recreated by a secret process from old prewar gramophone records, ringing out again in a London studio, she was deeply moved, and asked with tears in her eyes whether the gramophone company which hud been responsible for transforming Caruso could bring her voice back to her as ii was in her prime. Engineers set to work, and by introducing a new .irehestral accompaniment and treating the old discs to their special process, produced a new record of the great soprano's voice, recorded at rhe time when she stormed London 25 years ago All the freshness of the Diva’s vo'ee has been preserved, and Tetrazzini is said to bi delighted with the result. “Sweet Music” Comes Back. Mr. Henry Hall, (he 8.8. C. dame bund conductor, who has been holiday ing in a busman's sort of way in the. United States, is back in England with his head full of new tunes. He was greatly impressed with the theatre orchestras in America, which lie describes as "superb." and found that "sweet" music, such us is usually played over here, was still more popular in America than the “hot" kind popularis ed by the negro bands from Harlem. Mr. Hall, like so many visitors, was definitely not impressed with the American system of ‘hiring the air." which may lead to a concert or an Individual number being interrupted by a nasal voice breathing forth the virtues of semebodv's shaving cream ■ Reuter, special to "The Dominion."

Vienna and Its Music. In Vienna (writes the New Zealander, Mr. Trevor Fisher, in "Music in New Zealand”), one hears little Bach and less Handel, plenty of | Mozart, and Beethoven, and Schubert, and Weber at their best; the romantics, especially Wagner and Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler; the new works of a few moderns, chiefly Ravel. Stravinsky. Hindemith, I’rokoffief. Before, there was a great deal of Schonberg, now hardly any. Cesar Iranck Is represented by his violin Sonata, Sibelius is practically unheard of. Strauss is well represented, both by the Philharmonic and the Opera. The Opera, i indeed, compensates for the lack of breadth in the concert world by offering one of the largest repertoires in Europe—Verdi and Puccini and Rossini ; Gounod. Massenet, Saint Saens, Bizet, Wagner (all his operas, even Rienzi 1) : Moussorgsky. Tscimikowsky. Smetana, Strauss. Pfitzner, Berg. Lortzing. Johann Strauss, Offenbach; Haydn. Mozart and Beethoven. It is a tragedy that Vienna should be deprived of the resources so necessary to an active musical life, for of iRI Eurojiean cities it is the one best adapted to a musical life, the one that can definitely claim a musical atmosphere. Tiie keenest activity of modern times takes place in Berlin. London and New York, which are the happiest hunting-grounds for great virtuosi. London is asserting a vigorous native musical growth, whereas New York is chiefly a place for celebrity concerts. Berlin claims an unrivalled constellation of pianists and conductors and opera singers (some of whom, however, are now banished for being Jews). Paris seems to be the home, of exiled Russian composers. la?ipzig maintains its great Bach tradition, but the Gewandhaus concerts have lost Bruno Walter, just as Dresden has lost Fritz Busch (who. although not a Jew. and no j*o]itical man. had a severe difference witli Nazis, and is now conductor of opera iu the Argentine). American Ban On Foreign Artists. A movement is afoot iu America to place a ban on foreign concert musical artists, says the "Musical Leader,” which paper claims to have exclusive information that a group of influential men. interested iu the development of American music and musicians, is endeavouring to secure recognition for American artists, and is planning to take drastic measures to ban foreign artists from their concert platforms. Quietly hut decisively, this group is going ahead to interest the Government in an endeavour to promote the welfare ot' the musicians in the U.S.A, who for years past have suffered from the foreign influx. The “group” is only following the lead of European countries. England, France and Germany have excluded foreign, especially American, artists from the concert stage, and, ns far a* possible, from the opera; also from cafe, cabaret, and hotel programmes. “If the proposed ban is in force for two years.” says the ‘‘Leader.” "we shall be able to develop American talent. No longer will the students cry. What's the use, we can get nowhere; Hie foreigners have everything.’ "Clubs, colleges, schools, universities and local managers over tiie country who engage inferior foreigners will probably come to a realisation that there arc musicians in the United States who are quite as efficient as the importations. Wc have in mind a mediocre Russian soprano Who Ims been engaged by universities and schools for their entertainment courses. She has received a big fee, while our own singers can’t get a hearing. “Tliere are few. very few. whom we would bo sorry to see boycotted, but it is a ease of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number,’ “One drastic measure the ‘group’ proposes is to ask the Government to refuse passports to foreign artists, who are taking hundreds of thousands of dollars out of this country. ‘Necessity urges desperate measures.’ “Foreign artists spend no money in America. They buy their clothes in Europe. They leave this country immediately after their season closes. When George Bernard Shaw called us ‘boobs.’ he was not so wrong when it comes to our adulation of foreigners.”

Attention was recently drawn to tin! fact that the British Music Society headquarters in London had hud to go out ot' existence owing to lack of funds. This in itself did not affect the various “centres” of tiie society which have been formed throughout the Empire Each was free to carry on as an independent entity if it wished to do so: and ninny centres are continuing. Tiie honorary organising secretary of tiie Sydney centre (Miss Shadforth Hooper) announced a few days ago (says the musical editor of the "Sydney Morning Herald") that the opportunitv has been taken to reorganise this body along new lines. For some time it has been subject to a certain amount of criticism, because, although calling itself the “British Music Society,” it has presented a good deal of music of other nationalities. Now it has put itself beyond the reach of such criticism by affiliating with the International Society for Con temporary Music, and adopting as its title “The British and International Music Society.” Tiie I.S.C.M. (as the International Society is usually called) is regarded with considerable respect in Eurofte. Each year it holds a festival on a large scale, in 1931 the festival was at Oxford ; in 1932 at Vienna; and this year at Amsterdam. Miss Hooper hopes that some day a festival may be held In Australia, but the expenses and the time needed for travel to this far-off country will have to be reduced considerably before this happens. If a festival really were held here, the ultra-modern character of the music played would considerably astonish and agitate local circles. Already. Miss Hooper remarks, an exchange of music with foreign countries (which is to he an important activity under the new regime) has brought some extraordinary compositions from Holland and the Argentine. The works by Arthur Benjamin and Rov Agnew which are being sent in exchange will seem intensely academic iu comparison. The recent appearance at the Sydney Town Hall of the “Choir of 1000 Voices” draws attention to the careers of the three choirs which have amalgamated temporarily to form it. The Royal I’hi'harmouie is the oldest society in New South Wales For -IO years it Ims performed "The Messiah” annually, and it has been a training ground for a number of well-known singers, such as Miss Elsie Findlay. The Welsh Choral Society, which now has 200 members, has been in existence for 17 years, and the Hnrlstone Park Society for 18 years. When the present conductor. Mr. Vivian Peterson, took over Hie hitler it) 1927 it had 30 members Now there are 150 This societywon (he State championship last year at Cessuock