THE MUSICAL WORLD

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 261, 31 July 1937, Page 7 (Supplement)

THE MUSICAL WORLD

By

C.J.M

Stars in Their Courses. When confirming the news a few days ago that Lawrence Tibbett ami Kirsten Flagstad, the Wagnerian soprano, had been engaged for tours next year. Mr. Arthur Tait, of J. C. Williamson, Limited, also stated that Richard Crooks and Yehudi Menuhin were due buck in Australia mill New Zealand in 11139.' J. C. Williamson's were also negotiating for visits by such artists as Elisabeth Bergner.

An Interesting Revival. The harpsichord is returning to favour in 1937 London. The harpsichord, with its clear notes of lavender and old lace, and rosemary and memories, tiie harpsichord, with its fascinating clear tone, yet penetrating, ringing back to tiie years of the 16th. 17111, and early ISth century. But it is a harpsichord that gives more possibilities of variants of tones than tiie old English ones that used to be played by the belles of the 16th and 17th centuries, which is bringing about this revival. It is a modern French instrument — with two keyboards and seven pedals, against the two keyboards. and two pedals of the old English harpsichord, and with a hammer instead of the quill tied by a pig's hair of its borbear—that has been fascinating iistellers and concert-goers these last few months.

They have heard it over the radio and been intrigued. They heard Toscanini use it at his first concert this season at the Queen's Hall. They have heard it at Covent Garden, and they have heard it through television broadcasts —and each time they hear it they want more of its fascinating timbre. Don Cossack Choir To-night.

To-night the famous Don Cossack Choir, under the direction of Mr. N. Kostrukoff, will commence a series of performances at the Wellington Grand Opera House. The first ambition of Nicholas Kostrukoff, the founder and

leader of the choir, was to become a milling engineer. His studies, however, were interrupted by the Great War, and before it was over he was old enough to serve for nine months in his Cossack regiment. Afterward lie spent some lime in Bulgaria, going on from there Io Prague, in 1919. where he once more joined an engineering school. It was while lie was studying there, in 1922. that his future vocation began to make itself evident. Always at heart a music-lover, his strong personality presently attracted others of tiie same lastes, and it was not long before he found himself conducting a choir of voices among Ills fellowstudents. His enthusiasm and hard work, coupled with the loyal co-opera-tion of his associates, eventually brought success such as none of them bad ever dreamed about.

Occasional public performances were arranged, ami at one of them fate, in the shape of a visiting impresario (who had looked in casually to hear what the students were doing), set the seal on all their destinies. An invitation to give a series of professional concerts in the neighbouring towns was the first turn of the wheel. So great was the success of the choir that eventually it became necessary for the singing students and their young leader to consider seriously what they were to make of their future careers. Music versus engineering. Medicine. Law and so on—which was it to be? A brilliant concert at Vienna in 1926 —quite historical for the brilliance of its success—finally decided tiie issue. Thereafter there was no room for doubt. The official founding of tiie choir took place that year, under the patronage of the President of the Czechoslovakian Republic, M. Masaryk, and of M. Benes (now his successor), then Minister of Foreign Affairs. Since then the students have travelled through all the countries of the world.