A PLEA FOR RUSSIAN, COMPOSERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 37, 12 August 1905, Page 13

A PLEA FOR RUSSIAN, COMPOSERS.

The fascination exerted by Tschaikowsky's "Fifth Symphony" on its introduction here by the Sydney Amateur Orchestral Society, under Signor Hazon, draws attention to the very scanty knowledge we possess in Australia of Russian composers famous in their own country (says a writer in Sydney Morning Herald). Relatively a good deal has been heard of Tschaikowsky, whose Symphonic Pathetique, "Casse Noisette" ballet, and Fifth Symphony, as well as many of his songs, and tho cantata, "Nature and Love," have all been performed in this city. Yet absolutely nothing has been introduced of tho many works of Glazunoff, a favourite Russian composer, now only in middle life, who has already produced upwards of 100 vocal and orchestral pieces. Other celebrities of to-day still untried here are Rimsky-Korsakoff and IppoliloffIvauoff, whilst Glinka, whose two great operas, "La Vie pour le Czar" and "Russian et Ludmilia," are the national favourites of the entire lyric repertoires, is also untried. One of the causes for this neglect lies dn a natural tendency to follow London, which has always been unenterprising in art matters when compared with other European capitals. In New York, where an 'absolute independence exists, a Russian Symphony Society flourishes, under the diiection of Mr. Modest Altschuler, with the result that New York amateurs have, become wildly enthusiastic over the freshness, fire, and imagination of the best of these Slavonic compositions. The musical activity in New York, however, appears to immeasurably exceed anything that London can show. During one veek of last winter alone public orchestral concerts were given by the Philharmonic, the New York Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the People's fcjymphony, the Boston Symphony, and Victor Herbert's . Orchestra. Australians may feel inclined to say of the last-named conductor "que diable fait il dans cette galere?" The fact is, that although Mr. Victor Herbert is known only in this country for those sparkling comic operas, "The Fortune Teller" and "The Serenade," his fame in the United States really rests upon a number of serious orchestral works. It was tho arrival of Mr. Edwin Lemare here two years ago that first opened our eyes to Herbert's true status. The English organist pointed out that Mr. Herbert's orchestra in Pittsburg formed the focus of classic endeavour in that branch of art, and that he was an orchestral composer admired throughout the length and breadth of America, though his works had not been studied in England. But although New York has initiated a new departure with its Russian Symphony Society, in the domain of opera, the same complaint is made that we have just been urging against local enterprise. It is pointed out that, because the grand opera season is formed by stars from Covent Garden, the conservative taste of London is slavishly followed at the Metropolitan Opera House. "Der Freischutz" has dropped out of the Covent Garden repertoire, aud is therefore allowed to remain unheard for nearly a generation in New York, although not only is it a masterpiece for all time, but was one of the first operas ever produced in the city (1825). In another genre, Gluck, Cherubini, Boiledieu, and Auber are similarly lost to sight, and for the same unsatisfactory reason. Yet all this time a multitude of operas by these and many modem composers of merit are being regularly performed in Germany, France, and Italy. Instead of launching out upon new, or the best of the old, operas, "Lucrezia Borgia" was revived last season at the Metiopolitan Opera House after a lapse of 25 years. It seems that the experiment is not likely to be repeated, the work, in spite of its melody, proving so old-fashioned that even Caruso was unable to win general acceptance in the role of Gennaro.