MUSIC IN ENGLAND

Evening Star, Issue 19197, 13 March 1926, Page 15

MUSIC IN ENGLAND

SEARCH FOR A HEW FORM RICHARD STRAUSS AND THE FILMS. Sir Wolford Davies is a composer of rare originality and charm. In Great Britain lie has long had a reputation second to none as an organiser and choirmaster (writes Dio ‘Argus’ correspondent). But millions ol his countrymen know Walford Davies as a lecturer, equally good in informal i a Iks by wireless or in set discourses mi the lecture platform, and best of all when he is goading a reluctant audience into ranking itself heard in sonic communal singing effort. Addressing flic Society of Musicians, Sir Walfnrd Davies gave a delightful appreciation of Die genius of Gustav Holst, writer of ‘The Hymn of Jesus’ and the lovely ‘Choral Symphony ’ of 1925. Sir Walford Davies described the present musical age as one of seething adventure, of enterprise and experiment. “Musicians,” ho added, “are not busy putting finishing touches of boauly on some accepted form like the madrigal or the sonata; they are busy quarrying for new material, without losing the wistfullonging for heavenly perfection.” THE VOCAL CONCERTO. This dictum raises the question whether modern musicians have not gone rather lar from “ ionn ’_ in then search for musical inspiration. Air Ernest Newman, the critic, lias made an interesting suggestion that composers should apply themselves to a now form —the vocal concerto. By tins Air Newman means a vocal composition akin to the concerto for piano or violin, and taking a similar place m the scheme of an orchestral concert. When Kreisler appears at an orchestral concert lie plays a self-sufficing work, whereas a singer has practically no work of major importance which necessitates an orchestra. low head have been orchestra ted, and m any case they would only represent a group of short, miscellaneous songs. _ As Mi Newman says, Wagner-wrote his Five Poems’ as a unity, hut the ‘ Iraumo is so immensely superior to the rest that it is usually sung alone, and the complete work is forgotten. Jhe ncaiest thing to the voca concerto of Mr Newman’s imagination is the operatic scena, and ho cites Beethoven’s early ‘Ah, perfido!’---dating from about 1796. This consists of an instrumental prelude, a recitative in which the abandoned lover calls upon the gods to punish the faithless one; an ana begging him to return; and, finally, a recognition that any appeal will be in vain. Beethoven, however, came to the, conclusion that the scena, ‘Ah, Faithless One I’ required a curtain, and therefore was semi-theatrical, whereas Air Newman’s vocal concerto would be specially devised for concert representation. If Somervell’s lovely song cycle, ‘Maud,’ bad an orchestral setting, it would fulfil most of the requirements. Air Newman’s suggestion is the more interesting, as it emphasises the inspiration which all artists find in a set form. STRAUSS’S KULTUH FILM. Another interesting musical possibility is film-opera, which Dr Richard Strauss is testing at the Dresden Opera-house, where his knltur film, ‘ Dor Roscnkavalier,’ lias just been produced with great success. The stage action of the pictures and Strauss’s operatic music are perfectly fused, though the sequence of the pictured scenes is necessarily very different from that of the opera. The scenario of the film being much more complicated than the story of the opera, new

music has been added, and the whola is rearranged so that each group_ of pictures synchronises with familiar musical motifs. Where no suitable music was available, Strauss composed new passages based on old motifs, the additions including a battle scene and a ballot suite. The film version _ of ‘ Rcsenkavaiier ’ has a happy ending, the. princess relapsing into the arms of her lover, instead of being left’in loneliness at the curtain-fall. Humperdinck's ‘Miracle’ film was an early essay in making a synthesis of screen action and first-class. music, but the success of Strauss at Dresden shows there are immense possibilities before the new art form. The ‘ Rosenkavaier ’ film will he presented at the Strand Tivoli, London, in April. STRAUSS AT HOME. Strauss lifts settled in Vienna, where ’m is living in a, magnificent new house, specially built by the architect Michael Uosenhaur. Nearby is the Belvedere Palace, built by iMnce Eugene of '■avov, and lately the homo of the Areh'duko Franeis'Ferdimind. Strauss’s st home, a Hat in Mozarlgasse, was o noisy, but the new house _is surrounded by a garden on all sides, so ic traffic of Vienna will not disturb " composer at his work. In gratitude to tho State for having granted him the necessary land, Strauss presented the manuscript of ‘ Rosenkavalier ’ to the National Museum, Vienna. Tho ground floor of the castle—it is much more than a town house—-is occupied by the composer’s ,i)ii, Dr Franz Strauss, the father livhig on tho first floor. The large study lias a dark blue timbered coiling, and one wall is covered by a vast tapestry representing Apollo. ‘A Holy Family,’' by Tintoretto, hangs on another wall. Oddly enough, there is no piano in the room, though there is a safe containig Strauss’s manusm’pUs, Next to the study, however, is a little room with a desk and a piano. It is hew that composition will bo done. Strauss’s next job is tho completion of :is opera ‘ Egyptian Helen.’ He is at work upon the second act. ‘ Hosenkava'licr,’ by the way, will not bo ueard during tho coming season at Oovont Garden It is too expensive. Even the Court auld family, which is financing the coming season, does not •are to risk Strauss's opera. When every sent was sold there was a financial loss upon ‘ Rosenkavalicr ’ at the time of its first production at Covent Garden, if is suggested that a few special performances might bo given, with stalls at figs each and other seals in proportion. SIR THOMAS BEECH AM. It 'is pleasant to welcome Sir Thpmas Beechara hack to a conductor’s chair in London. At the Queen’s Hall he conducted a symphony concert, which included Brahm’s ‘Violin Concerto ’ and Beethoven’s ‘ Second Symphony.’ This symphony, with its lovely slow movement, represents the culmination of Beethoven’s achievement before he broke from the methods of Mozart and Haydn. It was given with splendid spirit under Sir Thomas Boeeham’s leadership. Among the modern works chosen by Sir Thomas was ! In a Summer Garden,’ by Delius. Apart from his gifts as an Interpreter music and loader of the orchestral team. Sir Thomas has a biting humor, io was recently conducting in the Midmds, and the programme stated that tho opening piece would be Berlioz’s ‘ Carnaval Remain.’ At the last moment Beccham changedthe piece to Wagner's overture to ‘ Tho Meistersingers,’ and when the applause broke out at the end of tho piece he bowed his acknowledgments. Then he added wickedly, “Now, with your permission, ladies and gen'Lewn. we will play tho work you think you bare teardl” ,