A MUSIC JOURNAL'S JUBILEE

Evening Star, Issue 19713, 14 November 1927, Page 12

A MUSIC JOURNAL'S JUBILEE

“Of ail the magazines devoted to the art of music, ‘ Musical Opinion ’ most certainly ranks amongst the best.” That is the acknowledgment of Air Arnold Bax in his letter congratulating the paper on the attainment of its jubilee, and in the jubilee number of 12G pages appear appreciative letters from twenty-two other leading musicians, including Sir Alexander C. Mackenzie, Sir Frederic Cowen, and Sir Dan Godfrey. The writers quoted represent views that are common amongst Eng-lish-speaking people. Even in faraway Dunedin ‘Musical Opinion’ is subscribed to and read with interest for its news, for its advocacy of music as an art as distinguished from music as the means to a living, and for its intelligent and sound criticism. In this issue of October, 1927, is printed a great, mass of current information as to recent doings. It is stated that at tho 207th meeting of the three choirs of Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester, “ the orchestral playing was the poorest and the choral singing, the best of recent years,” and reasons are given for that pronouncement. Another item is as to Chaliapin. Upon his first appearance in Vienna tho people were surprised that in ‘ Boris’ Jus famous big tones were missing, it being overlooked that his singing was part and parcel of the complete representation of the character; hut on the following night, in ‘ Faust,’ he gave Vienna all tlio big tones it wanted in his Alepliistoplieles, aud more, for Chaliapin,. angry 'with the conductor’s tempi, stepped before the footlights and began boating time for the conductor, Herr Carl Alwiu. Oho more extract: To the effect that 100,000 singers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland will he assembled at Vienna for the Schubert centenary next year, and that a concert hall to seat 60,000 will be erected in the Prater.