WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 June 1924, Page 13

WORLD of MUSIC

NOTES AND COMMENTS. The selection of ‘‘Our Miss Gibbs” for the next perforniance of the Operatic Society is a good one that will be very popular with the whole of the music-loving public, A very good chorus has been enrolled under Mr 01ierenshaw, and although only a proportion of the scored have reached Hawera, he has had a few good practices which show that prospects are of the best. The chorus is making fairly good headway, to the satisfaction of their hard-working and enthusiastic conductor. it is generally found that in all societies a chorus or an orchestra will respond and play up to the standard of the leaders. The Male Choir Committee are to be commended on their enterprise in connection with a performance of choral work. It is, however, unfortunate that just when they wish to get all the singers possible the other society are put on the same errand. It is doubtful if Hawera can provide two good choruses unless a fair number sing in both.

The Male Choir have done much good work during the years, since their initiation, and Hawera, musically and in other respects, owe a very great deal to the pioneers who, with the long vision and keen interest that are essential to the initiators of any enterprise,, had the courage and enthusiasm and perseverance to go ahead ; nd went from one success to another. One’s thoughts naturally turn to the n an who perhaps moire than any other, by his aid in management, and by his personal work, was responsible for success, the late- L. S. Tarrant. He was an enthusiast from the first, ami until ill-health obliged: him to desist, and a useful choir, member through the whole of the period. It is hoped that in their projected choral effort they will secure keen support and he able to add one more to other lists of successes. People of Hawera were exceedingly glad to welcome hack Maida Hooker, one of those brilliant students who have gone forth to carry the name of Hawera wide on the field of fame. It is safe to say that Hawera is much better known, in the Old Country too. cause of the fine work done by Miss Hooker and the other young 'musical artists who after taking high honours in the Dominion, have been selected by visiting Home examiners to carry on their studies in London, and have been heralds to. carry abroad the name of Hawera for Taranaki and for this Dominion. It is worthy of note that Mr Alexander, under whom Miss Hooker studied at Home, is a Dunedin boy, who left thd Dominion about eight years ago, after securing, we believe, the gold medal awarded by the Associated Board for best work done in their test examinations, and who has been since pursuing his studies in London.

It must have been a most inspiring service, at the Empire Day thanksgiving at "Wembley, said to have been the largest organised religious service in the history of the world. What a wonderful uplift it would be to be present at that service and hear a choir of 2000, with ! a band of 1000, sing the fine anthem “Let us now praise famous men,” while the huge crowd joined with in singing well-known hymns. " Tnjly, it would have been great to be there. CONFERENCE OF MUSICIANS. The conference of professional teachers, held in Wellington last month, was a very important and interesting function, which is certain to hear good fruit. The attendance of over 100 included most of the leading musicians of the Dominion, while apologies were received from most of those who could not attend. It was most fitting that the first president should be Mr Robert Parker, of Wellington, who was one of the pioneers of musical art, and perhaps has done more for the cause of good music and for the maintaining of the profession on a high plane than any other man in the Dominion, The Bill for registration of professional teachers was the most important matter considered, in which the compulsory clause created most argument and discussion, and at length it was decided by a substantial majority not to pres® for this: clause. The other very important question was that of “music in schools,” a subject very dear to" the heart of the popular president, and in which he' has done a great deal to improve standards. Nothing but good can come of the movement for improvement, and that is where most care should be taken.

It is interesting to note that in speaking on the subject Mr H. Barry Coney, of Auckland, said he considered the first thing to be taught in the schools was rhythm, for, he added, there was no music without rhythm. ETHEL. OSBORN. Miss Ethel Osborn, a high soprano of phenomenal range, proved at the Sydney Town Hall that she also possessed the essential quality of charm, and may be recognised, indeed, as a singer certain to make a, name for herself (says the Sydney Morning Herald). In reality, her phenomenal high notes are mainly of value as a curiosity. Her only Australian rival in that respect during the past thirty years has been Miss Ada Colley, of Parramatta, who ultimately settled down to a vaudeville career, and sang popular ballads an octave higher than the original keys in London and the provinces for several years.

Sydney audiences are frequently generous in their support of any singer of remarkable vocal gifts, and there was an immense attendance. Miss Osborn opened her evening with “Caro Nome.'’ presented in the' silvery tones which characterise her voice, in alliance with 1 a thoroughly well studied interpretation, closing: on a sustained E natural in altissimo. The enthusiasm led to the addition of “Ardent gl’ Incensi,” the principal theme in Lucia’s “Mad Scene,” with flute obbligato by Mr Victor McMahon, who kept carefully with the singer in the long cadenza. Miss Osborn again pleased connoisseurs (though she has yet to acquire a more definite “shake”), and closed clearly on the highest E flat. The applause led to a second encore number, a nightingale song of plaintive character, by Rimsky-Korsakoff. Later in the evening, the successful singer contributed a group of five songs. Mention may be made of Saar’s “The Little Grey-Blue Hove,” with a “coo, coo, coo,” in which the singing exactly imitated the smothered timbre of the bird; Peterson's “The Kookaburra,” which had to he repeated twice; the imitation of the chuckle, preceded by the bird-like gurgle,” and ending in little staccato whoops of delight, bringing down the house, and, fin allv. Gawds “The Nightingale’s Trill.” This was charmingly given with a wonderful “A” in altissimo at the end. Here the encore

was Linn Seiler’s “Butterflies.” Half a dozen other numbers represented an almost imprudent generosity on the part of Miss Osborn, whose oral gifts included a. painted kookaburra framed in wattle blossom. CONSERVATORTUM ORCHESTRA. A truly magnificent orchestral programme was submitted at the Conservatorium last week (says the Herald), when the central event was the performance of the Eroic-a Symphony. Beethoven accepted the idea of a work in honour of Napoleon Bonaparte (whether from General Bemaclotte or from Kveutzer, the violin-player does not now matter) before the election of the military genius as Eimperor led the composer to erase the name witah the remark, “After all, then, he ie nothing but an ordinary mortal .... who becomes a greater tyrant than anyone!” Beethoven’s first two symphonies were influenced by Mozart and his contemporaries, but this third effort marked the opening of “the new road,” as he called it, and commentators assert that- each of the movements says something never said before in music. It is further recorded that the Funeral March on the death of a hero (adagio assai) anticipated the Emperor’s decease, since on hearing of it in 1821 Beethoven observed, “I have 'already composed the proper music for that catastrophe. - ' The programme opened with the overture to “Der Freisc-hutz,” hearing the datequoted above. This is one of the three great works (completed by “Euryanthe” and “Oberon”) which formed an epoch in the progress of opera, and raised Weber to the front rank of operatic composers. The overture presents various themes adapted to the stage-action, but these are now unfamiliar to our audiences, except l:*v concert performances, as tli© opera is rarely heard. Of recent years it has been 'put up at the Metropolitan, New York, but was made tedious by the libretto. Rameau’s Ballet Suite from his fourth and eleventh operas, “Les Fetes d'Hebe,” and “Platee,” as well as the Prelude to Act 111. of “The Mastersingers,” were included. The resuscitation of orchestral concerts under _ Mr. W. Arundel Orchard's baton is a great event in Sydney’s musical record.

AGED CZECH COMPOSER’S TRIUMPH. Leas Janaeek, a 70-year-old Czech composer from Moravia, is reported to have made a genuine success with his opera “Jenufa,” written by him 23 years ago. This work has just been produced at the Berlin Opera House, and is expected to reach the New York Metropolitan at the end of the present year. Janaeek has used a tragic folkdrama . of Slavic village types in Bohemia,. The tragedy of the love story is sordid, but the music is en-< trail ciugly melodious, with Slav rhythms which fascinate. VIOLIN CONCERTO BY CONUS. At Mischa Dobrinski’s concert at King’s Hall, Sydney, that Russian violinist gave_ a special interest to the occasion by introducing here for the first time the “E Minor Concerto for Violin” by Conus. This composer was born in Moscow in 1862, and became a pupil both of Arensky and Sergius Taneiev. He thus belongs to the period during which Russia gave to the world _ Liadov, Ippolitov-Ivanov, Grechyaninov, Tcherepin, and Stravinsky, of whose music something is already known in this country. As in the case of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tsckaikowsky, and others, Conus composed but one concerto for that instrument. It was frequently performed in Petrograd and Moscow, and was pronounced by Glazounov and Professor Auer a notable Russian work. SYDNEY PL4NIST IN ENGLAND.

Miss Bessie Beattie, a brilliant piano soloist of Sydney, who gave up con-cert-room work, and was for many years accompanist at rehearsal for the J. G. Williamson management, is now in England. Miss Beattie coached Rosina Buckman here in studying opera in 1912, before the latter became a celebrity, and was assured by the soprano during her recent tour that work for such a pianist could be readily found in England. Accordingly Miss Beattie left last August, and founjd an engagement as accompaniest to a touring party awaiting her about a fortnight after her arrival. The principals were Florence Austral (Australian operatic soprano), William Murdoch. (Australian pianist), Albert Sammons (violinist), and Norman Allin (basso). In January of this year Miss Beattie joined Miss Buckman and Mr Maurice D’Oisley as accompanist and soloist on a Welsh tour, and was encored with enthusiasm after her group of solo numbers. Since then Messrs Lionel Powell and Holt’s famous concert agency has taken her in hand, and she was booked by them for several engagements during March, including an appearance at Manchester. Her sister, Eileen, for several years past has toured Great Britain, America, and Canada with Isolde Menges. THE YOUNG MOZART.

One hundred and sixty years have passed since Mozart arrived in London. The Coliseum is celebrating the occasion with a shortened version of “Don Giovanni,” in which Miss Olive Jenkin. a Cornish soprano, will be the Zerlina., and Mr. Frederick Ranalow the dissolute' Don. On. this first visit to London Mozart lodged in Cecil-court, St. Martin’s Lane, within a stone’s throw of the site of the Coliseum. He played before George 111. and Queen Charlotte, who gratified bis father with a present of 24 guineas. “The King placed before Woldgang some of Handel’s and Bach’s compositions, all of which he played faultlessly.” Mozart was then eight years old. The very clavichord on which he is said to have played will be used at the Coliseum. KREISLER IN NEW YORK. Fritz Kreisler played at Carnegie Hall on a recent afternoon to a spldout house (says the New York Times). That goes without saying, for wherever be goes, be it east, north, south or west, JVtr Kreisler draws the multitude. Mr Kreisler has done more than any other violinist to popularise, in no derogatory sense, the literature of the violin. His principal offerings were Greig’s Sonata in G minor and Tschaikowsky’s Concerto in D major. The antithesis of each other, representative Scandinavian, representative Slav. Mr Kreisler gave them their individual and racial interpretation tempered by his own warm medium. The scherzo by Dittersdorf was particularly enjoyed, and Coltenet’s “Chanson” belonged to the more unhackneyed numbers. There is always a difficulty in

allaying the thirst of the public for encores from their favourite violinist; this time Mr Kreisler got off with- five, which almost doubled the length of the second half of his programme. CARILLONS. SUITABILITY FOR MEMORIALS. (By Rupert V. Markham.) Sir Henry Barraclough, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Sydney, who recently returned from England, has brought back with him some very interesting information concerning carillons and their suitability for war memorials, for the use of the Sydney University War Memorial Committee.

Whilst in England, Professor Barraclough visited the famous Taylor Bell foundry at Loughborough, and heard a special performance on the local carillon, including Chopin’s “Funeral March,” which he says was played most impressively by the bells. The Loughborough carillon is thp leading carillon in the British Empire, and is said to surpass in richness of tone even the celebrated Continental carillons. The individual hells vary in weight from 4\ tons to 201 b. The complete Loughborough carillon cost £20,000, of which sum £10,500 was spent on the tower.

Sir Henry Barraclough says that it is believed that the Loughborough memorial is the most perfect in existence, and the bells give a compass of four octaves chromatic. It is thought that sufficient space is available in the University clock tower for the installation of a large carillon, and if subscriptions to the Sydney University War Memorial Fund ultimately allow of a carillon being purchased that would he virtually a replica of the Loughborough one, it is certain that in a very few years Sydney would be known as one of the most famous musical cities in the world.

At the present time the largest carillon in the world is to be found at the Rotterdam Town Hall, and this costly carillon, the princely gift of the Van Qmmeren family, is one of the greatest attractions of the city. The Rotterdam bells were played for the first time on New Year’s Day, 1921, and the carillon consists of 49 bells, having a scale of four chromatic octaves. The three largest bells exceed four tons in weight, and the diameter of the largest hell is 6ft 4in, giving the note A flat, and it weighs 4-} tons. The musical critic of the Rotterdam Courant described the harmony of the Rotterdam bells as magnificent, and after having heard them played for the first time said that “to listen to them is a true and unalloyed pleasure—a pleasure, moreover, which will endure through many centuries.” Sir Henry Barraclough says that the magnificence of the carillon depends upon its big bells, and with modern carillon chimes exceedingly beautiful effects are possible, and there is practically no limit to the music that a clever carilloneur can render. What has been described as a triumph of English bell-founding is the installation at Queenstown Cathedral, which comprises 42 hells, with a clavier, and a compass three and a half octaves chromatic. The hells are perfectly tuned to equal temperament, and the largest bell weighs 67cwt, while the smallest turns the scale to onlv 131 b. Every bell in this great carillon has five sounds, gradually toned to a single vibration, and the complete carillon, being toned to equal temperament, permits of them being used in every possible key, in exactly the same way as a piano. In this respect it may he mentioned that in most of . the old carillons this accuracy of tone has always been lacking, so that only certain keys and harmonies can be used by the players with really effective results.

The carillon is played by means of a clavier, on the same principle as the manuals and pedals of an organ, the keys being made of oak. There are two rows of these keys, which are of a round shape, and three-quarters, of an inch in diameter, the upper, three and a half inches long, representing the black notes of the ordinary keyboard, and the lower, six and 'a half inehes long, corresponding to the white notes. The pedals vary from one to one and a half octave in compass; The nedal board is a necessity because the larger hells require more force to bring out their tone.