WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 July 1924, Page 14

WORLD of MUSIC

NOTES AND COMMENTS. There is a very excellent and varied list of classes in the competitions for this year being run by the Hawera Male Choir. The committee arc sparing no pains in the effort to make them a great success, and they are certain to score the success such a good institution deserves. Mr E. W. Glasson is acting as organiser. Decision on the choral work to be taken up by the Male Choir is held over until August 4. Meantime the choir are working on a programme of their own, and are making steady progress. ■ The performance of the choral work is being looked for with the keenest interest. They are certain to secure strong support. * The work of the Operatic Society in rehearsal for “Our Miss Gibbs” goes ahead steadily and satisfactorily, and good progress is reported. All supporters of opera will wish the committee every success.

Miss Mabelle Esquilant, the New Zealand contralto, who left a year ago to further her vocal studies in Europe, has, in the intervening time, had valuable experience. After hearing opera in London she journeyed to Paris, Milan, Dresden, and Berlin for the grand opera seasons, and of the performances in these European centres she writes in glowing terms. Miss Esquilant went to Rome, and studied for six months under Signor Martino, a master of the first rank in Italy, who was very enthusiastic over her voice. She was present at a great performance of “Salome,” conducted by Strauss, when the theatre caught fire. Before leaving Rome Miss Esquilant was granted an audience by the Pope. Miss Esquilant is now in London studying with Spencer Clay (the eminent coach), who is greatly struck with her work and beautiful voice, which he con&3ef!) exceptional, .and ' predicts for her a notably successful career. It has been estimated by the J. C. \Y illiamson, Ltd., management that dur-' ing the grand opera season in Melbourne, which closed recently, over 211, 000 people attended the operas. It has been a “big” season in every way. Thirty-two truckloads of scenery, etc., have been sent by rail to Sydney for the season in that city,’comprising nearly 400 cubic tons. During the' 12 weeks’ season—-a record run for any city, in Australia —only on one.occasion has the advertised opera been changed owing toillness. Over 130,000 programmes have been issued during the season. Altogether the season has proved a veritable revelation in musical enthusiasm in Melbourne.

“1 believe we have travelled more than any other artists in the world.” says Jan Cherniavskv, the poet-pianist of the famous trio, to a Melbourne interviewer.. “I. feel sure, with all due modesty _ that this statement is correst, Me have toured Africa five times, New Zealand four times, ' Australia five times, China twice, and we have also been to Java and Japan. In'addition, we have appeared in 1 all the principal cities of Europe, India, Canada, South America, and the United States. And now, after a year’s rest in Europe, and* a big American tour, we are back again in Australia, which we first visited as small boys nearly 18 years ago.” Wagnerian enthusiasts had to be in their seats bv five o’clock at Covent Garden lately for the first act of “Die \Y alkure,” which was performed under “.Bqyreuth Festival” conditions—that is. with ample intervals between the acts, an hour and a half being allowed for dinner between the first two acts. Although the hour of commencement was so early, the house was well filled when the performance began. A,s in years gone by, the problem of dress for these early-beginning operas was solved in a variety of ways. Some people adopted the management’s permission to wear morning dress all through, others came in evening dress from the beginning, yet others utilised the dinner interval to change from one to the other.

JUNIOR ORCHESTRA. We have in New Plymouth (says the Herald) two organisations which might be termed junior orchestras, and both, I understand, are doing very good work. I refer to the Boys’ High School Orchestra and the Ladies’ Life-saving Club Orchestra. They will no doubt read with interest the following comment on the question: “Is the junior orchestra worth while?” written in the Etude by S.M.E. After asking the above question the writer proceeds: The hours of individual drilling, the days and weeks of practice at each different part and on each instrument separately, the incessant labour of weekly rehearsals with the entire orchestra—is all this worth while? Undoubtedly the scientist would call the junior orchestra an ideal machine with an efficiency of 100 per cent ; for the splendid results obtained far outweigh the effort put in, and so the junior orchestra cannot be too highly recommended nor too strongly encouraged. If the practice of duet and trio playing is so valuable an asset to the pupil, it is obvious that a larger unit "offers equal, if not greater, advantages. Besides developing the very essentials of musical requirements, it proves a valuable aid in the formation of the pupil’s character, and promotes a desirable sociability.

The amended programme of the Melba Grand Opera Company for a week shows tiie tremendous nature of the undertaking. The list will he read with interest, as follows: Monday—- “ Carmen.” Aga Lahosku, Nino Pieealuga, etc. Tuesday—“ Rigoletto.” Toti Dal Monte. Capeili, ete. Wednesday (afternoon)—“Tosca.” Lina Soavizzi, Piccaluga, ete. .Wednesday (evening)— ‘‘Lnhenie.” Nellie Melba, Dino .Borgioli, ete. Thursday—“ Barber of Seville. ’ Toti .Dal Monte, Dino Borgioli. Friday—“Samson and Delilah.” Phyllis Arehibnld. Antonio Marques, ete. Saturdav (afternoon)' — “Carmen.” Aga Lahoskn, Nino Pieealuga, ete. Saturdav (evening)—“Barber of Seville.” Toti Dal Monte, Dino Borgioli, etc. SAMSON AND DELTLATI This work has such a stout hold upon the popular favour of the present day that it becomes of interest to refer to its history, says the Sydney Morning Herald which shows that, lint fop the liio of Saint-Saens, who reached his middle eighties, that great composer might have died under the impression that his masterpiece had failed to attract any special attention. He finished composing it ns long ago as 1872 at Paris,-and in 1874 the second act was sung at the country house of Madame Viardot-Garcia (the first Delilah), to whome the sacred opera is indicated. At the end of 1877, through the influence of Liszt, it was produced in German at Weimar with complete success, and in other German cities, reaching Hamburg in 1883. The first perform” ance in France took place at Rouen in

1890. and in the same year the opera was staged at the Eden Theatre, Paris, with Bouky (the trainer of so many present-day Australian vocalists) a s the High Priest. It then at once reached ■the Paris Opera, where it has since passed in the aggregate its fourhundredth performance. Its English record dates from 1893, when it %vas introduced at Covent Garden, but only in concert form. In 1896 a splendid rendering at Queen’s Hall, with Edward Lloyd and Marie Brema in the dual title role, and Andrew Black as the High Priest, gave the work an unassailable position in the oratorio repertoire. In spite of this acceptance all over the country at oratorio festivals and concerts, the work continued to be barred at Covent Garden as a possible opera until 1909. In that year M. Dalmores and Mme. Kirkby Lunn created leading parts, and all opposition ceased to its inclusion from season to season. The story is, indeed, as much historical as Biblical- The same might be said of Goldmark’s f “Queen of Sheba,” which was barred in England for 35 years, until the Carl Rosa Company staged at Manchester in 1910; and there was a considerable but perfectly justifiable delay over the “Salome” of Richard Strauss. “Samson and Delilah’ (to give it an English spelling fo r oratorio, instead of Italian for opera) was first performed by the Naval Philharmonic Society of Sydney at the Town Hall in 1910 under Mr* Joseph Bradley, and was so much appreciated that it was repeated during the season of 1912. LUCIA IN SYDNEY. Says the Sydney Morning Herald; “To the apophthegm ‘Old wood to burn! Old win to drink! Old friends to trust! Old authors to read!’ must now' be added, at any rate when a Dal, Monte warbles, ‘Old operas to draw!’ Nothing could have exceeded the instantaneous recognition of her spontaneous vocal brilliance by last night’s audience at Her Majesty’s Theatre. There was, indeed, an amazing quality of humanity, sympathy, call it what you will, in the newcomer’s art which enraptured every listener, and gave significance to coloratura passages otherwise-, apt to lie classified as vocal gymnastics. Should this fine singer, already acclaimed at La Seala and in Paris, realise the shining destiny which beckons her to a world celebrity in New York and London, the Land of Song may actually boast a rival to Galli Curci, while yet that great artist is still short of her middle career. No opinion can be expressed, however, in support of the theory that the latter will pass into history as a. successor to Lind, Patti, and .Melba, Time and the test of a longsustained and unchallenged domination, can alone solve such a problem.”

“LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR.”

“Scotia” writes:. Most of the music lovers who will delight in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor’’ during the present opera season know that the story of the opera is derived from Sir YY alter Scott’s • ‘ ‘Bride of Lammermoor. ’ Few people, however, know that Scott’s story was founded on fact. Lucia was . Janet Dalrymple, a member of a well-known old Scottish family, that is to-day still represented by many descendants. The following extract from Sir Herbert Maxwell’s history of Dumfries and Galloway tells the actual story; ,

“The marriage of the Honourable Janet Dalrymple, daughter of the first Lord Stair, to David Dunbar, vounger of Baldoon, which took place in 1669, must be briefly referred to here, because it has formed the theme of one °n celebrated romances, tli© ‘Bride of Lammermoor.’ Janet had plighted her troth to young Lord Rutherford, but her parents were opposed to their union, and favoured the rival suitor Dunbar. Rutherford pressed for an interview with his betrothed, which was granted, but in the presence of Lady Stair, who seemed quite to have broken the girl’s spirit. It ended in Janet giving him back her half of the coin which, according to custom, they had broken ,in plighting their troth; when Rutherford departed, declaring that she would be the world’s wonder for the thing she had done. “The marriage with Dunbar took place, but on the wedding night terrible screams were heard in the bridal chamber. The wedding guests broke in, and found Dunbar fearfully wounded, and the bride insane, shrieking to them to ‘take up their bonny bridegroom.’ Within three weeks she died raving mad, but young Baldoon recovered. It was never known who had attacked him, his bride, or, as some said, the disappointed, lover, who had hidden himself in order to take his revenge.”—(p. 261.) David Dunbar survived his ill-fated bride by some 13 years. He was killed by a fall from his horse in Edinburgh in 1652. Janet’s brother, who escorted his sister on her tragic wedding dav, became the second Lord Stair, and incurred the odium of posterity for his responsibility as Lord Advocate of Scotln U< * for infamous massacre of Glencoe.

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOE SYDNEY. According to statements made by a deputation to the Lord Mayor of Sydney, an effort is being made to revive the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (reports the Sydney Morning Herald). The Loi'd Mayor informed the deputation that the object had his sympathy, but that sympathy would not extend so far as complying with the request that the orchestra should have the. free use of the Town Hall for concerts. Mr T. E. Rofe, president of the orchestra, who acted as principal spokesman, stated that the Symphony Orchestra went into recess when Mr Verbrugghen organised the State Orchestra. Now that there was only the orchestra at the Conservatorium it was proposed that the Svmphonv’ Orchestra should he revived, and that it should give concerts in the middle of the day, and at times when it would not compete with the other orchestra. For that purpose they desired some civic assistance, either in the wav of a grant from the City Council, or the free use of the Town Hall for concerts. The Lord Mayor stated that the City Council could not possibly consider the free use of the Town Hall for orchestral concerts, as if it were given free for that purpose it would have to be given free for practically everything. The only thing that the council could do would be to consider how far it would be possible to employ the Symphony Orchestra for music in the parks. The council already paicl amounts to a number of bands for this purpose, and it might be possible to include the Symphony Orchestra in the number. He would make a recommendation to this effect to the council when the deputation had supplied him with further particulars of their proposals.