WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 July 1924, Page 14

WORLD of MUSIC

NOTES AND COMMENTS. The choral work in “Our Miss Gibbs" under the enthusiastic lead of the conductor, Mr Ollerenshaw, is progressing well. The members of the chorus are taking a keen interest, and are shaping to his great satisfaction. The performance promises to be one of the best given by the Operatic Society. Very keen interest is being shown in the musical and elocutionary competitions organised by the Male Choir for August 25 and 26 at Hawera. The scope is wide, and will give opportunity for almost every aspirant to honours in the field of competitions. It is certain to draw a heavy list of entries from all over the province and to provide two very interesting days. Commenting on the perrormance of “II Barbiere” at Sydney recently, the Sydney Morning Herald says: “This triumph was certainly shared in very fully by the orchestra, for Signor P’aolantomo was able to open the evening in exhilarating style, owing to the accurate vivacity and genial flowing response of his half a hundred capable players in the lightsome overture. One instrument after another, oboe, horn, flute, took up a bewitching little theme; and later there was the first of the crescendoes, afterwards repeated. It null be remembered that the cresc-endi in this opera formed one of Rossini’s •novelties’ 100 years ago, gaining him the half-sneering title of ‘Signor Crescendo.’ The overture itself was originally composed for ‘Aureliano in Palmyra.,’ and then served as the introduction to ‘Elisabetta’ before Rossini finally bestowed it on 'The Barber’ —and left it- there! In this connection operagoers may he lemindcd that Rossini’s music for the new libretto on Beaumarchais’ comedy displaced once and for ever Paisiello’s opera- of the same name, a work up to that event considered one of Italy’s world-known treasures. In England the poor, forgotten work still leaves a cherished fragrance behind it, for the melody “Nel cor pin non mi sento" has become a family song to the English, words “Hope told a flattering tale.’’ The audience was in no' way inclined to be critical, because the libretto prepared by Sterbin for “The Swan of Pesaro” served up the kind of fun that depends a good deal upon peculiarities of costume, and somewhat infantile practical jokes. High spirits carried the scheme along happily to the graceful music, which at' times drolly illustrated the verbal text. Both went lightly hand in hand, because the artists were spontaneous in their humour, so that the word was suited to the action and to the scoring at one and the same time. They were possibly inspired by the remarkable unity of the humorous conception as regards text and music, sometimes attributed to the-fact that Rossini lived in the same house with his librettist. They worked together ceaselessly for 13 days upon this lightest and slightest of operas. This notable bouse was also occupied by Luigi Zamboni, the first of 500 Figaros! PERMANENT OPERA FOR AUSTRALIA. DAME MELBA’S HOPES. In a speech in the Went worth Hotel palm court recently Dame Nellie Melba expressed the hope that permanent opera would be established in Australia and that the Government would see its way to assist. To enable the music lovers of Sydney to meet Dame Nellie and the principal members of the Grand Opera Company, the Musical Association of New South Wales tendered Dame Melba and the company a luncheon in the Wentworth Hotel. There was a large gathering, and the palm court, in which the luncheon was given, was beautifully decorated. Mr Lawrence Godfrey Smith, who presided, had Dame Nellie on his right, and then Mr W. Arundel Orchard, of the Conservatorium. The whole of the principal members of the company were present, Signorina Toti Dal Monte coming in for much attention. Mr Smith, on behalf of the Musical Association, welcomed Dame Nellie, and expressed the hope that the company would have an enthusiastic and successful season. Signor Guido Caehalli, on behalf of the Italian community in Sydney, also added his welcome. Dame Nellie, amidst much laughter, said it was too much Dame Nellie. She wanted to include all the company and the Taits and the Williamsons. They must all share in the success. “We have_ not yet given you half of what' we intend to,” said Dame Melba amidst applause. “I think all the Italians and the French and the Poles who are here with, me are happy.” And, turning to these artists, she added, “Are you not?” “Oui,” “Si,” they replied warmly. “And,” continued Dame Melba, “I think it means that we are going to have some of them returning to Australia. That will mean having permanent opera in Australia. (Applause.) There is no reason why there should not be. I think the Government ought to help. The Government encourages art by buying beautiful pictures. Music is* just as important as pictures and I do hope'the Government will assist. I think this is the beginning of a new era in onera history.”

Mr W. Arundel Orchard, on behalf of the professors and students of the Oonservatorium, extended a welcome to Dame Melba and the Opera Company, and said that he had never seen a finer performance of “La Boheme” than that given recently. Mr Nevin Tait also spoke.

As Dame Melba was about to leave she was surrounded by manv of those present, who asked for autographs on t ie menu cards. She readily complied. WELLINGTON SAVAGES. LADIES’ EVENING. Advantage was taken of the annual ladies evening on Friday last to in"t l a J His Excellency Lord Jellicne as Chief Savage. A programme of the evening’s performance, kindly sent on by a friend, show? that no detail was omitted which would ensure success. A very clever topical verse, in regretting the reverse suffered by the All Rlac-ksl expresses confidence that it wouTd be wiped out in the successive matches, and incidentally stresses the value of the plain menu presented. “Just ‘a la roast beef and plum pudding” for ‘•"Plain food is the best; of that there is no question. Ease follows apnetite and health digestion. And some past ‘menus’ served. with condiments Aroused our ‘amen corners’ warm comments.” The programme included such items as Tschaikowsky’s “Valse des Fleurs.” and the “Nutcracker Scute,” by the orchestra. Part songs and «nale voice quartettes by the Savage choir, and quartette; songs by Claude Moss, Len

Barnes and Howard Foster, and violin solo by Leon <UV Manny, testifying to the quality of the numbers contributed. Altogether it was a most successful effort. MUSIC AND CHESS. REMARKABLE FEATS. Organist of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, for more than half his lifetime and Master of the Queen’s (later the King’s) Music, the late Sir Walter Parratt typified the best sort of scholarly English ecclesiastical musician. He was genial and witty, the soul of courtesy and kindness. His life’s work lay rather aside from jyublic observation, but generations of the Royal House honoured him with warm friendship, and he was dear to generations of students at the Royal College of Music, where he was the first Professor of the Organ. A Yorkshireman, born in 1841, at Huddersfield, of a musical family, he learned music as he learned to speak. At seven he took a church service, at ten he could play all Bach’s “48 Preludes and Fugues” by heart. Bach was, before he was eight and after he was eighty, the prime delight of his life. At eleven he had his first appointment as church organist.

His life-long passion for chest developed at the same time. As a schoolboy he defeated adult chesplayers as he surpassed adult organists. Many anecdotes qf his combined teats of chess-playing and memorising music have been told. t He used to declare that the effects of music were incalculable —and not always beneficent. For instance, “the poor weak hymn tunes most of us hear on Sundays’’ he held to unnerve people for the fight- for the right! Sir Walter was so little an exclusive musician that he said, “Music does not count more for me than books or even architecture.” FESTIVAL OF BRITISH MUSIC. In the course of an interesting letter to the Taranaki Herald on musical matters, Mr. C. H. Burgess gives some particulars of the suggested festival. He says: A number of leading English composers and musicians and others have made a proposal for the holding of a festival of British music in connection with the Wembley Exhibition. The promoters of this project argue as follows :

The Etmpire Exhibition will be visited by tens of thousands of. visitors from European countries, who expect to obtain there a bird’s-eye view of what the Empire stands for. Should a “Wembley” be held in almost any of these countries, it cannot be doubted that one of its most attractive and important features would be a national music festival. The absence of such at Wembley will be interpreted by all but a few of these visitors as a tacit admission that England has never produced any, music worth bothering about. Our visitors from the Dominions, who are organising their own national concerts there, will receive the same impression.

Nor does the matter end there. The Empire has, after all. a- spiritual as well as a material basis, and it is the former which is in the long run the stronger. Our kith aUd kin from overseas are flocking to the Motherland not merely to take stock of the Empire's material resources, but also to satisfy a mental and spiritual hunger. Are we wise at such >a time to neglect that art which, perhaps more than any other, is in touch with the things of the spirit? We submit, then, that a festival of British music ought to he held at Wembley, which should, in a series of concerts, illustrate the wealth of British music, both religious and secular, from the earliest days of which we have record down to the present time, and wo are confident that such a. festival would both delight and astonish those who regard us as musically sterile. In conclusion, we wish to disclaim any idea of blaming individuals for an omission which is in reality a national The omission has taken place, but it is not too late to remedv it. It concents both our interest and honotir that this should be done. The above has been submitted through the medium of the press of England, and is subscribed to by such well-known leaders of thought as Granville Bantoek, Arnold Bennett, J. R, dynes, Lewis R,. Parnell. Clarendon, Edmund H. Fellowos. Dan Godfrey. W. H. Harlow, Howard de Walden, G. Bernard Shaw. Ethel Smyth. Lord Balfour also- intimated his “greatest sympathy with the general aim” of the proposal.

FESTIVAL HUBBUB. WOMEN UNABLE TO SING IN THE I>IN. Dissatisfied choral singers created, at th« Crystal Palace “Empire” Musical Competition Festival, scenes such as have not be&ft known at an English musical competition for many years. Disagreeing with the award of the adjudicator. Sir Hugh Allen, after the male voice choirs’ contest —which was won liy a choir from Yorkshire over tne heads of rival Welsh choirs—some of the singers made a hostile demonstration. The Williamstown, Rhondda Valley, choir was apparently the disgruntled party.

A little later the second, choir in the class for women’s voices was unable to sing in the din made by some of the indignant men singers and their supporters. The remaining adjudicator was Mr Cyril Jenkins, the Welsh composer, whose music figured largely on the day’s programme. The disturbance lasted about half an hour. Police came on the scene, but* did not intervene. “BREAM OF OERONT.LUS.” Before an audience which completely filled the Melbourne Town Hall, the Philharmonic Society gave a performance of Elgar’s “Bream of Gerontius” (says the Australasian). With a wordbook of great beauty and of deep interest, this work is perhaps the greatest oratorio of modern times. Elgar's mystical temperament, now meditatively brooding, and now blazing into ecstasy, combines with his stupendous technique to make him an ideal composer for the task of setting Gerontius to worthy music. The work is immensely difficult. Its first performance, at the Birmingham Festival of 1900, was by no means a success. The rendering had some fine moments; it had also come very weak points. The solo work was of varying quality. Miss Essie Aekland. the contralto, sang with dignity and much fervour. Both orchestra and chorus did their best work in the demon choruses. In the great “chorus of angelieals,” “Praise to the Holiest in the Height,” there was some of the requisite thrill, hut here, and in many other places, the intonation left

something to be desired. Mr. Alberto Zelman conducted with skill and enthusiasm. It will be interesting to Hawera people to hear Miss Acldand so favourably criticised.

CAROL SINGERS. It would be in the year I Still or ] SB7 that i; was on a visit to the late Mr. H. Xu n week, Harewood Road, at Christmas time (says a correspondentto the Christchurch Star). Now Mr. Nunweek was well, known as a purveyor of parsnip wine, and always made it pretty strong. One Christmas morning a band of carol singers came around, led bv one Johnny 6 , from Papanui. Now, whether Johnny and his band came around t.o do honour to the occasion, or for a fill of wine, is an open question, but after the usual i ather discordant melodies were rendered they called up Mr. Nunweek Not wishing to get up go early he directed them to the shed and told them to licln themselves to some wine. No s°cond bidding was needed. When Mr. N went out some time later in the day. Johnny and his mates were all dead to the world around the wine cask. Mr. Nunweek said he would not have_cared only they had left the tap running and the cask was empty. TALK ON ’CHANGE. (Australasian.) It costs much money to hear Melba sing, but it costs a lot more to hear her talk, especially when her speech is as persuasive as her song. And when Melba talks only money has any right to answer back. Melbourne and its money talked back in golden speech to the tune of £2OOO at her farewell night in opera, when she stopped singing and talked once more for the' sake of the afflicted. 1 ictims of war for whom she has already done so much. When Melba talks in such a cause words are never wasted. Melbourne goes home with its heart full and its pockets empty Tfc was a splendid start to a splendid project. All the world has realised Melba as the wonderful artist, we have realised her with pride as the even more wonderful woman. And in that role Time cannot wither nor custom stale her infinite variety. When Melba sings we seem to float Responsive to each note. Our spirit to the music yields And wafted to Elysian fields ’ She rules us dominant as Fate, While love and passion alternate, So far from every worldly care, That nothing matters anvwhere Those are indeed the golden days JX. Melba, and her music sways With raoture all the welkin rings ’ When Melba sings.

When Melba talks the cheque book floats, It takes a lot of gold - and notes lo follow where the Diva, leads, To aid her plans to back her deeds bhe rules us dominant as Fate Where notes and bullion alternate; 1 hose are indeed the golden davs When Melba pleads and Melbourne pays. To duty’s cause she sways her host, t i-onomy gives up the ghost i'he disembodied spirit walks - When Melba talks. ANECDOTES. Apropos of the production of Boito's j\ero, begun more than sixty years: No author has ye t taken such infinitesimal pains to perfect the production of his work.” (Daily paper). An apology seems due to the composer s ghost. (Punch). - ANOTHER IMPENDING APOLOGY. From a parish magazine-. The 'accompaniments by Mr _ on the organ were .singularly, effective and pleasing An illustrated story in Punch shows pedantic old gentleman, who disapproves of organ-grinders, is at pains out of step with the music.” Hark! Ah, the nightingale, the yawning throated—.” (Daily paper). Bored with the broadcasting no doubt poor bird. (Punch). ’