WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 September 1924, Page 14

WORLD of MUSIC

NOTES

In an interesting -musical lecture recently by Dr. Galway, of Dunedin, he took for his subject 7 The Development of Opera.” At the outset Dr. Galway referred to coniposers of a bygone t? me generally, and to their characteristics, also to the application of Greek tragedy to'thei time in'.which they lived. He touched upon the colour scheme' as adopted by these composers, and finally devoted his attention to a consideration of Gluck’s “Orpheus.” He drew special attention to the intense grief and anguish as expressed in portions of the opera, which he illustrated on the piano. Several of the solos inci-dental-to the work, were heard, all, being admirably sung. After having further traversed the work and pointed out its beauties, Dr. Galway made brief reference to Mozart, and especially to “Don Giovanni,” “Figaro,” “The Magic Flute.”. “Singers must be able to paint ‘mind pictures’ in' tone, which, is .what counts in song interpretation.”—Arthur'Middleton. ; Lecturing recently at Christchurch on the “Development of Music,’’ Rev. H. Jones gave a very lucid account! of the music of the churches, -jxpMning the Manner in which; organs of. an early period were played by thumping the / keys*'with dosed fists, the keys then being several inches in width. A trio from the, Stanford Villiers Choir sang a hymn, and so good was the execution that very little imagination was required to carry to one’s mind the von- ■ derful volume of sound live hundred men created when singing that same hymn in one; of the vast cathedrals. Mr Jones the development of music from the Middle Ages up through the/Tudor times, concluding with music Hmday....

VIOLIN RECITAL.

' event that. is being looked for JvGßn anticipation by music lovers, of Hawera is the violin recital ; tp be-given by Mr. Matthew Newbeiy on,Thursday next in the Opera House. .Newbeiy is a popular musician ■ a v to most residents as ■h,-fine player. -He studied the violin .under. Wallace Bandy, G.S.M., and ; Professor R!. O, Zimmerman for manv years in England, and his career was ..interrupted. Fy the outbreak of war, ”in which he ‘ served with the Anzaes. yfe took up work again on returning • from, the war and has been living in Hawera for several years. His pro- ;; gramme embraces many of the greatvywlin works of old- and 'presentday masters. In his recital be will .-bave the assistance of Mr. A. H. ‘. Dipley, the Auckland tenor, acknowledged as one of the best ballad in the Dominion. His accompaniste will be Mrs. R. F. Page, of Hawera. The recital promises to be • one of the best musical events held in Hawera for a considerable time.

h HAWERA' OPERATIC SOCIETY

’■■The heartiest congratulations are /due to the committee, manager and 'musical director of the Operatic So* .• eiety for the success they, under the /direction of the producer, Mr. T. E. 'Foster, achieved last week in the at- - tractive musical comedy, “Our Miss -Gibbs.” Unbounded enthusiasm marked the work of the principals and chorus, and this, coupled with a very good share of natural ability and intelligent and • energetic management and. coajching, combined to secure to' the hosts of admirers throughout the district to. learn that another appearance of the opera is arranged for Monday next in the Opera House. The proceeds will be devoted to the Hawera hospital and the Plunket Society. two most deserving institutions, and lovers of music and comedy must yepienibey. that every pound secured Bears a liberal subsidy. Everyone, is epjbined to give the performance liberal support in view, of -the object of the ‘effort. - ■

; A DISTINGITJISHED VISITOR.

A musician, of considerable eminence in the Old. Country and one who lias seen a lot of the world in the course of Ms work for the Associated Board, Dr.‘ T. .Haigfo was in Hawera this week for two days. In the. course of a "S^arh-conversation, 3>r. Haigh gave a fow.of,his impressions of Canada, the greah Dominion of New Zealand. His- lay in Nova Scotia, a country bifecfisV-ipcfttfond,; but. which one is. as" he said, to look up on as a very small corner,-,and.in,.the Western Territory, from Vancouver to Calgary. He is immensely impressed with the country, -its huge : extent and its possibilities. : But lie considers that during the tyar time and since, Americanisation has gone bn to, a very considerable ex-tent,-and; the influence of American money-.'could, he considered, be plainly seen. ' Musically he was not- struck with the general standaid as demonstrated' in performances and m examination work.

Dr. ‘ Haig said it was striking the hold organ music had on :ne people generally. It" was -no uneomjnon occurrence to find in a comparatively small town' three or four really good pipe organs. He thought there; was xfinch . less orchestral . music than in some countries, and that organs seemed to take their place. It was a striking fact that the number of candidates for examination in orgaip work was much stronger than in almbst any other country he knew.

The organ recital given by Dr. Haig at the Presbyterian Church was an outstanding musical event. It was a very fine programme indeed, fully representative of the works of -.fie greatest organ composers, and was very keenly appreciated by ajl who were . privileged to be.foresexit. The solneivhat limited scope of effective expression was overcome by the very marked ability of the player and his, wonderful . Technique. He secured excellent results, and the effects were remarkably fine, leaving Ms listeners with the realisation chat they had been able to listen to an organist’ of a calibre they are rarely privileged to hear. It was indeed an exceptional performance.

ALL BLACK JAZZ BAND

“Music hath charms.” Or rather it had until the All Black Jazz Band made its first appearance at a steerage concert given on August 6. The first selection; “Sally,” would have gone “0.K.” had the hand played the one tune. Sad to relate/the pianist played the verse, while the remainder played the chorus. The result was weird, and the hand was duly “counted out” by the team. That mistake has never been made since, and the Jazz Band has been much in demand at concerts, and especially at dapees. The personnel of the Jazz Band was: Dr. L. M. -Parr (pianist), F. W. Lucas (banjo apd mandolin), “Abe” Munro (drum), A. E. Cooke (side-drum), Mr, S. S.

Dean and A. C. C. Robilliard (cymbals),. and M. Brownlie, “Jock” Richardson, R. R Masters and W. C. Dailey (gazoos).

GHALIAPINE’S FOX-TROT.

Cbaliapine, the great Russian bass, has written a fox-trot called “Chaliapinata.” He started it in his dress-ing-room at the Opera House on the back of a congratulatory telegram sent to him by the Savoy-Orpheans when they heard of his return to Europe.

PERMANENT GILBERT AND SULLIVAN THEATRE.

Gilbert and Sullivan’s undying popularity was never more strongly demonstrated than in the last London season. The season, twice extended, lasted over 200 nights, and the performances were attended by approximately 400,000 people. Even at the end of this long run the attendances showed no signs of dwindling. Only other engagements and the necessity of giving the artistes a holiday brought the season to an end. All this is an excellent argument in favour of a permanent Gilbert and Sullivan Theatre in London

CHILDREN AND MUSIC

Major J. T. Bavin, education director to the- Federation of British MusicIndustries, made, some interesting suggestions at the Oxford Summer Course in Music recently in a lecture on nurturing.- a love of music among children. Drawing a line like a range of mountains, he taught his audience to follow it with their voices, first with regal’d to pitch, and then with regard to time—but the word time must never be used, he urged, in teaching little people Children, he said, loved to follow tunes in that way, and it. was the most natural thing in the world for them to draw such a line for “Good King Wenceslaus,” making f a solid mark for the ordinary notes' and an open mark for the double notes, adding a vertical stroke above each 1 note.

When they were taught in that Way his experience was that a line of written or printed notes really Iheant music to them, because they had themselves written down or drawn music. It was nonsense trying to teach babies about minims and crotchets, and to confront them with weird-looking signs which meant nothing. The child was perfectly willing to take an interest in things that seemed natural,' hut -was very properly on guard against artificiality in ’music or in anything else. ' Referring to the gramophone as an immense help in this department of teaching, the lecturer said that long before children knew what brass was they could, discern most of the different instruments in an orchestra—strings, wood-wind, and brass—and the different voices and parts, in choir music. There was, happily, ah immense wealth of material for illustration in the old nursery songs, and the simpler tunes all children knew.

The'word “lesson” did not, apply to the music period at all if children were led on from step to step,; and he knew many children who could read music before they could read the simplest books; children who could - detect at once the brass instruments in an orchestra, or tell when strings were being plucked.

MODERN ENGLISH SONGS

PASSING OF THE BALLAD

A “gesture” of some significance was the discontinuance, a few months ago, of a famous series of ballad concerts, in favour of something a little more ambitious (writes Henry Coates in Voice). It meant, in fact, that the drawing-room ballad —a peculiarly British institution that had flourished for half a- century—was doomed to extinction. It has been gradually ousted, in fact, during the. past few years, by something incomparably more artistic, a school of songs produced by our best and most serious composers. Other hgns of this -change have not been wanting. Ten years ago, for example, it would not have been possible to' perform such a. song as John Ireland’s’ “Sea Fever” in an entertainment such as that of the Co-Optimists. Yet recently the song has been one of that clever company’s popular successes. It is often ,an amusing experience nowadays to look through a pile of songs belonging to an amateur vocalist of fifteen or twenty years ago. One is almost sure to find the majority of them ballads of the sloppy sentimental type—feeble words turned out by a professional ‘‘lyric-writer,” set to music of an equally poor quality, often most inaccurately written. But if one turns to the repertoire of a young singer to-day one is most likely to find therein a good number of art songs by composers such as Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Bax, Frank Bridge, Cyril Scott, Quilter, Ireland, and others. The modern English art song is simpler in style, generally speaking, than those of the French or German schools, and it retains our essentially national characteristic in music—melodiousness. The melody is perhaps nob quite so obvious in character as in the “drawing-room” ballad, but, on the other hand, we have an originality and an expressive beauty which more than counterbalances tbo old ear-tickling variety of tunc. Among the- recent, additions to the N.M.V. catalogue are sunny delightful examples of the' best type of English song. The popular “Sea Pictures” (D 674, 675) and the graceful “Like to the- Damask Rose” (D 8513) may be taken as representative of Elgar. Uf Vaughan Williams, one of the finest of our song composers, there is recorded the exquisite “Silent Noon” (81355), “Linden Lea,” in folktune style (81734), and the superb “Songs of Travel” (81355, 1375). John Ireland is represented by “Sea Fever” (E 8) and the pastoral “I Have Twelve Oxen” (B 1137), while two simple but charming .songs are Holst’s “Lovely Kind and Kindly Loving” (B 1750) and “The Heart Whispers” (DAS6B).

Quilter’s three Shakespearian songs (B 1731) are typically English in their suave melodies, and Cyril Scott’s “My Captain” (B 1582) is one of its composer’s finest songs. For a fine example one may mention Martin Shaw’s “Full Fathom Five” and “Old Clothes and Fine Clothes” (D 784), the lastnamed a delightful little humoresque.

HOW PIANO MUSIC DEVELOPED

The piano ousted the harpsicord rather slowly (writes Ernest Newman). John Sebastian Bach knew and appreciated the new instrument, hut he preferred to write for the- older one. His son. Philipp Emmanuel, an innovator as regards’ "the form and spirit of keyboard musics was also, so far as the instruments themselves were concerned, a harpsichordist rather than a pianist. So-, broadly speaking, was Mozart. The reason probably was that the harpsichord was the perfected product of a long line of evolution, while the piano

was as vet- a promise rather than an achievement. But hit by bit, as the instrument improved, it forced its own special; technique upon its performers, and evolved under dementi, Dnssek. Hummel, Beethoven, and others its own type of commission. It could “sing,” it could sustain, it had power and brilliancy. Technicians worked out'its special problems of touch, of fingering, and of style.

In"the; first half of the nineteenth century Chopin, Liszt, and Schumann, each in his own wav, developed ’ the technical resources of the piano, and by expanding these made it possible for a whole new world of thought and feeling to be expressed in piano’ music. Then the two developments kept acting and reacting on each other, each new technical conquest stimulating a new order of thought, and each fresh expansion of the composer’s imagination urging the players on to new achievements of technique. The piano was seen to be capable of as many different styles as there are composers. Chopin, for instance, gave it, among other things, an enormous expansion of harmony by means of the arpeggio, ami a hitherto unknown grace and swiftness and decorativeness with melody. But Brahms was to show that the instrument was to express as effectively’ all the workings of a mind that ran naturally to a certain crabbedness of texture and a certain sombreness of colour. J

Broadly speaking, Brahms on the one hand, and Chopin, Schumann and Liszt on the other, sum up between them all the main possibilities, technical and imaginative of the piano. Most piano music since their time grows out of one o>r other of them. The Brahms style and technique are continued in the Russian Medtner.

The. Chopin-Schumann-Liszt technique is carried still farther by such writers as .Granados, Albeniz, and Scriabine; Granados in particular has expanded and strengthened the Chopin left-hand arpeggio. Debussy and Ravel have exploited a large-number of new reasonances, particularly the sombre ones at the lower end of the piano and the glassy ones at the end, in fact it looks as if ‘there is hardly any limit- to the number of new styles of composition and of performance of which the instrument is capable.

No other single instrument permits o.f anything like such variety. No other instrument can point to a list of composers so different from each other as Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann. Chopin, Liszt, Granados, Albeniz, Debussy, Ravel. Scriabine, Medtner.' and a hundred others.

MUSICAL PROJECT

NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION

Mr E. J. Gravestock, the well-known entrepreneur, lias been appointed official commissioner for the musical and entertainments section of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, which is to> be held in Dunedin next year, commencing in November next. £20,000 .has been allocated for music at the exhibition, and a. sum of £15,000 will be spent on a temporary concert hall to seat 2500 people. ’('he exhibition will be linked up with Mr Gravestock’s schemes for music for the Antipodes spread ovef the next two years, as be will launch sonic of bis finest Australasian attractions there.. The exhibition grounds will occupy 65 acres, within a mile of the city, with a great sports arena, an amusement park of 10 acres, and six vast halls for international exhibits, including the pick of what was most admired at Wembley. The syndicate of leading New Zealanders will be supported by the Government on a generous scaie, the capital of the syndicate itself being £150,000.

RENAISSANCE MUSIC

LECTURE BY CANON JONES

In connection with the Canterbury College War Memorial Fund, a lecture —one of a series of weekly lectures and entertainments —was given in thq Jellicoe Hall, on “Renaissance Music,” by Canon Hubert Jones. There was a fair attendance.

Selections of pre-Renaissance music and music of the Renaissance were given by Miss Millicent Jennings and her clioir, illustrating various points in the lecture.

Canon Jones said that “Renaissance” music was otherwise known as harmonic music—the old choral technique. It came about in 1600. It was the music based on harmony, as differing from the music based on counterpoint. The new technique arose in Italy. People were more accustomed at the present day to diatonic music. A Renaissance musician wrote his melodies horizontally, one above the other, and finally achieved the chord. The choral work was started by one voice; a second and third joined in in the same melody, but at a. different pitch, until the passages rose to a forte and again melted away. It was entirely unrythmical—no one could beat time to it. Churchmen favoured it greatly; anything likely to .be full of rhythm, causing the pulses to beat faster, being looked on as secular. Later, the “thin” opening with one voice was changed to a more solid opening, which came into great vogue.

The new school, said the speaker, had a great task in front of them —a task of having to evolve art entirely new type of music. The whole field of instrumental music, in the form of an orchestra, liad to be experimented with and put into definite form.' It took over a century To work out this form. Beethoven, through the. efforts of his predecessors -and liis own perseverance, managed to achieve the finished result a series of chords with a melody run. ning throughout. Then carne the construction of form. To make a piece of music interesting, there must be contrast in melody and contrast in key, and this was another great task to be faced, especially with instrumental and orchestral music. The old harpsichords and clavichords were incapable of holding or sustaining a chord —therefore great meaningless arpeggios',, carrying the melody, had to be constructed. The Elizabethans, had to- work with shawms and sackbuts, and finally the trumpet. Later, among the keyboard instruments, came the. organ. But the whole work had eventually swung round to the English taste. In conclusion, Canon Jones said that finally Bach welded the old and new techniques together most successfully, and to-day we had the whole fabric based in harmonics. At the conclusion of the lecture a vote of thanks and appreciation was accorded the lecturer and Miss Jennings and her choir.

MUSIC OF BABYLON

RIDDLE OF AN ASSYRIAN TABLET

Dr. Kurt Sachs, of the University of Berlin, has succeeded in deciphering a tablet in the Prussian State Museum which the Prussian Academy has no hesitation in pronouncing as an epochmusic.

In the Assyrian department- of this museum there is an inscription in cuneiform, found in the ancient capital of Assur, and dating from about B.C. 800. The inscription consists of three columns, of which the third has remained undecipherable until now. It shares this peculiarity with a duplicate in the British Museum, which is larger

' and contains two pairs of three columns, of which the two first of tho groups, and the fourth and fifth have baffled Assyriologists in the same way. The existence of the British tablet has been mainly instrumental in proving the truth of Dr. Sachs’ theory. He claims that the first column of the Berlin tablet supplies the notes of the song written down in Sumerian characters in the second column and translated into faulty Assyrian in the third. The song itself is a religious poem, describing the creation of mail out of the blood of the gods.

Professor Sachs found in -the seventy lines of the first column sixty-two different syllables, which he reduced to eighteen by a process of instrumentation applied to a twenty-two stringed harp, known to have been used in Egypt, and apparently applicable to other musical systems of the Old World. His conclusions may be grouped under five headings: (1) The Babylonians possessed a pentatonic music without semi-tones. (2) Their melodies were not confined to the five-toned scale, but were spread over twenty tones in four groups of five tones.

(3) The scale which can be inferred .from the piece of music under notice 'comprised two octaves and one-fifth. (4) The harp accompaniments made full use of double notes, octaves, double octaves, fifths, fourths, and other tones. The interest of the discovery lies nob only in the fact that the Greeks made grateful mention of their Oriental masters in music, but that Chinese music displays very much of the characteristics Dr. Sachs believes he has discovered to. be ancient Assyrian.

CONCERT THRILL

GIPSY MUSIC BRISTLING WITH

“STUNTS.”

A concert of the works of Maurice Ravel, with the composer taking part-, should have been assured of a larger audience than gathered at the Aeolian Hall in London recently. Mile. Marcelle Gerar sang very charmingly a number of songs, including the Scheherazade” set. M. Henri Gil-Marchex played most brilliantly some of Ravel’s chamber music.

But the sensation came at the end, when Jelly d’Aranyi, after playing the Berceuse, introduced' a brand new composition that was completed only three days before. This is the “Tzigane,” for violin and piano, an artistic exaggeration of gipsy music, resembling in form one of Liszt’s rhapsodies", but bristling with “stunts.”- It was a triumph for the player. At Queen’s Hall a large audience greeted Moiseiwitsch in a Chopin-Liszt programme.

A CORNISH LULLABY

A.D. 1760. ' Sleep, my little ugling, Daddy’s gone a-smuggling, Daddy’s gone to Roseoff on the Mavagissey Maid, A sloop of ninety tons With ten brass carriage guns, To teach the King’s ships manners and respect for honest trade.

Hush, my joy and sorrow, Daddy’ll come to-morrow, Bringing baccv, tea and snuffi and brandy home from France; And he’ll run the goods ashore While the old collectors snore And the wicked, troopers gamble in' the dens of Penzance.

Rock-a-bye, my honey, Daddy’s making money; - You shall be a gentleman and sail with privateers, With a silver cup for sack And a blue coat on your back, With diamonds on vour finger-bones and gold rings in your ears. —Patlander, in Punch.