WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 December 1924, Page 15

WORLD of MUSIC

LOCAL NOTES. The Methodist''Church choir will put on, in conjunction with the evening service to-morrow, the fine cantata, “The' Great Light.” The solo work will be taken by Miss O'. Grindrod (contralto), Mrs. T'ozer (soprano), Mr. Liddington (baritone) and Mr. Harvey (tenor). They expect to give another similar work at an'early date. It is good to see the church choirs taking up good work outside their ordinary church services. It serves to foster a love of good music and gives members an extra, interest. Much progress musically Can. thus be made. The advent of the Christmas season suggests appropriate music, of which a good deal has been recorded from time to time. Trinity Choir has recorded a Christmas medley which includes “Christians, Awake!” “Oh! Little Town of Bethlehem!” ‘God Rest You, Merry Gentleman,” and “Silent Night,” all under the title of “Christmas Hymns and Carols.” This is backed on the reverse side by tacking record by Marjorie Montefiore, “The Night Before Christmas.”

The Flonzalev Quartette is an organisation devoted exclusively to chamber music. It was formed in 1903 by E. J. de Coppet, an American millionaire, and named after liis Swiss villsv on Lake Geneva, The quartette, however, has long maintained an independent existence, and is famous in American musical circles for its devotion to its artistic ideals and the perfection of its achievements.- The players who from the quartette are: Ad,olfo Betti, first violin; Alfred Pochon, second; Ugo Ara, viola; and Ivan d’Archambeau, ’cello The quartette binds its members not to play in -orchestra or even solo, so as to preserve the perfect unity of effect for which it is famous.

The work of Erie Coates may be taken as contributory to tlie great revival of interest in English music. “Revival” is used advisedly because England was certainly a musical country in Elizabethan and later times. Scotland, Ireland, and Wales have never lightly held their musical birthright, certainly never admitted that they were not musical. The great advancement of musical education in England for the past 50 years has, however, not only ensured intelligent English audiences, but has brought forward native composers producing works of a definitely . English character. Coates’s “Merrymakers,’ a mi nature overture, is a case in point. It has been perfectly recorded from a performance of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra. His “Moresqife,” a dance interlude (on the other side of tlie disc) is deciclely Eastern in feeling, but exceedingly tuneful.

The Orpheus Male Voice Choir, of America is to compete at the Welsh National Eisteddfod at Pwllheli next year. This choir, the majority of the members of which are employed as miners in Wyoming Valley, beat the best choirs of America and . Canada at the American National Eisteddfod this year. The idea of the visit originated with Air. Tom Rees,’- a Welsh millionaire from New York, who contributed 500' dollars to start the fund of 40,000 dollars (about £8000) which is the estimated cost of the trip. Over 2000 dollars Were subscribed in a few days. It has already been announced by Mr. J. H. Tait that the famous Italian soprano, Signora Galli-Curci, will give six or eight concerts in New Zealand about the middle of next year. According to tentative arrangements so far completed, the brilliant singer will be ill Auckland during the week commencing Thursday, July 2. On July 9, 11 and 14, Galli-Curci is booked to give concerts at Wellington. PUCCINI. Tlie recent death of Puccini imparts interest to his recorded music, which abounds in vocal and orchestral numbers all over the catalogue. The full operas of “La Bolieme” and “Madame Butterfly,” recorded by a splendid Italian grand opera company in Milan, are available here, and, to those who take their recorded music studies seriously, well worth having. In detached recordings by celebrity artists, the favourite. “Boheme” numbers are the “Adclio/j of which Geraldine Farrar, Alma' Gluck, and Melba are the principal exponents in gramophone music; “Che Geldia Mahina” (“Thy Tiny Hand is Frozen”): the duet “O vSoave Fanciulla.” sung by Alda and Martiuelli, Gigli, and Zamboni, Mac Cormack and Bori, and Melba, and Caruso: and “Si Mi Chiamano,” sung bv Bori, Farrar, and Melba. There are other lesser stars, of course, whose renderings are in many cases more than acceptable. There are about a dozen detached recorded numbers from Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly,” contributed principally, if you want celebrities, by Farrar, Scotti, Caruso, Destinu, and Alda. Martiuelli, Sophie Breslau Louise Homer. These include solos and duets. I don’t seem to lie able to find any reference to the beautiful orchestral scena. in this opera, played during tlie celebrated vigil before the return of the ship, but that surely cannot have been overlooked by the recording companies. Another Puccini opera that must not he overlooked is “Tosea,” in which are several fine detached numbers. The three principal selections, most favoured by celebritv artists for the" recording room, are “E Lucevan le Stelle.” “Rerondita Armenia,” and Vissi D’arte, vissi D’amore,” the last two being soprano numbers, and the first for tenors.

THE CARILLON. The Armidale School Old Roys’ Union has decided to raise funds to purchase a bell for Sydney University Carillon (says the Herald). On the hell will be inscribed all the names of the old boyfi who fought ami fell in the war. Although the Old Boys’ Union has already established a war memorial endowment fund at the school, it is thought that a special effort should lie made to join in the movement to estab'ish the Carillon. BOLSHEVISM AND MUSIC

As a result of Soviet maladministration the musical institutions of Moscow would appear to have fallen into a sad plight. The director of the Philharmonic, the well-known ’cellist Brandukov, has been forced t.o surrender his post to a protege in Lunacharsky, the Commissar for Education, ■ tunned Mark Moiehik, formerly an insurance agent. Having thus dealt with the Philharmonic, the attention of the Soviet was directed to the Moscow Conservatoire, renowned in the musical world for the association with it of the brothers Rubensfein, Peter Tebaikowsky. and other eminent musicians. The director, the famous, composer Tppolitov Ivanov, was discharged, and the dirce_ tion of the Conservatoire was then

assumed by a group of “comrades,” at the head of whom was Mdlle. Brusoba, sister of' the poet Valerie Bfifsbv (that “disgusting renegade,” as the emi- ; grant press calls him). The , “direction’ ’ also includes the wife of Leo Karnevef, one of the chief commissars, formerly a midwife, now celebrated for the magnificence of her .dresses arid her partiality for Rolls-Royce cars. Another member of the “direction” Occupies id ; Soviet posts, and draws a salary for each. One result of the changes has been the reduction of the number of pupils of the Conservatoire from 1000 to 300. APOLLO CLUB’S CHRISTMAS MUSIC. Arnold Bax, a present clay musician and composer of some renown, has arranged a Christmas Carol blending the music of the 15th century with modern times. According to his “Now is the Tithe of Christmas,” which ivill be sung by the Royal Sydney Aphllo Club at the Christmas concert next Thursday, it was a crime in those faroif days in England for a man Who could hot sing at such a time of the year. He would have go- to the stocks unless “some other sport lie bm'ig that it may please at this feasting for now is the time of Christymas.” In. his composition Bax has included a flute obligato written in a key different from that of the carol sung by the choir. . As this will be the first occasion { in Sydney on which this music will be heard it Will prove interesting in view of its distinctive character, as compared . with Christmas nriisic. Another carol new' to Sydney, music lovers will also be sung at the same concert. Percy Fletcher lias taken from Tennyson’s “In Memoriam” the poem “Ring Out, Wild Bells,” which,, accompanied hv piaiio and hells, realises all the lofty inspiration of the verse. . ALL ABOUT FIDDLES. People of musical tastes may anticipate a real feast in “Chats on Big and little Fiddles,” by, Olga Racster. This book was originally published in two volumes entitled respectively “Chats on Violins” and “Chats on Violoncellos.” Largely rewritten and revised, and rewritten in popular form, it merits a wide circulation amongst music lovers. Profusely illustrated,- tile book tells all that there, is to be told concerning the beginnings, the development, and the perfection of the instruments variously known as fiddles. Beginning with a, biography of the “giant” double-bass, Miss ...Racster goes on to tell the story of the creation of the Greek “Lyre,”, by softie regarded as the founder of all how instruments. There follow descriptions of sbch primitive instruments at the Indian Ravanastrqn, the ancient Egyptian guitar, the Persian Rabab, and the Chinese Ur-been, and the Arabian Kemangeh a Gouze. An account is given of the immature bow instruments which preceded the fifteenth century viol, of 4 which the Rebec Was the parent-. The viols and violas have a- chapter to themselves, find a .mass of information is given cohcefning theise instruments and their makers;, And so on to the violoncellos and the violins. An amazing amount of fact and (tradition is compressed within the pages of this valuable hook.

MUSIC FROM A (MIRROR. More than two thousand years ago a barber discovered that in moving his mirror, air was forced through the tubes which were common in mirrors at that time. This caused a curious musical sbuiid tb be eririttecl.

So struck was he by this peculiarity that be set about making an instvument which was the foundation of the modern organ. Ate'r several experiments he made ft water-flute, in which air was forced by bellows through an inverted c-oiie which led to flutes controlled by a keyboard; the pressure being kbpt tiiriform by water. After a thousand years a rival instruriient made its appearance. This was a- similar pattern, but, instead of water weights regulated the pleasure.

In §sl an organ ivas erected at Winchester. It had twenty-six belloWs arid ten pipes to bach key. Thfe tWo irien who sat at the keyboard “blew and sweated enormously.” Later a firm of organ makers in Germany succeeded iri erecting the first really big -instrument. The primary stops did not differ very muc-h from ‘those of to-day, although various ivovlpltics Were? introduced.

Afnong the innovations wore the nightihgale ami cuckoo stops; While others, represented ebek-efbwirig rind goat-bleating. Thfligh these novelties h;ive now fallen into disuse, an organ with One of these nightingale stops is: still to be seen in Rome.

It ivas not iiivfcil tlie lunfeteeritli ceritury that the problem of the regulation of air pfekstires was solved by the introduction of thfe hydraulic bloWef.