WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 December 1924, Page 13

WORLD of MUSIC

NOTES. New Plymouth’s new' opera house will be ready for use about' the end of July next or the beginning of August. It will seat about 1250 people. The time of the, year brings to one’s mind very vividly the wealth of wonderful music inspired by the joyous season, that which celebrates the birth of Christ, and probably the outstanding composition is the glorious “Messiah,” which in thousansd of centres iff performed by large and small societies, some, very good, others perhaps indifferently well sung and played, but still the feeling/of reverence is there all the time. The time brings up, too, memories of the carols < and hymns which breathe such a fine spirit of ‘‘peace on earth, goodwill to men.” It is truly a wonderful time, and not the least striking oif .it all is the music which gives opportunity for giving expression to ' the .thoughts that were taught by the 'Diyind Master, and which every year ; delights and thrills countless thousands’the world over.

.PERSONALS,

Writing to. a member of the Star •staff,-Walter Fennell says:—“Just a .line ..to *let you know I still survive. Dr . . Shinn was inquiring after you some 'time b'ack. He wished to be remembered'to you. Studies are going strong ah. the Academy, and I still enjoy the life -very much. London is a very fine place. I • have met lots of Hawera people here. I see Mr and Mrs Benquite often.” in acknowledgment of two copies of the Star containing a notice of Dr. Haig’s organ recital, MrsHaigh says: “I remember Hawera quite well —in fact my_ memories of New Zealand are quite vivid. '<l’m hoping very much to visit your beautiful country again.” WAR CHOIR REUNION. SIR WALFORD AND LADY DAVIES ; -HONOURED.

1 During the war Dr. Sir Waiford Davies formed a male voice choir, which did excellent service at camps and hospitals and in various other ways, and since the members have kept together. . Last year they entertained Sir Waif ord at dinner in recognition of his having' received, a knighthood. At Anderton ’s Hotel, London, the members of the choir gave Lady Davies and Sir Walfprd a complimentary dinner on the occasion of their marriage. Mr Denham presided, and; among the 35 or- '4O present ' were Mr and Mrs Grutchfield (Aberystwyth). During the evening national, part, folk and other songs were sung, and the chairman, on; behalf of the choir, presented Sir Waif ord and Lady Davies witl/an Algerian tray of beaten brass’inlaid with silver and inscribed: “Presented to Sir Walford Davies as a token-of affection from the members of his war-time male voice choir on his marriage, September 4, 1924,” In making the presentation, Mr Denham referred to the affection in which Sir Walford was held by the members of his old choir, and they all wished the newly wedded pair every happiness and long life. Dr. Sir Walford Davies feelingly replied.

MR GRANVILLE BANTOOK’S V MUSIC.

In April last two performances in Dublin of Mr Granville Bantock’s choral symphony, ‘ ‘Vanity of Vanities, ” gave pleasure to many musicians and won praise for the performers (says an Irish critic).' The symphony, ; which is written for voices (in twelve parts) unassisted, needs a large choir and two choral societies combined to produce it. At the ’ time of the first performances we described the symphony with its brilliant devices of expression and illustration through choral means alone. Now it is sufficient to,' record that the latest performance was 1 a great deal better than the first. The choirs have, become used to singing together and have gained confidence, so that the difficult music was delivered without those uncertainties which were betrayed before. It was not perfect choral singing—Dublin seems unable to produce that at present—but it was better than the singing of any Dublin choral body for a good many years . past. ■ _ OPERA IN NEW YORK. ULTRA-MODERN SYMPHONY. CACOPHONOUS BUT THRILLING. Mr. Guy Marrineiy of Auckland, who is pursuing his musical studies in New York, writes under date November 11:

“At the suggestion of some Auckland people, during the time I am a student of music in New York, it has occurred to me that I write occasionally to you letters which will give you some idea of all that is going on in New York during the winter season.

‘ ‘The season lasts from October to the end of April, when it would seem that most of the crowd in N e w York flock to Europe to meet their friends over there. But during the season there are, at the rate "pf Your or five a day, artists or would-be artists, trying out their ‘art’ on the public and critics, some with success, and' many otherwise. It is about the work of the more successful ones, and the opera with its artists, about the orchestras and their performances that I want to write, while I have the opportunity to do so. “The opera opened last week with a performance of ‘Aida.’ In past years it had been the custom of Caruso to sing on the opening night, when the opera is full of the ’most celebrated people, and the Diamond Horseshoe is teeming with a galaxy of wealth and beauty. In those days the opera on’ the opening night was really a one-man show, and Caruso, received an unusual ovation, having the whole show to himself, so to speak. Last year, though, Maria Jeritza was the star performer on the opening night, and this year the honours fell to Elizabeth Rethberg. I first heard Rethberg sing Seglinde in ‘Walkuere’ two years ago, when she first came over from Europe to make her bow. She did not have much of a chance that first year, but I thought her voice was quite superb, and far ahead of anything I have yet heard. Last year she came more into the limelight, and this year she had the supreme honour. Tn addition to her, a new conductor, Serafm, came over to assist and the result this year was the most brilliant since the end of the war I was not fortunate enough to go that night, as it is extromelv difficult to get a seat at the opera at any time, let alone the opening night, hut the papers said it was not for them to criticise the opening night, for the perfection of the performance did not

warrant any criticism. On Thursday, however, I heard Chaliapin sing Boris Godounow before a packed house. It was a superb performance, and was really so moving that one felt that Chaliapin was' Boris. It w r as the first time I had ever heard him, and he exceeded anything I ever imagined. Histrionically he is a great artist, and vocally one cannot say enough. His perfect musicianship, his reserve of power—to hear and to see him marks an epoch in one’s life.

“I do not know how long his New York season lasts at the Metropolitan Opera, but he could well stay here till the end of April, and pack the' house every time he sings. ULTRA MODERN.

“I heard the New York Symphony under Walter Damrosch recently play ‘Pacific 231.’ This is an ultra modern piece of work by Honegger, who is known as a member of that interesting group of French musicians, ‘The Six.’ Apparently, these musicians have set no principles to which all of them subscribe, save that which permits each of them to seek salvation in his or her way.

“It has been said that they do not undertake to 'disregard all the established rules and conventions of musical composition, but each of them follows his own inclination in accepting them or rejecting them. The' symphonic movement ‘Pacific 231- was first performed in Paris last May. The composer says: ‘I have always passionately loved locomotives. To me they are living creatures, and I love them as others love women and horses. What I wanted to express in the “Pacific” is not the noise of an engine, but the visual impression and the physical sensation of it.’ To me, though, I think Honegger succeeded pretty well in getting the noise, if not a real locomotive, although fiercely cacophonous, was vivid, and very thrill--The engine starts to hiss steam, through the harmonics on the strings, and apparently a huge gong. The engine gets under way by the double bases, and then a huge train tears across through the night, the sparks flying and 'the siren wheezing. The latest Stravinsky things had nothing on this! The tempo increases till the tram gets to a hill, and every, ounce ot steam pushes the huge roaring . engine U P' Filially the train. comes to a stands . ?,. re<^'iI<) i'. and hissing steam and grinding of brakes. Such a work needs, as you can imagine, a great deal of rehearsing, but it is one of the, finest pieces of work I have ever heard Damrosch conduct. Acting as a stoker and dnver combined, he puts a great deal of fire into it, and made the performance a great one. Amongst other things on the programme, the ■ orchestra played an adagio for strings, Opus 3, which was a gem in every wav. by Lekeu. This number was extremely well received by the audience, and should become very popular, with the orchestras here this season; , “The most interesting thing played by the Philharmonic Society of New York this season, was on their opening programme. It was the ‘Respighi Sinfoma Drammatica.’ They performed it for the first time in New York. I as greatlv taken last year by the composer’s ‘Fountains of Rome,’ when Albert Coates was over here to conduct. Van Hqogstraten was conducting, and did very well, for. the movement was inclined. to be a • bit. long for a first hearing. The second movement (there are three) hv Andante Sostenuto, was quite beautiful, with an idyllic woodymd theme followed by a beautiful iento rehgioso section for the brass. I will not get too technical, but that rpovement stood out as being unique. MUSEUM OF ART. ‘'That's more than enougn: of music.. I had the good luck to attend yesteruay tiie opening oi tne American wmg ae the Metropolitan Museum of aid. xiie wing is devoted entirely to can ait of the colonial, revolutionary, and early republican periods, and is the gilt or the president of the museum, itooert \v. de Forest and Mrs. de For|est. it is a history of the arts in I Npith America*-—examples 1 from EuroIpean influences which’ have predominated in America for more than auo 'years. The divisions make certain | changes in artistic expression which are .closely connected with the civilisation of the people. Consequently, one felt strongly as one saw the various rooms, furniture, etc., something of the economic and social .conditions, and the Puritanical restraint which controlled the lives of these people in their—-then-—new homes.” EDNA THOMAS. INTERPRETER OF NEGRO SONGS.

“With many thanks for having sung xt b® au Ufully at Coombe,” wrote Dame I Nellie Melba to Miss Edna Thomas, in sending her her portrait. Dame Nellie, in this tribute, joined the ever-growing throng of admirers of “The Lady from Louisiana,” who has captured audiences all over the United States and in London by the charm of her interpretation of the negro spirituals and Creole folk-songs. Miss Thomas has had the opportunity, as a southerner, of studying the negro songs in their own home. She received her musical training in New York, and then went to the battlefields of France and snent seven months in singing to the soldiers with her own concert company. On her return she made her debut in New York five years ago, and has been a busy concert artist ever since, It is only during the past two years that she has devoted her attention specially to negro music. And this change happened after she had gone into a conj cert hall in an American city one night and heard some spirituals badly sung. Her success was so pronounced that when she returned to New Orleans recently she received a civic welcome, the citizens organising a concert in her honour. Miss Thomas has collected negro songs over a wide area in the south. Many of them she has obtained from an old servant in her familv, Ninna, a negress. One night she and the negress were singing these melodies when Ninna suddenly stopped, astonished at the girl’s powers of delineation, and exclaimed* “Honey, for de momen’ I. forgot your colour!” Some of the best spirituals in the repertory qf Miss Thomas were secured from an old pastry-cook, who sang to her while she was at breakfast the morning after a concert she gave at the University of North Carolina. Then after a concert in Georgia about 900 negroes came Tound to her hotel and sang to her. “I Got Shoes,” a song with which she gained immediate success in London, was sung to her by a boy of 13, the son of a cook in a southern family.

In this way, collecting from authentic sources everywhere, the artist has built up an unequalled collection of this literature—the songs expressing the sorrows and joys, the inspiration and

despair, of a race of people. She is singing these with so much magnetism and sincerity that when she first appeared in London in 1923 the engagement was increased to eight weeks, and she was prompty rebooked for another eight weeks in 1924. And she is under contract to go back again next year for 25 concerts—all that her American engagements will allow. \ CHRISTMAS SONG. ■* ‘A Christmas Song for Three Guilds,” G. K. Chesterton’s song, which he suggests will untie the knot of Western civilisation. “It is to be sung a long time ago—ror hence” : THE! CARPENTERS. St. Joseph to the Carpenters said on a Cnnstmas if ay : •"The master, snail nave patience and the 'prentice shall obey; And your word unto your women shall be nowise hard or wild: hor the sake of me, your master, who have worshipped Wife and Child. 13ut softly you shall frame the fence, and softly carve the door, And softly plane the table—as to spread it for the poor, 1 And all your thoughts be soft and white as the wood of the white tree. But if they tear the Charter,, let the tocsin speak for me! Let the wooden sign above your shop be prouder to be scarred Than : the lion-shield of Lancelot that hung at Joyous Garde.” the shoemakers. St. Crispin to the shoemakers said on a Christmas tide: “Who fashions at another’s feet will get no good of pride They were bleeding on the Mountain, the feet .that brought good news, The latchet of whose shoes we not worthy to unloose. See that your feet offend not, nor lightly lift your head, Tread softly on the sunlit roads the bright dust of the dead. Let your own ‘ . feet be shod with p^ace; be lowly all your lives, But if they touch the Charter, ye shall nail it with your knives, And the bill-blades of the Commons drive in all a dense array As once a crash of arrows came, upon St. Crispin’s Day.” THE PAINTERS. St. Luke unto. the painters on Christmas Day he said: ‘ ‘See that' the , robes are white you dare to dip in gold and red; For only gold the kings can give, and only blood the saints; . ' And his high task grows perilous that mixes them in paints. Keep you the ancient order; follow the men that know i , The labyrinth of black and white, the maze of green and blue; Paint mighty things, paint paltry things,' paint silly things or sweet, But if men break' the Charter, you may slay them in the street. And if you paint one post for them, then ... but you know it well, You paint a. harlot’s face to drag all heroes down to hell.” Almighty -God to all mankind on Christmas Day said He : “I rent you free the old red hills, and 1 rending make you free. There was charter, there was chalYou can be all things other ; you canlenge; in a blast of breath I gave; not be a. slave. You shall be tired and tolerant of fancies as they fade. • But if. men doubt the Charter, ye shall

call <m the Crusade— • / Trumpet and torch and catapult, cannon and bow and blade, : Because, it was My Challenge to all the'things I made.”