THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 8 September 1923, Page 5

THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Prospects are good for a busy and useful time right through the year in local musical circles. J^ach of the societies is still hard at work for the next concert and expects to put on a good progr-ainme.

"The Geisha" has made quite a stir in Hawera and throughout Taranaki, and has so far been remarkably successful. That class of music is always popular, and the excellent production by Hawera made a special appeal, as shown by the large houses recorded, resulting in a substantial surplus. The cost of putting on such a work is very considerable, so that anyone can. realise the load off the financial committee's mind when the public respond so liberally to their efforts.

The work of preparing for "Faust" is beginning to take shape, and already several good practices have been held. The work is one of no little difficulty, and therefore the hearty co-operation of the Njliorus is absolutely essential. As Was been pointed out repeatedly, a little private practice would go a long way towards lightening the work of the conductor and increasing the efficiency of the conceited portion of the opera.

A valuable pa,rt in the life of music in 'a town and one which has a useful influence in the larger sphere of musical societies is that taken by the church choirs. •;■ The training and practice which members get must be a considerable help to the conductor of the larger body, more perhaps than as a rule he realises. Some of >: the best choral music such as good anthems, masses and other sacred works are as a rule performed by no other bodies than church choirs. Such work is a valuable help to members in the. ordinary music of the Sunday service, and is also useful to maintain interest in the choir work generally. Choirmasters would therefore do well to regularly practise such compositions, and members would find mucli value from this class of practice and would derive much benefit from, and assist their leaders also, by a. little regular individual practice in exercises and in the work being done by the choir. There is no doubt church choirs fill a very useful place in the community, and give training in a fine class of work not performed by any other body.

Benno Moiseiwitsch, who commenced a series of four concert recitals in Wellington ou Thursday, started his artistic career at the Imperial Music Academy, Odessa, where he won the Kubenstem jjnze at the age of nine years, later going to Vienna to sttidv under Leschetizky. His debut was made m England on OctoDer 1, 1903 when he created a sensation. His appearances with the Queens' Hah Orchestra, under the foremost conductors of the day, and his own recitals, were scenes of tremendous enthusiasm. In America his success was instantaneous. The New lork critics painted wonderful word pictures of the young artist's playing. His Australian tour, which followed was a march of triumphant progress the scenes of enthusiasm eclipsino- all previous memories.

-n? 610! 18 a httle story of M«isiewitsch • Uhen he was m America he visited a lamily not far out of Philadelphia Among those who gathered to greet the pianist . was a little old grandmother, who, to the r horror of her relatives asked him : to. play "My little Grey Home in the West." Moiseiwitsch did not faint or e^en get annoyed, lie sat down with infinite humour and tact and played the old tune as if it had been written by Chopin The gratitude of the old'lady was' delicrhtlul< to see. . ■

Mr William James, the new pianist' at the bteila Power concerts, in Sydney, is a Baliarat man, whose juvenile successes at the South Street competitions m that beautiful Victorian city ■ were followed by a three years' scholar- j snip at the Melbourne University Con-I seryatorram. In 1913 he continued his studies m London under the Belgian virtuoso Arthur de Greef, the now Seed pupil of Liszt. "This great pianist," remarked Mr James, "had a name for his interpretation lessons. De. Greef's insistent advice was 'Never imitate ' and after listening he would add, 'Keep your individuality, my boy, as a priceless possession, for it is better than anything I can rnve you. Treasure it, I say, but absorb anything that strikes you as harmonising with your own cenception from my own moderate periormance.' " Thereupon he would play uke an angel.

A recent musical publication notes the death at the age of 75 of a lady who was appointed organist of St Paul's, Mortom-by-Gainsborough, at the age of 15 and held it until her death. Sixty years at one post must be something in the nature of a record.

A strong plea for representation in Parliament is made by "Schaunard" in Musical Opinion, a 'leading English periodical, in an article commencing with a eulogy of Paderewski and his return to the concert platform after doing his job for his country, and. concluding with a plea for the better solution of the problem of music tuition, for, adds the" writer, "we can never . hope to arrive at a real solution of this question by any Tom, Dick or Harry ' who cares to fasten a brass plate on his door until the musical profession acquires a representative in Parliament who knows something of the art from the inside.1' !

One of the best known and most famous names in the organ world is that of Hill, that of a firm who have built as many and as fine, organs as> any in the world. The firm was established in 1775, and amalgamated with Norman and Beard in 1916, There has recently died a member of the family of Hill, Dr. A. G. Hill, D.Litt., F.S.A., i who was controlling director for many years until ill-health forced him to reS tire. Besides this work and many volumes on organ construction he wrote on archaeological subjects, having '.been an acknowledged authority and a .deep student of antiquarianism. He was altogether a remarkable man, and his death has removed one who has done much to advance the development of organ building. Speaking of singing in the English language. Mr Foster remarked that a good deal had been said of the Italian language for vocal performances, but !he was in agreement with Mr David ' Bispham. Frangcon Da-vies, and Her- , berfc Witherspojon (the American basso), that the English language, properly studied, and correctly sung, lends itself equally as well to the so-called bel canto style ot' singing. Being more complex it? difficulties are naturally greater, and consequents a much closer and -more careful study is required than is generally given to> it. "It may be said." Mr Foster raided, "that half the difficulties connected with singing have relation to pronunciation, and not to the voice itself. ' T repeat the old Italian masters' sot-. '■ ing—that ke who knows how to breathe <irtd how to- pronounce knows how to sing.'-'

Thaee weeks after Handel's death three of his works were performed at the London Foundling Hospital. Com-' pare the forces he was accustomed to employ with those engaged in the recent Handel festival in London. ■. Date. Chorus. Orchestra, Tl. ! 1759 23 33 56

1923 2367 452 2819 ; The questions to be asked (says Mr. Percy A. Scholes in the Observer) are:. (a) Can 2300 people perform Handelian "runs" or\"divisions" at the speed and with tile certainty, flexibility and . brilliance of 23? (b) Handel having j written for an orchestra nearly one ! and a half times the size of his chorus, j do we get an effect of which he would approve With an orchestra one-fifth the ■' size of the chorus? ' j