A GREAT MUSICIAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11539, 26 November 1900, Page 5

A GREAT MUSICIAN.

A PROFESSIONAL APPRECIATION. [BY W. E. THOMAS, IHTS. doc, OXOS.]

Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan was born in London on May 13, 1842, his father being a bandmaster, and chief professor *of the clarinet at Kneller Hall. The youthful Sullivan was thus brought up in the most musical surroundings, and having been a chorister at the Chapel Royal, he had every advantage in the way of obtaining a solid musical education. The boy made good use of his time and opportunities, anu was thoroughly acquainted with every instrument of the orchestra at a very early age, and there was no instrument on which he did not know how to play something. This practical knowledge has been invaluable to him'all through his career, and gave him that command of the orchestra for which he was so justly famous. As a choir-boy, the Rev. Thomas Helmore, who was master of the children at the Chapel Royal, says of him: " His voice was very sweet, and his style of singing far more sympathetic than that of most boys." He left the Chapel Royal on June 22, 1857, when his voice broke; even when there he composed many anthems and small pieces— one of them, "0 Israel!" a sacred- song, was publised by Novello in 1855. The Mendelssohn Scholarship having come into actual existence in 1856, Sullivan was elected the first scholar. ' While at the Chapel Royal he was a pupil of • Sir John Goss, organist of St. Paul's Cathedral, and of Sir William Sterndale Bennett at the Royal Academy of Music, and he remained as a student of the Academy until 1858. In the Athenaeum of July 24, 1858, an overture of " considerable merit" is mentioned, which was played at one of the students' concerts. When sent to Leipsic, in 1858, he had the advantage of studying at the Conservatorium, under Plaidy, Hauptman, Richter, Rietz, and Moscheles, and there were Ihere as fellow-students Walter Bache, John Francis Barnjtt, Franklin Taylor, and Carl Rosa. He stayed until iB6l, After that he came to London and brought with him his " Tempest" music, which was performed at the Oryst . Palace on April 5, 1862, heard again on the 12th, and many times since. This Oeautiful work was much thought of by musicians, and was the means of bringing him to the fore in London musical circles. Two of his early publications •were pianoforte pieces, entitled " Thoughts." On the arrival of the Princess of Wales in 1863, he composed a song called " Bride of the North" and a processional " March and Trio" in E flat, in her honour. A song, entitled " I Heard a Nightingale," was brought out in the same year. He next wrote a cantata called " Kenilworth,' the words of which were by Chorley, for the Birmingham Festival, in 1864. In it there is a very fine duet for soprano and tenor to Shakespere's words, "On Such a Night," which should not be forgotten. His music to the ballet of " L'ile Enchantee" was brought out at Covent Garden in May, 1864. About this time Chorley wrote the words of an opera called " The Sapphire Necklace," which was wanting in dramatic character, and Sullivan wasted much of his valuable time in setting this to music ; the work never was represented, but the overture to it has been heard frequently, and the other music has been used in other works. In 1866 we find him writing a symphony in —the only symphonywhich was produced at the Crystal Palace, where it has many times been performed, and at the Philharmonic concerts. In the same year, his father, who was very dear to him, died, and he vented his grief by composing his "In Memoriam" overture, which was produced on October 30, at the Norwich Festival. Then came a concerto for 'cello and orchestra, which was played at the Crystal Palace by Piatti on November 24. In 1867 (June 3), he produced an overture, entitled "Marmion," commissioned by the Philharmonic Society. In the autumn of 1867 he went with Sir George Grove to Vienna in search of Cue Schubert MSS., which' have since become so well known. At the same time his symphony was played at the Gwendaus at Leipsic. In 1869, "The Prodigal Son," a short oratorio, appeared on September 8, for the Worcester Festival; Sims Reeves (lately deceased) took the principal parts. In 1870 one of his most delightful works was written for the Birmingham Festival, an " Overture cli Ballo," which, although it abounds in dance rhythms, is constructed on pure classical style, and is now one of the " favourites" in the London repertoires. In 1871 he composed a cantata for the opening of the annual International Exhibition at the Albert Hall, called " On Shore and Sea," for solo, chorus and orchestra. Works by Guonodl, Hiller, and Pinsuti were heard at the same time. On the recovery of the Prince of Wales from severe illness he composed a " Te Ileum;" this was on May 1, 1872. At this time he was engaged on his " Church Hymns" for the Christian Knowledge Society. In it he wrote 21 tunes, a great number of which have become popular, notably, " St. Gertrude" (or " Onward Christian Soldiers") and the admirable harmonisation of Crowes' St. Ann's tune to "The Son of God goes Forth to War." In 1873 wo again find him composing another work for the Birmingham Festival, entitled "The Light of the World," the words of which he selected from the Bible. This might be more popular than it is if it were not for the very solemn treatment of the Saviour's sufferings. He succeeded Sir Michael Costa at the Leeds Festival as conductor in 1880, and wrote "The Martyr of Antioch" for it. The words were from a play of Milman bearing the same name. The work is midway between an oratorio and a cantata, and was well received. He accepted again the conductorship of the Leeds Festival in 1883. In 1869 he wrote additional accompaniments to Handel's "Jephtha," for Sir Joseph Barnby's oratorio concerts. Sir Arthur Sullivan has made his great name principally through his comic operas and songs ; of the songs, " The Lost Chord," " Orpheus With his Lute," and " The Sailor's Grave," are especial favourites. This fact, however, will not detract from his being thought a great composer, for he has been wonderfully successful in every branch of the art of music, whether it be songs, anthems, overtures, operas, or oratorios; in fact, he has been good in all. He is as much known in Australia, New Zealand, and America as in Europe, and there is no one who does not obtain the keenest enjoyment from his clever, sparkling operas. We must place him at once in the first rank of comic composers of operas of the purest type. " Tho Sorcerer" was the first opera to really take the public ear ; there certainly were a few minor works before, such as " Cox and Box," " Contrabandista," and " The-spis," but until " The Sorcerer" appeared Sullivan's position was not really assured. This was a new departure, and contained much more substance than any of the former ones. It was produced at the Opera Comique, in the Strand, November 17, 1877, and ran for 175 nights. The company was formed by Doyley Carte, and had in it that brilliant artist Grossmith, whom everybody knows. Then came "H.M.s. Pinafore," in 1878, at the same place. "Pinafore" not only ran 700 nights in London, but was heard in many theatres at the same time in the United States. The opera was tried in Germany, but owing to there being nothing like "political caricature," it was a failure. The comic satire of " Pinafore," and " The Sorcerer," was kept up in "The Pirates of Penzance," " Patience," and " lolanthe," which were ,all most successful. Since these, there have appeared others too well known to speak about. There is a flavour of the Offenbach operas in his style, with one great advantage, that he always shows himself a skilled and cultivated musician, and one who would be incapable of aansgressing tho rules of musical grammar. Sullivan's songs are quite as well known as his operas, and are of a tender, sentimental character. His anthems show unmistakably his thorough training as a chorister ooy at the Chapel Royal. In them we find the parts easy, and his style flowing, and his counterpoint appears to advantage when he found it necessary to use it. His part songs are for the most part simple and unpretentious ; " O Hush Thee, my Baby." is a perfect gem, remarkably melodious, and easy of execution. .

His name will live amongst musicians for his orchestral music, viz., "Tempest" music, "Merchant of Venice," his oratorios, his *' Overture di Ballo," and his only symphony. These show what he could do with instruments. His beautiful forms and symmetri-

cal melodies, seem to be second nature with him; rhythm and melody clothe everything he touches, and in all his writing there is a complete absence of . pedantry and jshow; his 'orchestration has been hardly surpassed, even by the great masters. It is almost » pity that he did not leave behind him a few more symphonies like the one in E. In his style, although he was influenced by Schumann and Mendelssohn, yet he ha* a marked individuality of his own. During the early part of his career he was organist of St. Michael's, Chester Square. In 186? he undertook the music at St. Peter's, Onslow Gardens, for which church he composed many of his anthems. He was musical adviser to' the Royal Aquarium Company from its start in 1874 to 1876, and conducted its performances. He conducted the promenade concerts at Covent Garden for Messrs. Gatti. He was principal of the National Training School at South Kensington from 1876 to 1881, when bis engagements compelled him to resign in favour of Sir John Stainer. He was a member of the Council of the Royal College of Music. He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Music at Cambridge in 1876, and that of Oxford in 1879. He bears the Order of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. and was knighted by the Queen on May 15, 1883. In the death of Sir Arthur Sullivan we have lost our best and foremost musician, and it is sad to think that there will be no more Gilbert and Sullivan operas to cheer us up and help us to forget "the trivial round, the daily task."