MUSIC IN EUROPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19383, 19 July 1926, Page 12

MUSIC IN EUROPE.

THE OPERAS OF VIENNA. IMPRESSIONS OF CYRIL MONK. ENGLAND'S COMPOSERS ACTIVE. Some impressions gained on a visit to the principal musical centres of Europe wore given yesterday by Mr. Cyril Monk, tho Australian violinist, who is en route to Sydney by the Aorangi. Mr. Monk is a tutor and examiner for tho New South Wales Conservatorium of Music. He last visited New Zealand 17 years ago, when ho conducted the orchestra at tho Christchnrch Exhibition.

On the holiday tour just completed, Mr. Monk was accompanied by Mr. Walter Thorman, pianist, of Sydney, and Mr. Thomas Lobban, secretary of the examining department at the Conservatorium, both of whom he lpft in London. The party sailed from Sydney last January, visiting Java ■ and Ceylon before going on to Europe. "The most cultured city we visited, both musically and in every other way, was Vienna," said Mr. Monk. "In no other part of tho world can you hear opera to such perfection." This was probably due, he added, to tho fact that Vienna possessed the greatest musical traditions of any city on the Continent, being the spot where tho life-work of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms was done. In Munich, too, tho visitors were greatly impressed with both opera and music. In fact, said Mr. Monk, the music and opera in all European cities was of such a high order that it commanded municipal subsidies, an advantage not even possessed in London.

Nevertheless, the most important group of creative musical geniuses was centred in England. Ho had no doubt whatever that Vaughan Williams and Gustave Hoist were doing the most important musical work at the present day as regards composition, despite the genius of men like the French Ravel and Stravinsky. The list of other notable composers in England comprised Herbert Howells, Delius, Frank Bridge, J. B. McEwen and a group which was doing work of a different kind: Arnold Bax, Arthur Biiss and Lord Berneis, a musical dilettante of extraordinary high attainments, and Eugene Goosens. Sir Edward Elgar still held his own in the front rank in English • estimation, but Mr. Monk said it was felt the most important work.of his career had been done. Opinion seemed to be consolidated that he w r ould live through his "Dream of Gerontius, the "Empire" variations and his two symphonies. Of his other impressions of London, Mr. Monk said the most striking was the growing popularity of Verdi's "Falstaff," which was played at Covent Garden this year, and Debussy's "Pelleas et Melisande."

While in Italy, Mr. Monk saw the production of "Turandot," the last opera Puccini composed. While it was a most interesting event, Mr. Monk thought the opera lacked the spontaneity of the great composer's earlier work. He holds the view that Puccini had become, unlike Verdi, mentally lazy, and thinks the composer will live by "La Boheme" and "Madame Butterfly." The other Puccini operas, with the exception of "Gianni Schicchi," were due for extinction.