ADDRESS ON MUSIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20130, 15 December 1928, Page 15

ADDRESS ON MUSIC.

TRINITY COLLEGE EXAMINER.

PRAISE FOR ELOCUTION WORK. An address to teachers and students was given in tho Lewis Eady Hall yesterday afternoon by Mr. C. Egerton Lowe, who has concluded the examinations in Auckland on behalf of tho Trinity College of Music.

Mr. Lowe had high praise for the elocution, and in particular emphasised the excellent pronunciation and general efficient preparation of the candidates. He mentioned there had not been a failure in this subject, and he believed this was a record.

The principal part of the lecture dealt with the pianoforte, and the best method of teaching the young correct touch and tone. Particular attention should be given to beginners, and care taken to cultivate, from the beginning, a beautiful quality of tone. Forte tone was obtained gradually by the increase of muscular exertion, and if loudness was aimed at too early, a hard tone almost always resulted through the pernicious habit of key-hitting. Piano tone should always precede forte. An interesting feature of the lecture was an explanation of the meaning of the term "well-tempered clavichord" as used by Bach for his preludes and fugues, the differences between "just" and "tempered" intonation bping clearly set out. Further interesting matters included the important question of phrasing and the two-note -slur, signs in musical notation as employed by Beethoven and later composers, an explanation of real and tonal fugues, and the viva-voce part of the Diploma examinations. Mr. Lowe laid stress on the great importance attached by examiners to this latter subject. It was this part of the examination which enabled one to judge (ho candidate's capabilities and capacity or otherwise of imparting knowledge to a pupil. Not nearly sufficient attention was being given to this subject in the preparation for the teachers' diploma, and henco the large percentage of failures in the associate and licentiate grades. At the conclusion. Mr. Lowe played the slow movement from Beethoven's Sonata in D, No. 7, to illustrate the necessity for maintaining a real adagio tempo throughout. Any variation in tempo in a Beethoven slow movement must be so slight as to be hardly perceptible. A vote of thanks to the speaker was proposed by the chairman, Mr. A. L. Stedman, and was carried by acclamation. Mr. Lowe is leaving Auckland by the Niagara on Tuesday for England.