MUSIC COMPETITIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21876, 11 August 1934, Page 10 (Supplement)

MUSIC COMPETITIONS

MANY INTERESTING CLASSES STRONG VOCAL SECTIONS After a break of five years, musical competitions are to be held again in Auckland this year, the Auckland Society of Musicians having decided to sponsor a festival on modest but wellarranged lines. The first classes will be heard on Monday week at 9 a.m., and a full three days' programme of tests in the Lewis Eady Hall will follow, with a demonstration concert of winning items in the Town Hall Concert Chamber on the Thursday, August 23.

Over 350 entries have been received, and while in some classes the competition is rather disappointing, in others very large sections will be heard. Keenest interest has been taken in the section for ladies' vocal solo, any voice and own selection, for which 35 entries have been received. The 6ongs chosen cover a wide range, from operatic arias and art songs to ballads. A class for folk songs, ladies' voices, own selection, has attracted 30 entries, while a similar section for operatic solos will be contested by 30 ladies. Not such largo entries have been received for the men's voice classes.

All the pianoforte classes have drawn strong competition, the largest number of entries being in the class for piano solo, 12-14, for which 32 entries have been received. The test piece is Handel's Fantasia in C. For the piano solo under 12, two Little Preludes in C (Bach), 23 children have entered, and for the solo, 14-16, Chopin's Waltz in C Sharp Minor, 22 have entered. Debussy's

Arabesque No. 2 in G is tho test piece for tho class from 16 to 18 years, and for this there are 20 contestants, while the champion piano class, a very interesting section, has drawn 16 entries, the selections including many outstanding test pieces. The piano duo class, for which there are eight entries, also should attract considerable interest. Drdla's " Souvenir " has been chosen for the junior violin solo class, in which nine entries have been received, and Krcisler's " Liebeslied " is the test piece for the solo, 14-16 years, for which there will be eight contestants. There are only four entries in the champion violin class, professional or amateur, but the'standard should be high. There are two test pieces, Alard's " Brindisi " waltz, and an own selection number.