MR PARKER’S SECOND LECTURE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 957, 4 July 1890, Page 19

MR PARKER’S SECOND LECTURE.

Mr Robert Parker delivered ou Monday night the second lecture of his series on tho great musical composers. His subject was “Schubert, the greatest of song writers.” The lecture was given in the Bowen street schoolroom, which was crowded to excess. Mr J. G. Wilson, M.H.R., jccnpied the chair. Mr Parker gave a very interesting and instructive account of Franz Schubert’s life and work, with a clear aud comprehensive review of the character of his music, The dreariness, discomfort, poverty,, dis. couragement, and general wretchedness of poor Schubert’s experiences as contrasted with the brilliant and prosperous career of Mendelssohn sketched iu the previous lecture— were impressively described, and the gradual steps by which Schuberts genius attained universal enthusiastic, but unhappily only posthumous, recognition, were briefly but effectively roe ranted. The lecture was listened to with keeu interest, and at its close a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer. The musical illustrations were generally wellchosen and enjoyable. In one or two instances moie attractive and characteristic specimens of the composer’s work might perhaps have been selooted, as, for instance, the exquisite “Staudchen” and the incomparable slow movement from tho pianoforte sonata in A-rnajor. We quite recogmse, however, that Mr Parker had to deal with an embarras de riohessrs, and that no single evening could suffioe for a really representative presentation of Schubert’s compositions Mr Parker, at any rate, did not fall into the trap which has caught so many lecturers on Schubert, of believing the famous “Adieu ” song to be Schubert’s composition. He is doubtless aware that although invariably attributed to Schubert it was really written by a little-known composer named Wey rauch. Several beautiful and genuine songs of Schubert were tastefully sun - by Mrs Levin, Miss ampbell, Mr F. V. Waters, and by Mr Parker himself, aud some charming morceaux from the great composer’s shorter pianoforte works were exoelleutly interpreted hy Misses Elfie Williams and Cooper (2) ami bv Mr Par Ker, that g.-titlemuu also playing with his accustomed skill aud sympathy the elaborate accompaniment- wnicb are associated with ali Schubert's songs.