MUSIC

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 27

MUSIC

NOTES BY G STRING

Tho .members of the Italian Opera Company brought to Australia by Mr J. C. Williamson, are now playing a farewell season in Sydney. Before they return to Italy, they will give two concerts in Melbourne, after which thero will be seasons in Adelaide and Perth, with Herr Ben no Scherek as musical director. Fro’m Perth the principals will sail for Italy, after completing a continuous engagement in Australia of nine months.

w ( • ft ft ft Mr Nevill Smith, a Melbourne violinist, created an excellent impression at his concert at tho Steinway Hall on November 28th. In a Beethoven quartet with Herr Friedrich and the sisters Chaplin he showed his capabilities as an ensemble player and in Tartini’s Sonata in C Minor, Bazzini’s “Elegie,” Leclair’s “Sarabande and Tambourin,” Vieuxtemp’s “Ballade” and “Polonaise,” Field’s “Nocturne,” and Ernst Heller’s “Pensees Fugitives,” ht proved that with facility of execution and a broad tone were combined intelligent appreciation of the composer’s meaning, refinement and sympathetic feeling. Miss Maggie Stirling was at her best in "Ah Mon Fils” and Mallinson’s “The Message and the Song,” and showed how much a clever artiste can make out of such a commonplace ballad a!5 Noel Johnson’s “Try to Forget.” Mr Percy Grainger played Bach’s “Cigue,” Beethoven’s “Rondo a Capriecio,” and two Hungarian Dances of Brahm’s. The New Zealander, Mr Mandeno Jackson, was in poor voice, but sang with excellent taste Handel’s “Where’er you Walk,” and Clutsam’s dainty “Tales They Tell” and “I know of two bright eyes” from the “Songs from the Turkish Hills” cycle.

Miss Amy Castles made her second appearance in London at a Queen’s Hall ballad concert, her items being Bellini’a “Qui La Voce,” followed by “When Wo Meet” as an encore, and Spohr’s “Rose j Softly Blooming.” “The Times” critic writes of her deliciously unaffected performance, but says:—She is just now in I the state when frequent appearances at ballad concerts are not to be advised; : like all young singers she will almost certainly begin soon to adopt the tricks ! whereby older artistes provoke applause, i she will acquire bad vocal habits by : imitation, and will lose the fresh sim- . plicity that is her greatest charm. In j a year or two she may be able tb face J the ballad concert audienco without | undergoing the process of deterioration ! which is observed in so many of the habitual performers; till then she should only sing to more educated audiences, and she or her friends should see to it that she sets to work to finish her studies on the admirable method on which she has been already trained.”

_ Another Australian singer who may also be seen and heard in the Commonwealth soon is Miss Region Nagel, of “Ben Bolt” fame in “Trilby.” Her health has been far from good lately, and she has been strongly urged to bask in the sunshine of her own country for a while.

“lolantlie” was revived at tlie Savoy Theatre on December Bth, with Miss Resina Brandram as the Queen of the Fairies, Mr Walter Passmore as the Lord Chancellor, Miss Louie Pounds as lolantlie, and Miss Agnes Fraser as Celia. Mr W. S. Gilbert, grey and rather bowed with sixty-five years, but obviously delighted with the reception of the opera, received an enthusiastic call at the conclusion, and afterwards, with graceful tact, led Mrs D’Oylcy Carte to the footlights.

Mr Mark Hambourg lias abandoned the idea of visiting Australia this year. It is likely that he will come in the early part of next year.

Referring to the coming visit to Ausi tralia of Madame Melba, tlie London i correspondent of the “Brisbane Courier” | writes:—Madame Melba says she lias , received numerous messages from pro- ; miuent residents of Australia expressing pleasure at the news of her in- ' tended tour. The Prince of Wales has , sent her an autograph letter to the | same effect, and in writing lie took ocj casion to say once more that he will , never forget the enthusiasm and affeci tion which he met with himself recent;ly in Australia. These messages and | the idea of “going home” have, Madame ! Melba declares, deeply touched her. Madame Melba has not yet decided upon her musical programme, but it will certainly include passages from the two dozen operas in her repertoire—the wonderful mad scene from “Lucia di Lain--1 mermoor” and others. Something, too, she may sing from the soprano part in 1 Berlioz’s “Faust,” which she is now ‘ studying in her spare time, and will ap--1 pear in for tlie first time at Monte Carlo about fair months hence. The orchestra for tlie season in Australia will be organised locally, and Madame Melba adds, “I am hopeful of finding one or two good tenors out there during my visit-”

Miss Alice Hollander is now in Auckland, where she gare a couple of concerts last week. Included in her company is Herr Gerald Vollmar, whose violoncello performances are not unknown in "Wellington, and Mr Neal McCay, a tenor whose voice is said to be highly appreciated. # * * * •

Lady Halle has been appointed violinist to her Majesty Queen Alexandra.

One of the most useful and hard-work-ing of modern German composers, Joseph Rheinberger, died recently in Munich. He wrote music for many different instruments, and his pieces are not unknown in the colonies. « # * * »

At a recent performance in London, on the anniversary of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s death, a considerable portion of the music from his opera "Ivanhoe” was revived. In the judgment of the critics, this work, of which so much was expected as likely to become the foundation for a new school of English opera, has no permanent life in it.

Miss Amy Castles, while in England, has been studying oratorio with Mr Charles Santley as her teacher. On the night of her debut, Miss Castles was too nervous to do herself complete justice, but the verdict as to her voice and its sympathetic quality of tone was more than satisfactory. On the morning following, the young singer took the whole of the flowers presented to her to the Children’s Hospital in Great Ormond street. • * • • • Madame Antonio Dolores has received a cable message stating that Mr F. Vert, who is to manage her New Zealand season, has left London for Australia.

# a * • * News by the mail shows that Miss Ada Crossley, at her concert at St. James’s Hall on the 15th November, sang fourteen times, and was recalled again and again amidst continuous cheering. Miss Crossley was assisted by Lady Halle.