MUSIC

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1746, 23 August 1905, Page 20

MUSIC

NOTES BY “G” STRING.

Miss Violet Mount who is to be tendered a benefit in Sydney on the 20th September, will leave the New South Wales capital for Buenos Ayres in October. Miss Mount hopes to go on the operatic stage eventually. Fraulein Amely Heller gave a successful violin recital in liOndon, on tie 3rd July. Thisi young lady is the daughter of a distinguished Hungarian journalist, and is a pupil of Professor Sevcik. Last year she played at Marienbad during the visit of King Edward, who was so pleased with her skill that he presented her with a souvenir medal. The death is announced of Charles Steggall, at the age of 79. He was wellknown as the author of many excellent hymn-tunes and anthems. Mile. Zina Brozia, who was introduced to London music lovers by Mr Phillip York at a concert held at the Queen's Hall, on the 3rd July is a young French singer who made her debut in Paris in "L’Afrieaine” two years ago. Last season she appeared with great success as "Marguerite” in Brussels. Miss Maggie Stirling has sailed from England by the steamer Aberdeen for her concert tour of Australia, and New Zealand. A large number of Anglo-Colonial friends and admirers assembled and gave he-' a great send-off. Handel’s watch (says "Musical Opinion”) has passed into the possession of Dt W. H. Cummings l , who already owns several interesting relics of the composer. The watch, winch is traditionally said to have been presented to Handel by one of Ms admirers in 1745, is a fine specimen of repousse art in silver. Miss Gertrude Alger, the young Australian violinist, recently plaj r ed before Prof essor Hugo Heermann, who has since written the following letter: —"I have heard Miss Alger play the violin, and think her so exceptionally, gifted that it would be a pity if she were not given the opportunity of making a complete study of the instrument for some years at any serious school for .the violin. I consider her future career as a very fine and most brilliant one.”

Mr Francis Macmillen who gave an attractive violin recital at Queen’s Hall, London, on Thursday afternoon, the 29th June, is the ©on of an Ohio newspaper proprietor, and was born at Marietta on October 14, 1885. He studied in Chicago, Berlin, and Brussels, hie principal instructors being Carl Halir and Cesar Thomson Mr Macmillen promises to make a name for himself.

Referring to the Watkin Mills Concert Cbmpany, Melbourne "Punch” remarks:—"Miss Edith Kirkwood, the soprano, and Mies Gertrude Lonsdale, the contralto, are two of the most finished artists we have ever heard in Melbourne. Mis© Lonsdale’© deep contralto voice is remarkable in it© purity and strength.” Elorizel von Reuter, says the London "Musical World,” is to retire from public life at the end of a tour he is just commencing, in which he visits South America, South Africa, and Australia. It is hoped that five more years devoted to quiet etudy will develop his powers, and he may then be expected 4x> come forth once more, this time as a mature artist. Dr. H. Walford Davies’© compositions are always interesting alike to the professional and amateur musician. His latest works are some charming songs, published by Messrs Riorden, London, and among them is a fine setting of Burns’s "For a’ that.” A bright and breezy ditty is "I love the .jocund dance,” and a pretty accompaniment is a notable feature of "Harne,” a Scot® ballad, the words of which are by Allan Cunningham. Mr M. Chenoweth a South Australian tenor, has Joined the Westminster Glee and Concert P&rty for the remainder of their Australian and New Zealand tour.

Thu© the musical critic 'of "The Australasian” on the recent Melbourne season of the Westminster Glee and Concert Party:—"There i© no doubt that the company ha© achieved a remarkable success during its visit. In spite of the large number of concerts given, there has hardly been a poor house all the time, and it should be said that this result has not been gained by any degradation of the musical art. There has been much popular, but no vulgar or meretricious, music performed. The soloists are all qf them worth hearing, and the part-singing is simply ideal.” Melbourne "Age’s” London Jeames telle of Melba’s birthday reception; duchesse© in the hall, marchionesses in the doorway, and mere countesses’ out on the mat. ‘‘The reception followed a dinner party. . . Madame Melba disappointed her public at Covent Garden on the following evening on the pica of indisposition.” What! —"Bulletin. . Miss Ethel Sinclair, the young violinist who is coming to Australia with Mies Maggie Stirling, is one of those folks whose genius will out. She lived in the country, and her first fiddling was ta,ught her by the village blacksmith, on a little

nondescript fiddle She soon outclassed her master, "Table Talk” explains, eo folks began to discover how talented she was, and she began regular lessons. Mr Haydn Coffin, after a service of nine years, recently ceased to be a member of Mr George Edwardee’s company, that manager having announced his intention of exercising the option he possesses of bringing “’the engagement between himself -and Mr Coffin to a- close.

It is stated, -on good authority, that Mine. Melba has received a fee of £IOOO from Mr W. W. Astor for singing four songs at his house at Cliveden on Thursday evening, the 29th June. Some years ago Mr Astor paid Paderewski a similar amount when the famous pianist went down to Cliveden and played at a reception there. This is the biggest fee ever paid to an artist for a private appearance in Lon don , The Prince of Wales presided at Marlborough House, -on the 4th July, at the annual meeting of the Corporation of the Royal College -o-f Music. The Prince referred to the many successes of the college, and congratulated the director, Sir Hubert Parry. The great feature of the year, said his Royal Highness, was the first practical working of the Patrons’ Fund scheme, the results of which must have proved as gratifying to the founder, Mr S. Earnest Palmer, as they were to the college. In the course of the year, besides the public concerts, 24 trial rehearsals were provided for, at® which a very large number of works of young British composers were tried. By this mean© 21 composers were afforded an •opportunity of hearing their works, and also in many cases of conducting for the first time an orchestra. The fund’s benefits also extended to six singers and seven instrumental soloists. It is intended -to offer exhibitions in the colonies) which will entitle their holders tv, free tuition at the Royal Academy and the R-oj-al College of Music for two years, with possible extension. The Vienna Opera is expecting the debuts next season of two tenors who are officer© -on the active -service list of the Austrian Army, which is very unusual. One is a Lieutenant Weisskopf, the other •a Lieutenant Madincea, and Herr Mahler is said to have formed a high opinion of both. Tenors who look and bear themselves like gentlemen are sufficiently rare to make the announcement interesting. Herr Humperdinck is said to be writing a new fairy opera for production, at the -Vienna Volksoner next winter. The Brisbane season of Mr J. C. Williamson’s Gilbert and Sullivan Opera. Company, was a great financial success, over £IOOO being said to- have been cleared by the management. A fresh opera was staged every second night, which entailed a lot of hard work and constant rehearsing. The . repertoire of the company at present consists of seven Gilbert and Sullivan opera©, but there are a few others in the "scrip box,” such as ‘‘Ruddigore,” "The Rose of Persia,” and ‘'Princess Ida,” besides Sullivan’s "The Emerald Isle,” "Haddon Hall” and "Ivanhoe.” With some vocal strengthening aa regards the principals it is safe to say that the company could continue playing the Commonwealth and New land with success for several years. The next production at the Strand Theatre, London, will probably he "The Gipsy Girl” a comic opera by Messrs Claude Arundel and Eollett Thorpe, which had> a preliminary trial at the Shakespeare Theatre, London, a few weeks ago. Alice Hollander, who went to England, with a view to putting Ada Croesley’s nose out of >oint, is now a star turn at the London Tivoli. "The charming Australian vocalist” has a forty-four weeks engagement, and will sing nineteen weeks at the Tivoli before going to another hall. Who wouldn’t be a singer on the upperclass variety stage ? The salary is liberal, and the work is light. Mis© Hollander i© timed to appear at 9.55 p.m., and the following turn comes on at 10.5. -ten minutes a night—one hour per week. Notravelling. No "frequent change© of programme.” The same ballad, or two- batlaris including the encore, will do duty fora Sonth at least.. Tire life of .a first, class concert artist is full of toil and trouble, as compared with that of «. var-iety-hall vocalist of Alice Hollander’s The night of the Heermann season at the Town Hall was not as largely patronised as might have been expected on the first appearance of euch a world famous violinist. The reaeon of this was not, however, want of musical taste on the part of the W ellmgton public, but rather the counter attraction of a fashionable local production _at the Opera House Those who did attend the Heermann Recital—not an inconsiderable number by any means, yet fax from sufficient to make an adequate appearance in the vast hall—were well rewarded. The playing of the Heermann©, both, father and son, was of a class not heard here once in a decade, and the first appearance of Mr John Frouse, after hi© long absence showed that his marvellous voice has gained rather than lost in its remarkably eympatMe quality. Mr Laver’s accompaniments, and his own contributions on the pianoforte,'were examples of instrumental skill and musical ability of a very high class.