MUSIC

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6623, 12 September 1908, Page 11

MUSIC

(By U G" String.) M> Edward Brunscombo'a “Scarlet Xrouoauoars' commenced us New ioeaJ*nO tour iax Invercargill last weeic. iJiw concert company nab just concluded & oucoeitasiui tour oi the ooiuiuonueuitn, wneie me caona or its mexuoarb, in«nxduaay ami coieotivcly, appeared both to wno enjoy good niuoic, and suen as ii*e their mu tic cmigiuenod by tne introduction of a little renued humour. Each member of the company enjoys a Jjoudon reputation. Miss may tuonn tprima dona*) is from tne Lyric TneaUfj hir oyanoy Maunuring was principal second i«uor with tne Atoody-Manneis upora company; Mr Aurtd Cuiuungham and Mi r oid Waltham wore members of the famous London Monster (jJce Singers; Mr Bercivat Mackenzie, the art humorist, is in the trout rank of Britain's crayon artists; and Mr Edgar Warwick enjoys tuo reputation of being among cue lorernost oi society entertainers.

The Auckland Bach Society gives its next concert at *>t Andrew's iiaJi on tho loth instant. dir ilubert fany s "i'ltd i/iper of iiauilin" is included, in the programme. The artiste include Mr Artuur Baiiance, of Wellington, and Miss i/hyilis Beane, who will render the KpU-xnown scone from “Traviata," “A fora e iui."

Vienna is about to orcot in J:ho city park a monument to Junann blruuts, eMimaicd to .UjuuU, of which tno Uovermuent will conuiuuto JUI-bO.

Several famous eiugers have originally followed plebeian avocaiions. Signor h’oli and islr Andrew were working b.ftckflmilhs; Mr lyloyd Chandos was an an moral woraor, engaged chiefly upon eccicsiatflicai gates; J±r Ugu JJaViCfl a Swansea grocer'u usniblaul; Mr ' Wat kin Mills was a monumental stonejaAoon> wiino Mr Ivor lostcr and, Mr iiarry Lauder were coaluuneis.

A hitherto unknown letter of Schumann has boon discovered, in which ho speaks of hie Sjmpnony in o, and says oi it: “Un the wnoio a serious piece; only in tho last movement do a few cheerful r*ys snine tnrough the gloom,"

Since Rubenstcin no pianist of any note had ever attempted to give a piano recital in tho huge Albert Hall, in Loudon, until Mark ilamixmrg did so just before his departure lor Australia. Pit®* reporte of the performance show that his laith in his own powers as an executant was ooundantly justified. Tnc 10,000 people who lured mo immense auditorium were quite carried away by tka brilliancy of the performance. The panist, says the ‘‘Daily Dek-grapa,” owing to his excellent touch was heard creu in tne sorteet passages. He put forward a splendid prctrnminc, and aroused special entuusiaem. ,ior his Chopin studies.

Paul Rubens, author of "Miss Hook of Holland” (words and music,), lu looked upon as the cleverest and most talented writer of music-d plays now in England. He is an ronglishman by birth, and a graduate from uxlord University. After leaving the University he began reading lor me bar, but soon gave that up to write and compose for the stage.

Mr Landon Ronald has been engaged for a tour in Germany, Prance, and belgium. During the tour Mr Ronald will conduct a good many of the best known orchestras.

An audience of 2500 lovers' of Irish mubic heard recently in Chicago the first American performance of villierg Stanford's dramatic cantata, “The Voyage of Mealdim©,” sung by the Irish Caoral Society.

Twenty-four Polish pianists recently met in -Warsaw and refused ever to teach, play, or in any way use a piano made in Prussia or any lands friendly to it.

M. Bompard, a French musician, who. for a wager, has composed the music to a song in ten minutes, is a formidable rival to Mr H, Trotere, of whose of rapid composition some remarkable stories are told. iiis beautiful soag "Aether©” was, it is said, Ijotii written aid corn posed within forty minutes in Blanchard's Itestenrant*; the famous melody of “In Old Madrid” wan jotted down in a few minutes on a bis-cuit-bag in a little public-house in Kochestor iiow, into which the composver rushed on his wav from the Aquarium, Icet tho air should escape him before ho could reach home: "«jo to Sea” waa composed under similar conditions in a West End music-shop; and—crowning feat of all—it in actually said that Mr Trotere composed “The Brow of tho Hill,” wrote a letter, and ran four hundred yards to catch tne post, ali inside eight minutes. AHer this ono Ir-rns wiisout surprise that Sir Arthur Sullivan completed the overture lo the” between 8 p.m. and 7 , the next morning, and that to “The IVomen of the Guard” within twelve hours. The death is announced of M. Van Waefalghem. well-known many yovrs 9-r,o as a viola player; indeed, ho may bo

rcgax-dxxl as tlio pioneer of the record i-ovxvai oi ixiuyiixg on old iunlruiuonLa

Benze Bianchi, a youth of twenty. Inn coiupobod ft new BelttUß of “iauat, truiuu xvae recoutiy sung at i’lorouoa wnon it xvas well roixnvod.

Before commencing Ixifl Amoiuoan ntwf Australasian tour nlincAa Llixiuu will mate nut one appearance in Bondar tnis soaenn—at the Albert Hall, on fcxuuday, Uuiooor xkli. Tuo A untralumau tour will be under tiro direotiou of Mj i rank Atuagrov©.

Wlicn "Tlio Waltz Dream" ends ita successful run at tlxe Hicks Tiicati'O, •London, Mr Ucorgo Ldxrardeo will produce "Tlio Dollar Briueeiit,,” a pieoo wliicli lias had us big a run on tlio Com s tiuoiit us "Tlio Merry Widow."

Tlio following is the personnel of Ml John Wren's .National Opera Corn-puny, wliicli commenced its career a. tlxe Theatre Royal, Melbourne, on August 29;—Alisa Aileen Hodgson (prixua donno eoxxrano), Misti Stella Gastroll (prima donna soprano soubxette), Atxwa i’esaa Byrne (mezzo-soprano sou beetle). Mi Vv'ilson Pom,broke (tenor), Mr iidix-ard Wynn (tenor), Mr Jay llynn (principal baritone), Mr M’NatighUm Dunoaix (principal baritone and cliaraclox actor), Mr G. H. Hnozello (Ixuflo singet and comedian), Mr Clement Locluuuxfl (musical director). These with the exception of Mr G. 11. Suoaollo, are all new to Australia. The Australian (livision of the company consists of tlxe following Miss Bosina liuckinnnn (prjmo donna soprano). Miss Sara Vcrner (tontralto), Mr Rufus Fcrgtxsoxx (baritone), Mr Alf. Stephens (comedian), Tlio coxa paxiy xx-as organised by Mr George Mua grove, and the English mcmlxcre of it bear high reputations. Miss Hodgson was with the Moody-Maxmci-s Company Miss Byrne is a charming operatic artist fi’onx the Emerald tale. Mr William I’embxoke, tenor, was exingixig "Tamihaxicer" in Dublin when, he xx-txs engaged Mr Edward Wvxxn has sung two sensxHia at Covcnt Garden. Mr J. Ryan, principal ba.riione, has been compared .oxtlxoi with Ludwig or Santley in the opexx-atie version of "‘The Collen Baxvn,” Mr G. H. Si’.azclle is well-known in these parts His speciality will bo comedy. Ml Wi’Naughfem Duncan has ixad considerable experience in comedy in London and the provinces. Mr Clement Lochnano is musical director of the company. rr ho company opened with "Lee CJochcss do Cornevillc,” and other operas in inimediate contemplation n-re "'iho Lily of Kiliarncy/*' “Boccaccio/' “rhe Bohomian Girl/* and * Montana. ino revival of those operas should pro vs very popular.

1 Madame Melba's tour of AnstralasU to lie undertaken next year will bo.of the most comprehensive character, him proposes to wing in tho remote parts of tire Commonwealth, where she has never vet been heard, as well os in the capitals. This visit, for which Mr John Lemmons is now arranging, will, begin at Perth in February next; mid. in the I course of the six months following the | great prima donna will visit every pari of Australia and New Zealand, therefore, she has just said farewell to the Koval Opera at Covent Garden, and will not lie heard again in England until 1910. As the "Morning Post” put it, "although Madame Melba has sung In ; all the principal cities in the Common- ! wealth, she has never been hoard in the ! remote districts. With commendable patriotism she intends to afford those i living in the distant parts an opportun- ’ itv of hearing her, and there is little ; doubt that the fact will bo much appro- | eiated, and that she will be welcomed warmly. But her return to London will I be egiiallv welcome, and the greeting ac- ! corded her by her own countrvmen and : women will not be more cordial than that she will receive when she reappears . in England."

FerepHons in honour of Madame Ada OrersW were arranged in Perth ana Adelaide a *s the Orient liner Orontee touched tho*© ports, while big prepare tions are being made for her welcome in Sidney where she starts her tour of tho Commonwealth and Now Zealand.

The approaching Australasian and Nc* Zealand tour of the Kussian children. Jan, Leo, and Michel. rhernipraki, should prove of great interest. In their •South African «en*on, terminating or August at Capetown, the boys aroused. e*trao»vlmnrv ©nthiKiafm, and nt fhesi errond perfomaue© the enf»‘re plan w *'i enld out at 11 in the Amrt from their rro**orly rdfts a« v ir tnorj on their h*p T»e«n from the faef that th* f'hennavFki f»to ilv are nraetienllv ©ril'd from their r* tire laud ndT *o ner«r<mt?en ,rd left 1 hf-fu n if» r e— e~ty a few days before the terrible mao-saerf there.