MUSIC

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6678, 28 November 1908, Page 6

MUSIC

(By “G” String.)

I have received two songs from Messrs Nicholson and Company, Limited, music publishers, George street, Sydney. Tho lira i, "Tiie Mate of the Albatross,” by P. d. Lambert, is, as the name implies, a nautical song of a rollicking nature, with reminiscences of the sen ami sunny Australia and ought to become very popular with baritone and tenor singers requiring a- song of this description. The second, "Could I Believe," by Owen Conduit, the well-known musical conductor, for many years with Air Harry RickardAs Tivoli Company, and now with the Clay Combination, of Sydney, is a sentimental ballad suitable for either lady or gentleman. Of medium compass, tuneful and graceful in movement, with a haunting waltz refrain, it promises In be one of the most popular songs of the day. it is at present being featured in several theatres and concert companies in the Commonwealth. The famous Scots-Camulian Band, the "Kilties," opened their Wellington season. at the Theatre Royal last, evening, and were accorded a most enthusiastic reception from a packed, house. The performers appeared in Highland garb, and when seated on the stage presented a grand spectacle, and the two drummajors, who stand 7ft 2Hn and 7ft 3Hn respectively, who were stationed at Uio entrance of tlie theatre, were greatly admired by tho largo crowd waiting iov admittance. There will be a matinee this afternoon, and evening performances io-night ami on the evenings of Monday and Tuesday.

It has been definitely decided to hold the first Commonwealth Eisteddfod in Sydney next Easter. Over .kIODO will be given in prize-money, while «£IGO will Pc* given for the Grand Champion Choral Contest, which will be a feature of the gathering.

Airs A. C. Orr-Lorlng will assist the lung’s Trumpeter, Air William Short, L.ILA.AL, at his recitals' in the Town Kail on Wednesday and Monday, December 2nd and 7th. Mrs Orr-Loring ranks ns Dunedin’s most popular soprano, and lias been specially engaged ior these recitals. A pure soprano of excellent quality and great range is Airs Orr-Loring s voice, sier mezzo-voce work being particularly sweet and effective, and a glance at the programme shows that her items are all standard soprano solos.

Bearing in mind the 11niF.ic.nl geniuses v.llo have visited Australia, in tile persons of Murk Harafcourif and Joan Gcrai<lv, the promised visit from the remarkable trio of boys, Leo, Jan, ami Mif'f’hcl Cherniavski, should prove a veritable feast of good things. Critics and public alike are unanimous in describing these children as prodigies. Ihey play the piano, violin, and 'cello, and the performances make it hard to believe that it is not a mature heads on you ng shoulders. “'The brothers Cherauaveki served to fill the Bcchstein Hall to repletion, c.n-rl a.s this was, ive believe (says the "Daily Telegraph”), their third appearance of late in our midst, the indication must bo taken as evidence of the strong impression made upon London conccrt-gosrs. whether considered collectively or singly, may be reckoned remarkable. The C’hern ia.vskis will appear in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Thursday, December Kith, and will be assisted by Madam Marie H.ooton, the 'well-known contralto, and Mr Percival Driver, baritone of the Eoyal Academy of Music.

One of the most interesting new-comers to London next season will be Madame Marie Galrielle Leschctizky, who is the fourth of the pmiils whom Professor Theodor Leschetisstv, the famous teacher of the pianoforte has espoused. The pianist in question is to make her first appearance in London at the Queen's Hall on December loth. 'lt is said that Leseheti/.kv. who is in his seventy-ninth year, declares that his wife-*whom he married onlv a few months a bo—is the most gifted of all the punils he has instructed in the course of his lengthy career.

The fortunate composer of "The Merry Widow” has already made JfcTO.OflO bv ibis most ponular comic opera. Tn the history of the stage no similar work has attained the saute enormous success. A few highclnas works, such as "H.M.S. Pinafore,” "The Mikado,” "The Geisha” and "San Toy” ho.vo mode small fortunes for their composers, and have been performed in all and in all kinds of theatres. But "The "Merry Widow” has beaten records, not only in Britain, but in America, Germanv, ‘Austria, Holland, and Norway. The ‘opera of the ex-bandmaster of an Austrian infantry regiment, Herr Franz Lobar, was first produced in the An <ler Wien Theatre, Vienna, on January 3, 1906, and one of the directors of that establishment, Herr Karczag, acknowledged recentlv that he had already made ,£41,666 pro-fit by his .lucky enterprise. Tn May of the same yeardt was given in Berlin, and there agaih it has been a ready moneymaker for the. imnresario. Air George Edwardes produced it in Daly’s Theatre, London, On June 8, 1907. and last night was his 480th representation -at this theatre f c ays a London paper of October 2). With an average audience of 1400. this mean* that 672,000 nnr.'ons have witnessed "The Merry Widow” at tliin house. The average takings hav‘ r > amounted to *£9loj so that -2148,800 has passed through the hands of the box-office keeper for scats. Alterations in the cast .have lied little or no influence. Thi* is almost ohenomennl, for hitherto managers have relied tin "names.'” Mr Ed warden now has three companies presenting "The Merry Widow” to -British provincial audiences. But nboole are not. satisfied with merely I is-; toning to the onera. They buy the music, and Mr William Hoosey, managing di- ; rector of Channel!*?, acknowledges that the sales have exceeded his anticipation! ; Of the waltz itself over 150.000 copies of the pianoforte* > arrangement had" been, sold. Music pirates also have benefited' by the popularity of this particular number, and it wa.s impossible to say how manv unauthorised conies of it ha<l been printed and sold. "What grieves mo,** he added, "is that the composer gets no Wuefit from the sate of records made for mechanical pianos. Wo are trying to bring about a change in the law of copyfight, so as to meet this particular matter.”

; Miss 'Fanny Dango, of Mr J. C. Williamson’s Musical Comedy Company, will play the role of principal girl in the Melbourne pantomime "Jack and Jill.”

'n enri Cain, who wrote the libretto for Massenet's "La Navarraise.” is mentioned as the librettist of "Quo Vadis," the well-kilown novel by Sienkiewicz, for which Jean Nougis has written an operatic score. The new work is to be produced at Monte Carlo during the coming season. . -

In these days -of mental worry cmd strain (says Mario Hall, in the "Musical Home Journal”)* anything trlmJb -exorcises a soothing influence is well worthy of consideration. Such an in. fluoncp has i-nusic. but the serious exploitation of its powers and possibilities has stearcely been attempted to the extent that one might hare eixpected in a day when out of the way cures-are eoexceedingly fashionable.

London winter lists of concerts will bo increased this year by the addition o£ several concerts of the Philharmonic

. 0.-car .llximraersteln opened the* Philadelphia Opera House on November l?th with a ‘'mammoth” performance of "Carmen.” Tho energetic impresario .pioiJOkSCs to offer free of cost the use of halts and . rooms in the opera building for a conservatoire of music. He says subscriptions for ser.ts for the entire opera season amount to *822,000, and

with those for boxes a sum Of JMo.OOO will be available. During the first week of the season it was proposed to present Saint-Saen’i-j <{ Sain6on and Delilah, a La Somrainbula,” with Madamo Petrazzini, Magnet's “Thais,” and Dobusey.s ‘Pelieas ot M-eli&ande.” Madamo Melba is to sing, either in “Oadlo” or ‘ La Lohoxno," during tho third week. Xier first appearance next season in the Ma*n■hattan Opera House. New lork, will bo in Verdi’s opera. Mr is conductor in Philadelphia,

At. Madame Melba’s farewell concert, at the Albert Hall, London, on November 7th. Mr Landon Ronald conducted the first performance in London of Mr Hc-nry J. Coates’ “Pageant March. ’

In 1895 Mr TVood first achieved a success which, made his name a household word hi England. He then began to advocate tho general adoption of, the French, or low-pitch, singing; but the task of converting others to liis opinion proved to bo a colossal one, as musicians in general were strongly opposed to discarding their old high-pitched instruments. Mr Wood, however, stuck to his point with cliaruciberistic per* severance, and* choosing for himself si willing and less conservative -orchestra, supohed thorn with new instruments which had been constructed under his personal supervision.

The 500th performance of Mozart’s "Figaro” took place in Berlin during the first week of October, the first having been given on September 14ith, 1730. Fraulein Bestinn was to have appeared as the Countess, but in her absence, through illness, the part was taken by Madam© Gadski. and Mr Griswold appeared as Figaro in the absence of Herr Knuppcr, also through indisposition.

Mme. Melba owes her professional name to the happy inepdraition of her Baris teacher, Hme. Marches!, when the training of her beautiful voice was approaching completion a question arose as to the name under which the young Australian was to make her debut. Miss Nellie Mitchell or Mrs Armstrong (her maiden and married names) being obviously impossible for a prhna donna. After Various suggestions had been considered and dismissed, Mine. Marches! exclaimed—" Why net pay a compliment to your native city of Melbourne by calling yourself after it? Melba would ••make a capital name.” The proposal nvas -adopted, and, as Mme. Melba, a

moot successful debut was made in the part of Hilda (“Kigoletto”) at the i-bca-tro- de la Monnaie, -Brussels, on Octoboi i&th, 1887. tor this first engagement Mine. Melba received a salary ot per month. Tor the second engagement, in Paris, her salary was £4OO per month, and-as the result of Parisian triumph* __ 6 h& -was soon receiving X’MOO a. an Madrid and. Berlin.

A local church appointed a committee to get subscriptions for a dnm® of oeJls. They had «&eu nearly all the .congregation. When they went to see a r ;x»or member they told him they \vou.d like a small amount toward *t. ao .promised to ~ivo as muon as- ho could, but he said, “Don t you -chink it wou.d be cheaper to put a whistle in? ihe Argonaut.” 1