Music Notes

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8190, 3 August 1912, Page 11

Music Notes

MISS LILLA MIRANDA, “The great difficulty with an Australian abroad is the choice of a proper teacher,” said Miss Lilia Miranda to a Sydnoy interviewer. By a curious freak of fortune Miss Lilia Miranda had to make her first appearance in Sydney in opera as the mechanical doll in “Tales of Hoffman.” The brilliant singer should be glad when she has her first opportunity in this city as a flesh and blood operatic artist in tho performance of “Rigoletto” (says the “Sunday Times”). It was in “Rigoletto” that the accomplished Australian had one of her first Covent Garden success in 1907. During the same London season her singing in “Don Giovanni” brought her fresh laurels. Since the Covent Garden success in “Rigoletto” and “Don Giovanni” Miss Miranda has sung as an operatic artist in Paris and in New York, winning at each appearance the highest praise. Her re-engagements in Paris, London, and Now York speak for themselves. Tho charming lync soprano commenced her career as ’a concert singer in Melbourne, and she visited Sydney on several occasions—tho first time in 1893 with Ada Crosaley as one of her associates in a concert company. “1 was forunate,” she continued, “in having Madame Richard, of the Opera House, Paris, and Mile, do Garetti. Hut it means very, very hard work to succeed. On tho Continent, in whatever country you try for an appearance, tho preference is given to a native-born artist. But if ono perseveres, not for a few months or a year, but for many —well, if tho requisite voice and talent,are there, one is bound to bo recognised. This is an important point for the young singers aspiring for operatic honours to remember. There is very hard work awaiting them if they wish for success. They do not seem to realise either the large amount of money that is necessary to fit them out for an artistic career. In London it is much less expensive to study than abroad. Living, too, is much less. All of these things need careful consideration, i am a firm believer that at tho beginning of a career it is rather a good thing to be severely criticised by the critics. • It moans many bitter tears at the moment, and a heartache, but look at the good it docs one. Wo arc shown our faults —that is, if taken in tho proper spirit—and it is an enormous help later. I think for real success it is better at the start to go on one’s own merits, and be among strangers, as it wero. and not depend on friends. That is wny going abroad is so different, for then one has to defend solely on oneself and work up to the requisite standard. Seven years elapsed between my first small appearance _ at Co vent Garden and my success in “Rigoletto” and “Don Giovanni.” But during that period I worked hard, and appeared in twenty-six different operas in various parts of the Continent. Now everything is plain sailing. “Do you know 11 am always jealous of honours for Australia; and I think the idea of tho present management at Covent Garden to give British born artists an opportunity of being heard is excellent in many respects. Everywhere when I have been abroad the artists of each country have been encouraged in every possible way, and pushed to the front, allowing, _ of course, that they have the requisite talent. That is one of the difficulties that young English and Australian artists have to fight against abroad, for, naturally, people like in each country to further the interests of their own singers. The people and the press of Paris, let me say, have been most kind to mo. My repertoire would, I suppose, be called an extensive one. It includes ‘Faust,’ ‘Lakme,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ Traviata,’ 'Lucia de Lammermoor,’ ‘Mireille,’ ‘Hamlet,’ Puccini’s ‘La Boheme’ and Leoncavallo’s ‘La Boheme,’ ‘Rigoletto,’ ‘Pecher des Perles,’ ‘Manon,’ ‘Grisilidis,’ ‘Fra Diavolo, ‘Cendrillon,’ ‘William Tell,’ ‘Garmon,’ ‘Mignon,’ ‘The Barber of Seville,’ and ‘Don Giovanni.’ ALFRED HILL’S LATEST. At the third concert of the Austral String Quartet in St. James’ Hall, Sydney, last week, was produced for the first time, Mr Alfred Hill’s quintet for piano and strings with vocal octet. The work is entitled “Life,” the emotional basis of the composition being inspired by the salient reelings of humanity in a general sense. In the first movement we have (says a Sydney writer) “The Riddle” life’s mystery, where, whence, why, the yearning and longing for something higher, the ideal. In the second we have reference to the conqueror of all things—Death. A marche funebre, dignified yet full of pathos and with a second subject breathing consolation and hope. The third movement, a scherzo, typifies gaiety and fun, while the fourth, in which there is the addition of the vocal octet, opens with a “Gloria in Excelsis Dei,” following upon which is a musical picture of a boatman gliding down a moonlit stream _ carolling a barcarolle. This, heard in the distance with, a vocal quartet, tho performers being behind the stage, finally merges into an ensemble, the whole striking the note of praise and optimism. “LOHENGRIN.” Commenting upo nthe Sydney Philharmonic Society’s performance of “LLohengrin” the “Daily telegraph” says: The _ Wagnerian opera is so effective as music that long orchestral selections have proved some of our most impressive concert numbers. _ And though Wagner’s aim was a fusing together of the three arts of poetry, painting, and music, his vocal and instrumental score, has, curiously enough, been sufficiently great to stand alone in so very many instances —without the aid or need of scenery or dramatic accessories. The Sydney Philharmonic Society has achieved splendid results in this field in the past; it performed in the crowded Town Hall the first and third acts of “Lohengrin,” with an orchestra and chorus, numbering altogether 400 performers, and placed another noteworthy triumph to its credit. . . . The society was fortunate in being able to entrust the music of Elsa to Miss Buckman, who is shortly to engage in th/» operatic life of London. Her impassioned and animated singing evidenced as usual that artistic enthusiasm by _ which she invariably carries conviction to her audience. There was real feeling in her beautiful and thoughtful rendering of the music of the first act, including the vision of the knight. These qualities of truthful expression, united with a voice of charming quality, well sustained the interest in the love music with Lohengrin in the third act. SYDNEY CONCERT SEASON. As outlined in these columns early in the year (says the Sydney “Morning

Herald”) the winter concert seasoi 1912 will ho remembered for the vk of starring contraltos. Mme. De Cl ffieros and Eva Mylott have alread. been welcomed; Eva Gauthier, the French-Canadian expected from the Dutch possessions in Java, has postponed her visit owing to the coming of grand opera; and Mme. Kirkby Lunn will arrive here in September. Amateurs here hardly need telling that the last named is a singer of absolutely first-rate importance in the world of music. Mr J. Neviu Tait writes from Hanover square, London, under date June 7th, to stato that he is now busily occupied in forming a concert party to support tho English operatic contralto. Mme. Kirkby Lunn was to sail from Toulon last Friday at the close of a London season in which she has figured prominently <thrco months in the star casts as Dalila, during the Italian season at Covent Garden a few years back, and lias sung it there frequently since. “GIPSY LOVE.” “Gipsy Love,” the new light opera of Franz Lehar. the composer of “Tho Merry Widow,” has been produced in London by Air George Edwardes. It will require thoughtful casting in Australia, if, as one of tho critics states, the music is more ambitious than that of “The Merry Widow.” “Gipsy Love”, is described as ono of the best examples of Viennese light opera yet seen in London. Of course there are waltzes in it —none of the Continental composers of this class of score seem to be able to. do without the waltz —but Lehar knows how to dress his ideas in original garb, and his use of the woodwind is generally extremely skilful. These qualities are said to be more than ever in evidence in the new piece. The story is of a Roumanian nobleman’s daughter, who runs away with a gipsy, and is rescued by a friend, an unconventional member of tho British aristocracy. Mr Edwardes tried the experiment of taking over a young Hungarian actress for tho leading role in London. She met with a great reception, and is said to have proved herself successful as a singer as well as an actress. Judging from the greeting the piece received on the first night it is in for a long run at Daly’s Theatre.