MUSICAL JOTTINGS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11305, 2 September 1922, Page 11

MUSICAL JOTTINGS

NOTES FROM FAR AND NEAR The idea of associating musio with drama is of ancient origin. The early Greeks employed it, somewhait crudely, perhaps, in the intonation of their classic plays, and also made use of it chorally. Later, strange as it may seem, the stage became a part of the church, and music was more closely wedded to drama in the miracle play, which was instituted as a means of promulgating scriptural doctrines and teaching events of Biblical history. To Vary these representations,' music was introduced at the interludes, hut gradually it crept into and. became incidental to the performance itself. From this beginning arose the idea of sacred musioal drama, such as we now have in the highest form of ensemble music —the oratorio. The ecclesiastical drama survived till the sixteenth century, when the modem product may he said to have been evolved and the language of sound applied to less serious forms of stagecraft. Sydney was rather slower than other Australian cities to become a victim to the cheer germ. Melbourne, Adelaide and other centres tried the community singing experiment long before Sydney tested it. Following the lead of other towns in Australia and of New Zealand she has now inaugurated regular “sings,” and extraordinary success marked the first- gathering in the Town Hall, a huge throng joining lustily in the popular old songs and several modern ones. Various hymns were also successfully introduced and became favoured items. The “sings” have not waned in popularity. Here is some invaluable advice to violinists offered hy Prof. Leopold Auer, teacher of Toscha Seidel, Jascha Heifetz, Mischa. Elman, Ephrem Zimhalist, etc., upon holding the violin: —“The first filling to bear in mind,” says the famous master, “is that the violin should he held in such a position that the eyes may be fixed on the head of the instrument, and the left arm should be thrust forward under rthe back of the violin so that the fingers will fall perpendicularly on the strings, the fin-ger-tips striking them with decided firmness. The second important point is this:—Avoid resltine the violin on the shoulder, or vice versa, .shoving the shoulder underneath the violin. The placing of a cushion beneath the back of the instrument, in order to lend, a more secure support on the chin grip, should also bo avoided. These are bad habits which one should from the very start carefully avoid, since they not only spoil the violinist’s pose in general, but—and this is extremely important—they make the player lose at least a third of the whole body of tone which his violin —be it a fine or an indifferent instrument, a powerful "or a weak one —is capable of producing. The chin-rest, should be adapted to the individual neck so that by means of it the player is able to hold the instrument easily, and without strain. Those players who rest the instrument against the shoulder .and place the cushion at its back—both .of which act 'as mutes—evidently have no notion of the disastrous effect this arrangement has on rtheir tone. Always try to raise your violin as high as possible in'order to secure for your hand the greatest freedom of movement from one position to another. This may he accomplished by slightly advancing the left arm toward the chest. Endeavour always to lessen the distance between the arms, to bring them together by inclining the body slightly to the left, yet without resting the left arm against the front of the body. At first you will not find it at all easy to raise the vio-. lin without support, but in the course of time one becomes accustomed to it* with the resultant gain in facility in' leaching the higher positions, as well ,as in the playing of rapid descending passages.” Eugene Yscye, the famous Belgian violinist-conductor, who for many .years has been conductor of the. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, is said to have resigned. ; The composer seldom regards as his best work that which has achieved the greatest popularity. Sir Arthur Sullivan became famed as the author of the bright and lithesome incidental music to the humorous libretto of his collaborator in comic opera, but seems to have resented that his splendid compositions of more serious character were not so universally admired. Pro bably Raohmaninoff has taken an intense dislike for his C Sharp' Minor Prelude, which is nowadays part &nd parcel with his name. He gave a recital at the Queen’s Hall, London, in May last. “The real business,” says, one who was present, “came to an end, Mozart, Beethoven' and Chopin having been the composers selected from for the recital. After the last programme number he was recalled for the supple mentarv recital, which is now taken for granted on these occasions. Rachmaninoff knew what was coming, if his depressed air was any guide. 1 He had hardly sunk on the piano stool when cries of, ‘C Sharp Minor!’ were fired at him, and he got to work with it at once, not even making a fresh Btart when the mob broke in on the opening notes with applause.” ’