FAMOUS’CELLIST

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12394, 13 March 1926, Page 14

FAMOUS’CELLIST

AUSTRALIAN MAKES GOOD

Laurie Kennedy, ’cellist, is now with John McCormack, with whom ha has been performing for six seasons before overflowing'audiences in the Royal Albert Hall, which has seating capacity for over 10,000 people. He also toured England with Melba, Totrazzinni and Chaliapine, who is shortlv to tour Australasia. Mr' Kennedy' has now been offered the position of leading ’cellist in the New York Symphony Orchestra, conducted ,by Walter Damrosch. He has also been offered a similar position with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Stofowski. In addition to these offers ho has the choice of a concert tour with Charles L. Wagner, the New York' impresario. Mr Kennedy, who is an Australian by birth, acquired a magnificent Italian 'cello during his travels on the Continent. Dorothy Kennedy, wife of Laurie Kennedy, has been pianist© to Toti Dal Monte, who is to visit New Zealand shortly. Tkff mother of-Laurie, Madame Bertha Kennedy, has been staying with, her son in New York, and before leaving for ( New. Zealand was doing pianoforte work for the radio. Keith Kennedy (violinist) an<J Lance Kennedy (flautist') are at.present in the South Island, where Madame Kennedy, who arrived by the Niagara on Monday of this week, has joined them.- ’ > RUSSIAN CHOIR CQMING~THIS YEAR Another musical attraction is on the New Zealand lists for 1926. This 'is the. Don Cossack Choir, comprising 38 ex-; officers of the Russian White Army, whot are coming out to Australia next month, opening in Sydney on April 17th. Arrangements for tho tour , are now being made by Mr Fred. McCre», under whose management Kreisler toured New Zealand lasi year. There are some superb bass voices in the choir, and it. is nothing for them to descend to the.B and A sharp below the bass- cleff, which is a note or two below the 'cello's lowest sound, A considerable sensation was created by the first appearance of the Don Cossacks in London last year, and in January last they achieved a record by appearing on throe consecutive Sundays in the Albert Hall, London, which has'-.a holding capacity of over 10,000. After the Australian season the Don Cossacks' will visit the principal oitios of New Zealand on their way to the United States.

UNWRITTEN SYMPHONY One of the most tragic pages in Berlioz’s "Memoirs” is that in which he had the inspiration to write a symphony, but was compelled to let it go unwritten for- purely financial 'reasons. The beginning of it, an AUegTo in A minor, two-four time, gqt him out of bed one night and be began to write it, but, on second thoughts— » "If I begin this hit, I Bhall -have ths write the whole symphony," he confides to his diary. "It will he a big thing/ and I shall have to spend three or four months oyer it. That means I shall write no more articles . and earn no money. And when the symphony is finished I shall not he able to resist the temptation of having it copied (which will mean an expense of a thousand or twelve hundred francs) and then of having it played. I shall give a concert, and the receipts will barely cover half the cost. I shall lose what I have not got; the poor invalid will lack necessities (this refers to Berlioz’s wife, who was ill at the time) ;and I shall be able to pay neither my personal expenses, nor my son’s fees when he goes on hoard ship. . . . These thoughts made me shudder, and I threw down my pen, saying, ‘Bail! to-morrow I shall have forgotten the symphony.’ Tho next night I heard the allegro cleariy, and seemed ,to sie it written down. I was filled with feverish agitation. I sang tho theme; I was going to get up . . . hut. the reflections of the day before restrained me; I steeled myself against the temptation, and clung to the thought of forgetting it. At last I went to sleep; and the next day, on awakening, all remembrance of it had indeed'gone forever." A NEW COLORATURA Referring to the gramophone debut of Madame Melins, a London reviewer sayß; "There is a new coloratura, hut I am- quite confident in her completely cordial reception. Madamo Mplins has chosen for her first record the second of the two arias sung by the "Queen of the' Night;’ This song is probably the hardest over written for a soprano voice, for it contains .no less' than 28 high o’s, and the singer has to reach the incredible note of F in alt no less than four times. An astonishing record!" A London reviewer, in his impressions of tho H.M.V. recording of Wagner’s “Parsifal," remarks that the mosr notable point is the . extraordinary advance in the choral recording. The two forceß blend, balance, and retain their individuality to- a degree not always—perhaps not often—hoard in a first.hand performance. These “Gtail Scene" records are i among the best of the set. The bells,'of course, come through well, but, equally of course, they are hot in tune. (Are they eVer?) The other records that strike' one specially are those o fKlingsor’s Magis Garden and the Flower Maidens Scene, the damsels being represented, however, by , strings. The solo voices are particularly good. A great feat; this “Parsifal" set.

Perhaps the most ambitious of recent records is that of Sir Edward Elgar’s Second Symphony, under the great composer’s own care. . This noble symphony lasts more than throe-quarters of an hour, but, save its length, there is nothing 'in the least forbidding about it. One need, obviously, hot Lear a whole symphony all at once. Each of Elgars four movements will, taken by itself, provide very satisfactorily "a little music. The richly melodious* solemn-moving slow movement is, perhaps, the greatest favourite of the four.