CURIOSITIES OF MUSIC.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13587, 8 May 1906, Page 6

CURIOSITIES OF MUSIC.

LECTURE BY MR T. F. DUNHILL. At tho Choral Hall last night Mr Thomas F. Dunhill, examiner to the Associated Board of tho Roval Academy and the' Royal College of Music, lectured on '• Some llusical Curiosities." Of this lecture, obviously the first thing to say is that it should 'bo delivered in Dunedin again. As sole noticeablo defect, it was too short. Mr Dunhill has necessarily a master's grasp of his art and his subject. As a lecturer, while pretending to no graces of oratory or elocutionary style, ho is clear and incisive, nover laboured or diffuse. Many of the greatest and nmst scrious-mindcd composers of music bad, ho said, on different occasions employed their gifts in a variety of curious ways for their own diversion and the amusement of their friends and patrons. Others had deliberately chosen to express their ideas _ through grotesque or trivial mediums without any direct intention of being eccentric. Moreover, there were many musical works which, perfectly serious and legitimate in their day, wero so ■ entirely opposed to the fashion and practice of our own time that they acquired an interest for us quite apart from their musical merits and the original intention of their orentors. From such curiosities of musical literature, ho should select his illustrations. It was obvious that he could not have some of tho most notable examples performed that evening. If ho had had a very large choir at his disposal, he should certainly havo chosen Tullis's extraordinary Motet, a sixteenth century wonder, which was written throughout in 40 distinct and different vocal parts. If thero were a full orchestra behind hinj they might havo enjoyed to tho full such a, masterpiece of humour as tho Farewell Symphony of Haydn, where tho instrumentalists ono by one blow out tho candles on their desks and took their departure, leaving the conductor to finish beating in sileneo and darkness. Tho illustrations that night must of necessity bo more modest in scope, and brief. But he should choose nothing meretricious, nothing which was'not actually valuable and artistic, and, abovo all, he should not seek to make fun of any of tho works selected, having purposely avoided choosing illustrations which raised a cheap laugh at tho expense of some earnest but unfortunate composer, whoso industry might havo been greater than his sense of humour. He should begin, as was fitting, with works that belonged to a somewhat early period of musical history. Soon after instrumental music began to play an important part in the progress of art, certain composers exhibited a desire to construct something more definite and important than the douco rhythms which wero, naturally enough, the first examples of music of this class. They felt that not only voices, but. instruments also, might bo capable of expressing definite thoughts, and inspiring definite emotions. Thus it camo about that somo of the more seriOus : minded of the early masters took to writing what was sometimes called rather contemptuously "programme music." Programme music might be briefly described as music which attempted to depict actual scenes and events, and bring them before our eyes, in the same way that a picture might bring them beforo our eyes. Mr Frederick Cordcr faid it was "a legitimate function of musio to assist tho mind, by every means in its power, to conjure up thoughts of a poetic and idealistic kind." Let them mark the word '.' thoughts." It was when music sought to do more than this, when it sought to force an actual imitation, generally very feeble and unconvincing, ujion the listener, that it became loss interesting as music, and more in tho naturo of a mere curiosity. From this standpoint Mr Dunhill proceeded to illustrate. He is a vivid and able pianist. He played, in slightly abbreviated form, an extraordinarily quaint "Biblical sonata." of Johann Kuhnan (1667-1722), supposed to desbriba the story of David and Goliath. He played the charming and picturesque "Katzcnfuge" of Domenico Scarlatti, a futjiie tho them 0! which was suggested by the sounds made by the composer's cat walking along tlio keyboard of the piano. Ho played a delicious minuet, and trio of Haydn's, otherwise notable by reason of tho fact that it could be played, with equally charming effect, forwards and backward, upside down (tho unskilled writer dimly gathered) and inside-out. He played .1 dainty duet for the mandolin (handled delicately by Mr Stokes) and piano, written by gravo Beethoven for his friend the mandolinist Krumpholz. He played the accompaniment to a by Spohr, effectively sung on this occasion by Miss H. Gawl'ner, a melody of charming simplicity and sweetness constructed entirely on three notes,,Mr W. T. Brundoll contributing a clarionet obbligato. A still more remarkable song by Peter Cornelius, written on one note throughout, was sung by Mr M. Gard'ncr— a song so weird in its novelty a.? to leavo one rather in doubt of one's impression regarding it. Mr Dunhill also played Chopin's brilliant and delightful study in G flat, the peculiarity of which is that the right-hand part is played entirely on the black keys. And he played a bizarre song written by Russian composers to tho accompaniment of a continuous " chopstick " monotony—rendered 1 in this instance by Miss Gladys Loring. Tho selection from the series,"presenting many passages of exceptional beauty, included a rolka (Borodine), a funeral march (Borodinc), a valse

(Cesar Ciii), and "Cortege" (A. Triadow), At tho clgeo,'after receiving a hearty vote of thanks on the motion of Dr Ogston, ho played "On the Mountains" (Grieg) and " Hnmorosquo " (Martin Snow)-