MUSIC.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20875, 15 November 1929, Page 5

MUSIC.

NOTES AND RECORDS. By 'Allegro. Writing of folk songs, Julia Chattcrton pays:—The folk song of the Southern Slav, considered broadly and collectively, retwrnblcs in part very closely, the. Russian music of the people. But the basic difference between the music of the two countries is caused by climatic contrasts. Russia, cold and bleak, sings in a minor key sadly, whereas Jugoslavian sunshine permeates the lighter side of Jugoslavian folk song, though it, too, has at times its darker phases. Leaving behind the more fnmjliar- music-making that such countries as France, Germany, Austria, and Italy have to offer, the fundamental change of racial outlook is borne in upon the .mind as soon as the traveller has journeyed through that precipitioua mountain road known as the Loebl Pass, the gateway to Jugoslavia.

As might be expected of a country posvaried and eventful a history, sophistication and simplicity go hand in hand. The Slovene folk song has a lilt of its own. The metre ‘is easier to follow than the song of the Bosnian or Serb, since it -is free from the crosscurrents of Orientalism which flow through the latter. The subjects are usually naive, and reflect the complex, character of the people. A special quality of simple .joyousness, for example, clings, to one group-particu-larly, as is shown in several versions of “ Regiment Po Cesti Gre,” telling of a young girl watching her lover’s departure for battle She carried a green bouquet because .her heart was young, k red bouquet because her heart was loving, a blue bouquet because her heart was hopeful, and a white bouquet because her hviart was pure! Belonging to the samecategory of songs, and sung generally by a girl, is a human little story, common the world over, which, translated as nearly as our clumsier English will allow, says: When you know that you must leave me, and you see my sorrow deep; tell me gently, and go quickly, lest my eyes great tears shall weep. Underlying the actual performance is a keen dramatic sense, which is much more stressed than in the music of countries nearer home. There are sharp moods of bitterness, too. i In and around Sarajevo one heard Slovenian, Croatian. Serbian, Montenegrin. Dalmatian, and Bosnian songs, for, curiously enough, the songs, do not remain only in the district to which they owe their origin. This is a fact which adds.much zest to the work of the collector! If, as has sometimes been sajd, the Slavonic nationalities are the despair of the historians, equajly true is it that Slavonic musical individualities can, and do, prove a mine of interest to the musician whose sympathies He in this direction; A festival on a colossal scale is announced to take place in Vienna in 1932 in honour of , the 200th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Haydn. Arrangements are afoot to.have a series; of guest performances by companies ■ from La Scala, from the Paris Opera, the Berlin State Opera, the Metropolitan, New York, the Leningrad Academic Opera, and the Conoertgebouw, Amsterdam, The festival will extend over several months.'and the, International Society . for Contemporary Music has decided to hold its 1932 festival in_\ renna during the Haydn celebrations. Prospectuses have been issued by the three Berlin opera houses for the season up to January next. The State Opera, 4 n ■ , n Lmden, is,to produce works at Weinberger, Giordano, Latuada, Mili - “JV baHet), and Pfitzncr, J-. - olestrina ), besides, - some Wagner. Wemperer is to bring out Weill’s ,pMahoganny. Milhaud’s '“ Le Pauvre Matelot, and Iberia * Angelique,” and revive Marschner’s “Hans Hciling" and Smetanas Bartered Bride.” Af the Municipal Opera Schreker’s “ Irrelohc " ‘ and Lot-bars Tyll _are to have their premiCl rf> an d, Verdis “Simon Boccanegra ” be given with Wcrfels new German

A mechanical violin,-said to plav with an uncanny human touch, has been pertected by two French engineers. It has a number, of keys the strings Jikc the left-hand fingers of a player, and a revolving bow which permits different degrees of pressure. The violin is driven by two motors. One takes the place of the players arm; the other- imparts the swift movements of the wrist. In July, 1908, the biggest gramophone company made its first records_for issue to the public. The output was 1 00 records a week, and some idea of., the growth of this company, can be gamed from the fact that the ordinary '.' p „ * y output of records is now nearly 000.000, and that this figure is doubled at busy times. The company has just celebrated its twenty-first birthday, and received good wishes from all over the world. Building operations for the factory at Hayes, Middlesex began in February, 1907 and on May 13, 1907, Madame -uelba laid the corner stone of the record factory. The factories now cover 60 acres and land has bceu acquired for important extensions which, when finished, will mean ionn acrcs . buildings. Shellac, costing £..00 a t*m, is the principal of six ingredients which go to make the material for records; 13,000 tons of this material are used annually. For labour-saving purposes automatic conveyers travel over 200 miles a day carrying records from one department to another. The intricacies of- the internal mechanism of a graruo* phone may he estimated from the fact that m an automatic machine, which plays and changes 20 records without any attention. there are nearly 600 parts. Four hundred tons of raw material are used every week to meet the public demand. A praetjeal course for learning to speak x resell with the aid of the gramophone has Been compiled by If. R, M. Stephan, senior lecturer in French, University College. London, and Professor Daniel Jones, of London University. This course of study consists of 15 double-sided records, a text book, and a key book. It lias been_ the aim of the compilers to enable English people to learn to speak French and to French when spoken, lac course takes one from the elementary stage to the advanced with a completeness of detail that makes it absolutely selfcontained, and is particularly designed for those who have to learn and speak French without a teacher. Of the course, the Right Hon, C. A. M’C’urdy wrote: “ I have no doubt that a resolute study of these 30 lessons, spread over three or six months, wilt prove more fruitful than double.or treble, the time spent in learning French in any other way.”Alfred Cortot plays Schumann’s beautiful “A Minor Piano Concerto,” with the London Symphony Orchestra. Schumann's only piano concerto is a work which has always been very popular with artists and with the public in England and on the Continent, hut in. New Zealand the opportunities of hearing concertos are rare indeed, and never will such a combination as this be'heard in the Dominion, bchumann s work has many outstanding qualities. The lovely and romantic opening “ allegro.” the charm of the “ intermezzo ’ with its dialogue between the piano and ’cello, and the brilliancy of the final “ allegro.” hold the listener’s attention without mental strain, for the themes are characteristic of Schumann’s imagination. , Cortot at times shows reniarkable delicacy of touch, and his beautv of phras- ■ mg is also conspicuous. Schumann’s “Quintet in E flat major.” recorded by O-sip Gabrilowitsrh and the Flonzaley Quartet, is esteemed by. many musicians as the finest work ever written fqr this combination of instruments. Gabrilowitseh proves himself worthy of inclusion in this eminent company. His playing, whether in tlie impressive second movement, or in the capricious scherzo, is at all time* moulded to the exact requirements of the other instruments. Florence Austral, with John Barbirolli conducting Covent Garden Opera House Orchestra, makes “ Senta’s Ballad." 1 from Wagner's “ Flying Dutchman,” an achievement. _ Contrasted with this, on the opposite side, the Royal Opera Chorus presents the sparkling melody of the “ Spinning Chorus.” i Margaret Sheridan's record of “The Meeting of the Waters” and “The Lover's Curse ” is highly satisfactory. These .are given with beauty of tone and artistic feeling. The' voice is fresh with vouth-. “ The Lover’s Curse ” has just that touch of the dramatic which gives character to the songi trip. “My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land,” sung by the Trio, is a good example of his vocal music, and an example of the best English part singing. On the reverse side the trio gives “ Just a Little Ring,” from “ Lilac Time.”

The brilliant young Italian-American soprano. Dusolina Giannini. who is now in Xew Zealand, has just issued two numbers by Jacobs-Bond, “Just a-Wearin’ for You ” and the Truly.” Here is a charming voice that makes the most of two very ordinary ballad songs.