MUSIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22355, 31 August 1934, Page 2

MUSIC

NOTES AND RECORDS

By Allegro.

Aubertine Woodward Moore in a chapter on “The Origin and Function of Music,” gives some interesting definitions Of the art. Buskin saw clearly that he alone cah love art well who loves better what art mirrors. This may be specially applied to music, which offers, as Beethoven has said, “ a more lofty revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” “It represents the real thing,” writes Schopenhauer of music, “ the real thing and not the raere semblance.” Were we able to give a thoroughly satisfactory explanation of music, he declares, we should have the true philosophy of the universe. Carlyle says: “Music is a kind of inarticulate, unfathomable speech which leads us to the edge of the Infinite and impels us for a moment to gaze into it.” Wagner found in music the conscious language of feeling. Ho believed that it would prepare the way for an unspoiled humanity illumined by a perception of truth and beauty. “ Music,” wrote Mazzini, “ is the harmonious voice of creation, an echo of the invisible world.”

As late as 1835 a French writer of the history of music expressed profound regret that lie had been unable to determine when music was invented or to discover the inventor’s name. He thought the voices of the feathered tribes had influenced musical instruments, the duck for the clarinet and oboe and Sir Chanticleer for the trumpet. Speaking of “ Music Before the Flood,” this writer felt himself superior to the poetic fancy of the ancients, which at least foreshadowed the truth, but had found no firm ground on which to stand.

An historic treatise on music appeared in Dresden in 1690, the work of Capellraeister Wolfgang Kasper, Prince of Waldthurn, in which he declared the author of music to be the good God Himself, Who fashioned the air to transmit sounds, the ear to receive them, the soul of man to appreciate them, and all nature to be filled with sources of inspiration. Herbert Spencer wrote an essay on the “ Origin and Function of Music,” which is widely known to-day and far reaching in its influence. He suav the foundations of music in those inner agitations AA-hich cause muscular expansion and contraction and find expression in the inflections and cadences of the voice.

The Chinese' philosopher detected music in the harmonious order of the heaA-ens and the earth, and wrote voluminous works on musical history. When it came to putting this into practice tones were combined in a pedantic fashion.

Music is continually being defined. The difficulty of finding a suitable definition adds to the attraction, and one of the most interesting of the stories of our civilisation is the story of music.

Beniamino Gigli and Dusolina Giannini, who toured New Zealand a feAV years ago, sing the duet “ Tu qui Santuzza 7” (“You Here Santuzza?”) from Mascagni’s “ CaA-alleria Rueticana,” in which Santuzza’s jealousy is aroused by Turiddu’s faithlessness. The tenor at first sings with a cold, biting sarcasm, but his pleading to convince Santuzza that he still loves her is well done. Mme. Giannini’s voice seems to have greatly increased in richness and resonance, and it admirably blends Avith Gigli’s lovely voice. The duet is continued on the reverse side in “ No, No. Turiddu.” The lover’s parting and Santuzza’s final warning, “ Cursed Be Thine Easter, Thou Traitor! ” are sung with poAverful intensity. The orchestral accompaniment is played by members of La Scala Orchestra, conducted by Carlo Sabajno, The four greatest orchestral works by Bach, the Suites, were written during the years 1717-23, which were spent in Cothen. Here Bach was Capellraeister for the young Prince Leopold, whoso Court orchestra was considered one of the finest in Europe. The scores of these works, which Bach termed overtures, were in the collection of Bach’s manuscripts, which for nearly 100 years Av-ere forgotten to the Avorld.

Through the efforts* of the Bach Society,. of which Schumann and Mendelssohn were both ardent members, many of these manuscriptsAvere recovered, and they have enriched our musical knowledge. The piano Suite in G (arranged by Eugene Goossens) has been recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra under Goossens himself, and it may be regarded ns an authoritative interpretation. It is a work of infinite charm and delight, and the performance is marked by fineness of detail, elasticity of rhythm, and grace of phrasing.

The Suite consists of six movements —courante, allemande, bource, gavotte, minuet, and gigue. The courante is a graceful, rapid dance which was popular at the former Courts of Europe for over three centuries. It was a great favourite with Queen Elizabeth. The allemande is of German origin, and is also full of happy rhythms. The bouree is gay and lively in character. It is said to be based on a dance of the woodcutters in the south of France and transplanted into the Paris salons during the dance craze of the early eighteenth century. The gavotte and minuet, which are both charming inspirations of pure melody, are well-known dance forms at the present time. The gigue is !he French equivalent for the English jig and is a rollicking dance which carries to a climax the merry geniality of the Suite. Rosa Ponsellc, who has been hailed as a line dramatic soprano, sings two arias from two operas by Verdi. In the beautiful prayer, “ Pace, Pace, mio Dio” ("Peace, peace, oh God”), from the “ Force of Destiny,” the quality of her middle register and her low notes, which are always vibrant with emotion, are evident. Very few sopranos, indeed, can sing two such divergent excerpts as Ponselle, who, on the reverse side, is heard in the coloratura aria, “ Ernani Involarni,” from the opera “Ernani.” This Cavatina presents many difficulties, and requires vocal agility, all of which the singer overcomes with the greatest ease, as if she sang all her life nothing but florid music, which is not (he case, because her repertoire consists entirely of dramatic parts, such as Aida, Xorma, Gioconda, and others.