MUSICIANS AND COMPOSERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 84

MUSICIANS AND COMPOSERS.

— Emile Waldteufel, jhe waltz writer, though an old man of 80, still composes a remarkable amount of dance music. Over 800 waltzes, polkas, mazurkae, and other da'ices have been written and published, by M. W»ldt&-ifel.

— o<n Thursday, March 12, Mr August Manns entered on his seventy-ninth year, an<l although since- the diebandiug of tho orchestra, with which he started the Saturday concerts at the Crystal Palaeo he has been talcing things quietly, he haa still plenty of vigour left. Born in Pomerama, his first experiences we-re gained as a bandmaster ; and hia military training, with his gifts of precision arid thoroughness — to ec.y nothing of his powers as a performer on the violin and i-larionst — helped him to mould Iris fine body of players to his will. Moreover, he ever deserves the highest recognition for the helping hand ho was always ready to give to young British composers.

— Who 'has not seen and pitied more than one poor child who plays in tbo streets and picks up a scanty living, jften, it may be, for parents as well. It is usually the pinched, -wan face that arrests the attention of fcho kindly hearted, rather than any promise of musical talent which tlie player exhibits. But Miss Mario Hall is an exception to the general rule. Not go long ago she, too, was playing with her father, a harpist, in the streets. From Newcastle, where in 1684 the child was born, these two tramped about from town to town, until chance brought them to Bristol. There Mr Mossel's attention was attracted by the wonderful gifts the child displayed, and he. in giving her «me lesdons, was astonished to find that, although she was only ten, she knew most of Bach's sonatas by -heart. Theu some- music-loving people came to the rescue; and she wat sent to London to «=liidy with Professor Kruse. who is now the leader of the "Pops.' 1 Finally, Kubelik hoard her, and on his advice she was sent to study with his matter, Sevcik, at Prague.

— Dublin ha? given many operatio singers to tho world (says the London Daily Chronicle), and the death of Mr Leslie Crotty on Saturday, April 18, at Newcastle, will be much regretted by those who patronised the old Carl Rosa Op^ra Company when it was at the height of its efficiency and fame. Mr Crotty as the Tore-ador in '"Carmen" xjuld always draw a crowded h-oiipe, and Dublin 6oldom produced a finer baritone. Another Dublm member of tho company was Mr Barton M'Guckin, the to-nor, who is now settled in London. In th«* days of the old company salaries of £80 a," week to several of tho principal °ingori' were quite common, but Mr Carl Rosa demanded, and got, full value for the money At the afternoon rehearsals he sat in me of the hoTPe facintr the stage, and shouted his directions as froely at the lrad-ing- lady as at a chorus girl. _ There might be jealousies among the principals, but Mr Carl Row, let it be known very plainly that he was master of tho company, and would have no qurfticumj; his authority. — In the fiddle that tli<- clever young violinist from Manolre~t:>r. Miss Ethel Robinson, usps the old mrl t)if> new touch hands to form an interesting link with the na«t. She is the fortunate powrs^or of the violin used by that old master Rode. He was one of the founders of the famous French school towards the end of the eighteenth century. The memory of a great player s-oon pasap* svay, and we know Roue miet have been one of the jrrcat _one«, for Boethoven was impressed with hi 6 powers, and composed his famous Romance for him. It may be that such a. treasure put it into Miss Robineon-'a mind to appear in a series of historical recitals when she came to London. In any case, by the feat of these. she has won a placa for herself even at a

time wher. wo are getting a wonder in tha way of a violinist every month. — Ccasidonng that he is acknowledged tho first of English musical conductors, it . is difficult to believe that Mr Henry J. Wood is only 53 yt-ars of ago; yet such is the case. It is not generally known, by fcha way, that at one time Mr Wood was undecided wliether he ehould adopt music or painting as a profession. From the age of 14 until he was 17 be worked hard with the brush and the pencil, but, finding that painting did mot agree with him, he threw in hia lot with an orchestra. At 19 lio joined the Rousby Opera Company as conductor. His salary was two guineas a week, in return for which he not infrequently had 'to woi'k 12 hours a day. This laborious life he kept up religiously for four years. Mr Wood does not intend to end his days as a conductor, if he can help it; He still paints a little, and when he is 55, tho age when he thinks that «. conductor begins to lose some of his powers, he hopes to ply the brush as vigorously and as often as he now wields the baton. — Commenting on the death at Paris of Augusta Holmes, a gifted Franco-Irish composer, a contributor to the Dublin Penny Journal of April 25 writes:— It is a ea<l coincidence that, just as tho (native music of Ireland is winning the general recognition for which it has waited so long, one of its most distinguished exponents should pass away. Augusta Mary Anno Holmes, tho daughter of Irish parents, and Irish in sympathy and jeraparamemt, was born at Paris in 1847. Her musical talent became apparent at an early age. Fearing iliat she might adopt the art as a profession, her parc-nts did their utincst to discourage her purpose, in which, however, she persisted with a perseverance born of genius. In her girlhood she became one of the* meat noted piano amateurs, and won spontaneous recognition- wherever heard in publio or private. By the time she Imd reached womanhood the brilliancy of her execution and: a notable versatility had given her an established place as a virtuoso. She became a pupil of Frauok and Saint-Saens, and produced a large number of works, including conge, dano3«, symphonic poems, and the various species of musical d-esign which afford the ccutemporary composer an almost unlimited opportunity for invention, and ingenuity. Mmo. Holmes was a passionate lover of the music of her race. Her symphonic suite, "Ireland," will always represent the highest achievement of her combined brain and heart. It has been frequently heard in European musical centres. Her most impressive compositions in addition to that are an opera, "Hero c* Leander," the Psalm "In Exitu," performed by the Philharmonic Society in 1873. a symphony on the gu-bjeot of "Orlando Furioso," of which an Ada.ntc Pastorale was performed a* the concerts dv Ohatalet in 1877, a symphony on the subject of "Poland," universally popular in Western Europe, and a symphonic ode entitled, "Ludus pro Patria," performed in 1888 at the Paris Cocsp-rvatory. Her prize competition, "Lutetia," was played for the first time in 1884. Another of her competitive compositions, erstitled "The Argonauts," performed in 1881, raised her to the hiehest place in the estimation of orchestral writers.

It is found that matches made in Italy and Belgium ore being imported without proper indication of the country of origin. The Commissioner of Customs has decided that the words " Made in " must be distinctly legible, and that anj> shipment made after this date will on arrival be dealt with under the Trade Marks Act. Importers will,, therefore, find it to their advantage to stop by cable any orders not yet fulfilled.

That some justices of the peace are aoruafcpd by a desire to fulfil, to the utmost of their capability, the duties devolving upon them, was evidenced at the City Police Court on the 23rd, when. Mr J. P. Jones, J.P.. at one time a familiar figure on tho justices' bench in Dunedin, attended at the court, be- having expressed a desire to once more take a scat as a justice, feeling that hie fastfailing health might eocm preclude any possibility of his acting in thai capacity. Tho old gentlemin was assisted into the room by the orderly and to the eteps leading up to the bench, but here hie strength failed and he was obliged to relinquish hi 1 ? cherished desire and leave the court for hia oab, which, oonveyed him home.

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