MUSICIANS AND COMPOSERS,

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 76

MUSICIANS AND COMPOSERS,

— The demand for grand opera at popular prices is met by the reply that without a State subsidy it is impossible, that artists' fees arc too prohibitive. Possibly not everybody remembers that once upon a time the subsidising of English opera was in a fair way towards accomplishment. The Prince Consort had promised that, if the | venture iointly managed by Miss. Louisa 'Pyne and William Harrison were successfully conducted for a couple of years, influence should be used to bring the matter of a subsidy before Parliament. Unhappily, ■ the death of the Prince put an end to the | project. What organisers of opera to-day i would like would be the discovery of a new ' star or two of the worth and modesty of - Madame Patti wHen she, first came to this country. She sent up her card to the im- , presario with whom she had an appointment ; at an hotel off tho Strand, -and, by way of 1 displaying ber vocal powers, sang "Home, • Sweet Home." And,- -with laurels still* to gain; j she eang four nights on approval, those performances, if successful, to be followed by an engagement at £40 per week. — Hubermann, the great Polish violinist, who xeeently gave, a recital at St. James's Hall, London, made his mark quite early in Jife, but in a way, that was hot entirely appreciated at the moment. Dur- ' j ing the days of- hardi fighting for recognition he was -the close friend -"of Dvorak. ] One day Hubermann called upon Dvorak, and not finding the latter at home wentto his ,desk intending to write a note.' By some unlucky mischance the young violinist dropped a huge blot of ink uoon a recently-finished/ • manuscript, • that" "of- 1: a quartet which now ranks among th« most , famous of Dvorak's -works. While Hubermann, all ""in feax - and trembling, was wondering -how "he could remove the blot wjthout destroying several bars, of music," Dvorak <ame .in, -arid "for a moment it seemed as though the priceless manuscript '.was about to be dyed "crimson, a® well as black. But pity for \his young friend's sorrow sof teued ' the composer's" heart, and taking up a pen he wrote in small letters .around the " blot :— "This was -made by Hubermann, whose fame will surely live i Jong after this evidence of his carelessness has -'faded." That particular manuscript has passed into the possession of Hubermann, by whom it is valued most highly- — Mile. Janotha, the Polish" pianist, recently received the gold medal for art 1 and science, Q ueen "Alexandra .personally handing her -the goMen ornament, at Buck- " mgham Palace, as a testimonial of "royal recogmton of her art. This lady is well known m all th.c capitals of Europe, her official position being that of Court Pianist to the German Emperor. . Mile. Janotha tells of an interesting incident that marked her visit to Buckingham Palace. "I -knew, that her Majesty was devoted to the musical arts, she said, "and that she also was a ,great musician. But when for the fist time J. actually heard her Majesty play the piano, 1 found myself listening to a nuisician of a degree far beyond even my highest expectations. I was myself surprised at the exquisite art, ,the masterly finish, and thewuderful technique. There were two pianos .in the room, and her Majesty graciously suggested that we should play together. So I had the honour and 1 the joy to accompany, thus,, on a second piano. .But I -could Ksten only to the first piano upon which the royal fingers played"" ' It was after this* "duet" that her Majesty honoured Mile. Janotha as the fourth lady to receive the gold medal of art and science, the other three beina: Mine. Melba, Mine. Albam and Lady jtalle. Mile, janotha also holds the' Dianfend Jubilee Medal and the Victoria Badge. ' -s - SOME INTERESTING GOSSIP.' Open confession is good for the soul, and Mr Felix Weingartner will certainly lose nothing in the eyes of his - admirers, whether Brahms-lovers or not, by reason of the change of views which he has 1 acknowledged- in a manner so creditable in relation to that master's- music. Many of u« certainly found it difficult td understand how a musician of Weingartner's eclectic type could write, as he did, so disvespectfully concerning such a giant of the, art as Brahms, but now that he has seen the error of his ways, cne and all will be qtfad. "There is more joy." etc. The recantations of eminent musicians would make an interesting article. They have taken various forms. Schumann sneered at first at the "Tannhauser" overture, but afterwards admitted in a letter to Mendelssohn that when he actually heard 1 it performed it affected him very differently. A converse change cf views was "that of Nietzsche in relation to the same master — as all are iiware who recall his brilliant . pamphlet, "The Case of Wagner." Joaohim also was a Wagnerian apostate. _As Mr Ashton ElKs's recently-published "volume reminds us, Joachim was originally, if not an ardent Wagnerite, at least very •profoundly impressed by his music, going so far indeed as ,to volunteer to lead the orchestra when "The Ring" should be- produced. And in the caee of Li&zt his change of view was even more emphatic. It requires something of an effort indeed to realise that both Brahms and Joachim were classed originally as disciples of the Weimar school. Was there not something of a recantation, too, in that striking utterance of BTahms respecting Wagner, which Mr Ashton Ellis also quotes? — "But when I finally remarked that Wagner was chiefly responsible for all manner of confusion ia the heads of us. xoung

people, Brahms struck me dumb; for he jumped up as if someone had stabbed him. 'Nonsense — it is the misunderstood Wagner that has done you this; of the real Wagner those understand nothing who go astray through him. Wagner is one of the olearest heads that evei came into the world.' " But not eveiy musician who changes his views has -the honesty to confess i* with the candour of Herr Weingartner. How many are there etill among us who, worshipping to-day at the Bayreuth shrine, once fought against the master and all his works? —Truth.