MUSIC AND MORALS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13728, 19 October 1908, Page 7

MUSIC AND MORALS.

V r>at it ral I'oti*! iliiitiif* to the Alii kiami "Herald I h -f '* en a hit of • fti'S latelv .ilhmii iiiinioral liWaiui< • ml the Vt-rv moral | >• ■lu-e have lit. n pro smiling th« ( hook-.ellri,, loi <ii«-*emiriatmg Mu<- hook* For ill know, thri»■ w ill he a raid on t io- Au-I. land hi.ok*i-l!rr shortly, for i h- Ku.klat.'i | »ol ic»-, I'll itr .sr.- ji Ilioial a' "he poli.e i,i .hiv otlier reiitEr m N'cn //.-aland. 11 tit what l* wioiiy |>r> ■ • ••<ti! the Ail liall»-ry peopl.- foi *h"i 1. :he linni'r»: v oi j-eopl*- 1»y pii:urt « which oifend ■ !>- siiscpt ihil::i<-* •>; Mi., lirtimlv* l!ul in-' ihrrv a whii h ii'Xcr.-. a tiuill •! u-ic oi •ii.k m iipaintiiK 1 i.ic —aiul r h. I wHil i« ail

There used to be a- sort of notion that Iterature was an art also, that Literature. Painting and Music were, in fact, sisieis. but the police, who can read, but can i paint, or play the piano or violin, have altered all that. To paint in word:what von paint on canvas or convey to the senses bv means of music, « immoral nowadays. Balzac and Zola, once looked upon as great literary artists, have now come tn be regaided (by the pol'cei ,t~ ."hocking example?, to say nothing nl the smaller fry around whose works the recent fierce controversy has raged." As fin.Shakfspeare. he ought to he ashamed of himself. But some are classics. anil some, not having had time to develop, uie not —and a classic, no matter how jiniiio ral, must be preserved at all costs. The police are nothing if not- classical. 1 suppose it is because Mark Hambourg is playing classical pieces of music that the p*o lice are leaving him severely alone. 1 went io hear .Mark Hambourg play on Monday night, and I tell you candidiy he shocked me. And the more immoral" thr piece he played the more, the artistic audience applauded him. T)epend upon it. .so long as there is a public demand for immoral nius c there'll be found somebody ready to. sit'down, barefaced and un ashamed, and play jt. 1 always had mv doubts abouL Beethoven, and ' 1 uhvavs thought i could detect something immoral about his music, especially about that " Moonlight " Sonata of his; but now 1 am certain of it, after having heard Maik Hambourg, who is recognised as one of the finest interpreters of Beethoven, play it. He needn't have given such a faithful rendition of it, in my opinion, but the very heartiness M'ith which the people applauded him, and demanded an encore, proved that there is an insatiable demand for this objectionable k : nd of music. Those pieces with the French names especially want looking into; you may be sure if the composer is afraid' to give his music an Kngl fih name there\s ( something the matter with its morals.