The World of Music

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19668, 9 December 1933, Page 12

The World of Music

(By “Semitone”)

Notes and Comments of General Interest

The following soloists have been selected for the Auckland Choral Society’s annual performance of “Messiah” on December 14:—Miss Jean Morrison (soprano), Madame Irene Ainslie (contralto), Mr. Joseph Battersby (tenor), and Mr. Harold Davis (bass).

At the Royal Wellington Choral Onion’s performance of “The Messiah,” the orchestra was placed in a different position from its usual one— ; on the platform between the conductor and the chorus. On this occasion it was so arranged that the orchestra was practically surrounded by the chorus which together total 400 members under the direction of Mr. John Bishop. The soloists were:—Soprano, Alma Clegg; contralto, Gladys Hibberd; tenor, Edwin Dennis; baritone, Russell J. Laurenson.

Miss Myra Sawyer, the Wellington soprano, is at present fulfilling concert engagements in Dunedin, where she has captured the musical critics. She is variously described as "one of the finest sopranos that has been heard on a local concert platform," “the Dominion’s most outstanding soprano,” “whose singing will remain as one of the vivid experiences in years.”

A writer in the Dunedin “Evening Btar,” dealing with the musical training of the young, refers thus to the singing of the Wellington Boys’ Choir at their recent inaugural concert: “In' Wellington a very successful debut was recently made by a boys’ choir of sixty voices, inaugurated, developed, and conducted by Mr. H. Temple White, well-known in Dunedin for his work as adjudicator at the Competitions Festival. Mr. White has an aptitude for vocal training not excelled by anyone in this country, and it was a real treat to hear, under his compelling guidance what someone has called “the cold, chaste purity of boys’ voices ringing resonantly heavenwards.”

Sir Edward Elgar, who is reported to be seriously ill, is England’s greattest musical composer. His fame, which, it has been declared, may well be as lasting as that of Brahms, will rest in the main on “The Dream of Gerontius,” “The Enigma Variations,” the symphonic poem “Falstaff,” and the “Violin Concerto,” which is dedicated to Kreisler. The essential spirit of his art is its tenderness. Mr. Bernard Shaw probably paid him the greatest compliment that “G. 8.5.” has ever paid to any man, for at a musical festival, he said: “Elgar is a greater man than I am.” Another Elgar story has to do with a schoolfellow whom he had not seen for half a century. His old schoolfellow explained, with justifiable pride, that he had got on well and had now the biggest business in England in his line—laying out lawns for a certain kind of game. At last politeness Induced him to turn to Sir Edward’s affairs. “Let me see,” he said reminscently, “Weren't you rather fond of music at school?— playing the flute or something. Ever do anything at it?”

It is something of an achievement for any artist to master a big role in less than a week, but when this feat is carried through by an artist who has only recently made his first appearance on the musical comedy stage, the achievement is all the more wonderful. Great credit is, therefore, due to the young Melbourne tenor, John Dudley, who, less than a week before the opening night, was handed the role of Prince Karl in “The Student Prince," staged by J. C. Williamson Limited, at the King’s Theatre, Melbourne. He was put Into the role of the prince in “The Quaker Girl” during the latter portion of the run of this musical comedy in Melbourne, and has been playing the role in Sydney. He had never previously appeared on the 6tage. Writing in the "Sunday Times” under the heading “Musical Appreciation,” Mr. Ei-nest Newman says:— “Our everyday experience brings home two facts that often the man who knows all about a given work remains completely Insensitive to it as a piece of musical expression, while conversely the man who could not, for the life of him, tell you how the music has been put together is powerfully drawn to it. Which brings us back to my original point, that what is taught as “musical expression,” is nothing of the kind; it is merely an approach to musical appreciation if you happen to be built along the same intellectual and emotional lines as the composer and the work. If you are not, no amount of talk about form, subjects, first tune, second tune, exposition, working-out, recapitulation, variation, and all the rest of it, will be of the slightest use to you." It may have struck many people that the accepted practice of expressing approval, or appreciation of the performance of musical numbers, by clapping hands. Is really rather barbarous. For Instance, the lovely strains of a beautiful air have just melted away in the concert hall, and immediately our ears are Jarred by tire sharp staccato sounds of hundreds of palms being smitten together; bringing us back with a horrible Jolt to earth once again. This was brought home to an Auckland writer at a concert a few nights ago. Immediately behind him sat a husky young man who seemed to be possessed of an outside capacity for appreciation, together with an out size in hands with which lie expre <1 ttie aforesaid appreciation, with more enthusiasm than discretion, about four inches from this complainant's left j tympanum (or car drum).

Conrert patrons have usually little chance of even criticising performers personally. In Aachen, the director of the Municipal Theatre has invited the public to come to the theatre Sunday mornings for an informal discussion hour.

Robert Parker, the singer who hails from America, is a brave man (writes our London Correspondent). He has organised a first-rate opera company, and proposes to tour it in the English provinces this autumn, with a possible season in London at Christmas time. He has chosen an all-Wagnerian repertory and swears that he will make the venture pay. His artists include Florence Eastman, Florence Austral, Walter Widdopp, Horace Stevens, and other well-known British singers, and he will give the “Ring” in full at popular prices. Meanwhile, Sir Thomas Beecham is to conduct on the opening night of the new season Sadlers Wells, where the prices rang from 6d to 6/-, and the performances have become so good that the 8.8. C. is paying £IOOO a month for the privilege of broadcasting one opera a week. “La Boheme” has been chosen for the opening night, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Snow Maiden” and “Tsar Saltan,” conducted by Albert Coates, and Gluck's "Orpheus,” which has not been seen in London for many years, will be given during the first few weeks. The theatre has also established a thriving school of British ballet.

Anecdotes about famous pianists were related by Mr. E. J. Gravestock in an address vrttich he gave over the air in Sydney fast week. Mr. Gravestock said that it was not until 1920 that concert managers realised the tremendous interest taken by Australians in famous pianists. The most indelible impression left by any pianist was made by Wilhelm Backhaus. “I must hand Backhaus the palm for gentlemanly qualities, tact, consideration, integrity, business ability, and a generous understanding of a manager’s difficulties,” said Mr. Gravestock. He added that Backhaus had a loose-leaf book which contained programmes and encores of every recital he had ever given. Backhaus’s address book contained 10,000 addresses of friends all over the world. Mr. and Mrs. Backhaus, when they were on their first visit to Australia, sent out 6000 Christmas cards to all parts of the world. They had them printed in English, German, French, and Spanish. The most eccentric of all pianists, said Mr. Gravestock, was Pachmann. His recitals were a show as much as a musical treat. It was a common occurrence for him to walk off the platform. “I tried several times to get Pachmann to come to Australia, but he w T as a very bad sailor, and he would not face the long sea trip,” said Mr. Gravestock. “Paderewski,” he added, "is a great night bird. He very sldom goes to bed until the small hours. He literally turns night into day. Whenever possible he had a large meal after a recital, followed by a game of billiards or bridge.” “Moisewitsch,” he said, “is probably the greater gambler among the big musicians. He will bet on anything, and on one occasion when he went with Ignaz Friedman to a recital given by Pachmann, he bet that Pachmann would play more than three wrong notes during the recital. He