The World of Music

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXX, Issue 20153, 6 July 1935, Page 20

The World of Music

(By “Semitone”).

Notes arid Comments of General Interest

According to advices from England, in celebration of King George’s Jubilee a special effort is to be made in Warwickshire to prevent the distortion of the "King’s English.” It has been announced that special attention will be given to correct diction and accent at the County Musical Festival held in Leamington in June, and new classes are being added to inculcate better speaking. Something of the sort might be done here, more especially along the lines of training singers to articulate distinctly. Otherwise, musical societies may have to consider the advisability of reversing the usual procedure and print the words of the soloist’s songs instead of those of the choral numbers.

When Yehudi Menuhin stepped on the platform at Melbourne Town Hall on a recent Saturday there was hardly standing-room reserved for him; but the resolute young man might have been alone in the middle of a howling wilderness, writes the critic of the Sydney “Bulletin.” He plunged into the “Devil’s Trill” of Tartini Kreisler with as complete absorption as if he were in the practice-room. A few nods, a momentary departure, and he was back again weaving his bow with the same assurance through the convolutions of the Bach Chaconne. He then descended a few flights down the musical stair-case and greeted with the same solmnity the Paganini Concerto in D Major. Presently the Bumble-bee of Korsakoff Hartmann was buzzing about the auditorium. The remainder of the programme was composed of similar popular items. They contained even more difficult technical problems than the pieces played in the first part, but, being musically valueless, it didn’t really matter how they

were played. In that respect they resembled the frescoes on the Town Hall walls, which could be copied anyhow without their artistic worth being affected either way; whereas the slightest error in a copy of the Rembrandt self-portrait at the National Gallery would damage its reputation. Nevertheless, the brilliant Menuhin bestowed an equal care on everything, and as a result received a final ovation such as had not been accorded a virtuoso in Melbourne for a long time.

With the passing of Sir Edward Elgar on February 23, 1934, not only England, but the whole world mourned the loss of England’s great musician. It was at Worcester (England), beneath the shadow of that Cathedral which he loved so well, that his last years were passed. From a boy that sacred building had exercised a great influence over his life, and it is truly said that much inspiration was thereby gained for his great works of composition in later years. No memorial service could have been more fitting than that held in Worcester Cathedral on March 2, 1934. There some four thousand persons, representing the world of music, were gathered to do homage to him whose "Gerontius” will never be forgotten. The London Symphony Orchestra of one hundred expert performers, the country’s premier vocalists, all assembled, eager to assist in that wonderful requiem of melody for their dead master. The first anniversary of Elgar’s passing was suitably commemorated in the cathedral at Evensong on February 23 of this year. And now a tangible and lasting form of memorial is in process of completion. It will take the form of a stained glass window erected near the spot where Elgar invariably stood when following works at the Three Choirs Festival. This year the festival takes place at Worcester Cathedral and is arranged to commence on September 1. The opening feature will be the unveiling of this window, while a fitting setting to the ceremony will be the rendition of “Gerontius” by the London ’Symphony Orchestra, a large chorus, together with well-known principals.

“The value of music in our schools can hardly be over-estimated. Probably after the three R’s music is of greater practical value than any other subject.”—Dr John Tiget, U.S. Commissioner of Education.

Mr Eric Bell, the well-known Auckland pianist, has composed a “Sonata in E Minor, for Violin and Piano.” The three movements are: "Allegro con Spirito,” “Adagio Sostenuto” and “Allegro Moderato.” This will be given its first public performance at the Royal Auckland Choir’s second concert on August 22 and will be played by Mr Vincent Aspey (violin) and Mr Eric Bell (piano).

The New Zealand Broadcasting Board has engaged Mr Vincent Aspey to give a second series of violin recitals at its various stations throughout the Dominion in July. It is very pleasing to know that the young Auckland player’s artistic ability is being appreciated, and also that the broadcasting authorities are encouraging New Zealand musicians by giving those who really have “the goods” engagements in this way.

Press, a very skilful piece of work for concert performance. The solo passages were sung by Ada Lynn, soprano, Roy Hill, tenor, and Russell Laurenson, baritone. Miss Miller then sang tow charming “Eighteenth Century Bergerettes” arranged by Weckerlin. As a finale the “Coronation Scene” of the first programme was repeated. The custom of repeating the same item, if in a less familiar idiom, later in the programme is being fol lowed quite often in England at present. It permits the audience to get a firmer grasp and more lively appreciation of music rarely heard or new.

It will be news to many to learn what Yehudi Menuhin is to play at his three concerts at Wellington. At the first, on July 10, he is to play Tartini’s "Devil’s Trill,” the Bach “Chaconne,” Mendelssohn’s “Concerto in E minor," the “Caprice Basque” and "Habanera” of Sarasate, and the "Flight of the Bumble Bee” (Rimsky-Korsakoff). At the second concert, Menuhin will play Mozart’s "Concerto in G major,” Lalo’s “Symphony Espagnole” and two of Brahms’s “Hungarian Dances,” arranged by Saraste, and at the final concert on July 17 the Mozart “Concerto in D major” and the Max Bruch "Concerto in G minor,” among other arrangements by Kjeisler and Sarasate.

It was a coincidence that two songs both of which were given as encore numbers at a concert the other evening, each brought a remembrance to the writer. The first, “King Charles” recalled Horace Stevens, when reproached for singing this song beloved of bellowing baritones, saying, "I’ve got to sing it because I get numerous requests for it—for some inexplicable reason it seems to be quite popular—personally, I loathe the song.” The second encore number, “The Trumpeter,” was a reminder of the definition of "Trumpet” in “Punch’s” amusing “Concert-goer’s Guide to the Instruments of the Orchestra.” It was described as being “very difficult to play; hence the oft-repeated cry of “Trumpeter, what are you sounding now?’ ”

A spontaneous act on the part of Yehudi Menuhin in Sydney was to present a luxury seat for every performance to a 15-year-old girl, evidently a lover of violin music, whom he had noticed in the queue outside the Town Hall. The little girl, dressed in a red cloak, used to sit on a camp stool from noon each day waiting for seven o'clock, when she could secure an early gallery seat. Mr Moshi Menuhin, the boy violinist's father, first noticed the girl, who, cold and hungry, yet braved the elements at each recital, and so certain was Mr Menuhin that the child had been saving her pennies for the musical treats, that he and Yehudi decided to send her a luxury seat for each performance. And so little Red Riding Hood, as they christened her, had her feast of music from the best seat in the house, and after the concerts would meet and talk to the young man who had given her such joy. So many facets there are to the art of Yehudi, yet he remains'quite unspoiled, a simple, human lad despite the adulation of the world.

The first concert of the season by the Royal Choral Union, conducted by •Stanley Oliver took place in the Auckland Town Hall last Thursday. The programme was perhaps the most interesting and varied that the society has presented. It opened with four of the great choruses from the late Sir Edward Elgar’s “King Olaf.” Miss Rita Miller, the Australian soprano, then sang the brilliant aria, “Je suis Titania” from “Mignon.” A group of two short numbers followed. The first, a colourful “Song of the East,” by Cyril Scott, for orchestra alone. The second was an "Egyptian Episode” for chorus and orchestra by Mr Oliver, the conductor of the union. The words are a “translation” of some ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The music is characteristically realistic, with modal melodic line, and percussion instruments predominating. The first part of the programme ended with the string “Coronation Scene” from the famous Russian tragic grand opera, “Boris Godounov,” by Moussorgsky. It is a mob scene of almost unexampled vigour marked by the clanging of bells and general excitement. The second part of the programme opened with the first act of “Lohengrin” by Richard Wagner. The arrangement used is that of Professor Shera of the Oxford University.