MUSICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5871, 13 May 1897, Page 2

MUSICAL NOTES.

[Bt Counter-Tenor in " Canterburt' Timeb.]" Miss Colbourne Babei', now known as Madame Lilla Harrison, certainly haß a penchant for changing her name. While in Dunedin Bhe changed her name fromMisß \\ ebb to Mra Baber ; in Sydney Bhe became Miss Colbourne Baber, changing again to Mrs White, then back to Colbourne Baber, and now ehe becomes Madame Lilla Harrison. The many friends of Mr H. Wells will be glh'd to hear that recent advices from England report him as being hearty and well. After a few necessary visitß to friends in the provinces, Mr Wells took up his quarters in London, and threw hiniself with characteristic enorgy into the * task of noting the hew developments in music. Mr Wells expected to leave London for the colony on April 23, and should therefore reach Christchurch early next month. Mr Philip Newbury, who is singing 1 at Mr Harry Rickards'B Music Hall in Sydney, will return to England in about three months' time. Miss Bertha Robsow has boen engaged for a series of concerts to be given by Madame Antoinette Sterling in the English provinces. Madame Sterling had for some time been looking out for a concert soprano for concert purposes. At a concert in the Sydney Town Hall on Good Friday, in which the Musm Company took part, Messrs Burns-Walker and Woodhoiiso both sang. During the following week Mr Woodhouse appeared at each of three concerts given by the Musin Company in Sydney to small audiences. The tomb of Frederioi the baritone, who, it will be rejnetnbered, died while singing the part of Mephistopheles in Faust in Melbourne, some years ago, contains no hint of the singer's tragic death. His stage name is quoted within brackets under his proper name, Frederick Baker — born at Florence ; died at Melbourne. Mr F. A. Packer, the Tasmanian composer, in a letter to the Sydney Bulletin of April 24, writes :—" This appeared in last Bulletin -. 'J.C.Williamson is looking for a theme for next Christmas. There's an opera ready-made in any South fciea village, with the pathetic minor strains and wild original dances of the islanders set to an accompaniment of the roar of the surf on the coral-reef and incessant rustling of the palms.' Singularly enough, I had anticipated the suggestion, having had a charmingly-written sketch of such an opera sent me by an Australian ; aud I have actually written part of it, though interrupted in so doing by other composing and. an attack of illness. Speaking of the libretto itself, I don't think anything prettier could be put on the stage ; but the question arises — liow is a composer to get paid for such a work P One good song 'pays' better than & whole opera consisting of many numbers and much thought. " The Austrian national anthem, the centenary of which, by the way, was commemorated on Feb. 12, was officially adopted and ordered to be sung in all the theabres of Vienna on Feb. 12, 1797. Haydn, the composer, introduced it with variations in one of his quartets, and the melody lias been used os a hymn tune. "" Sir Michael, Costa, the distinguished conductor, was born at Naples on Feb. 4, 1810, and died at Brighton (Englind) on April 29, iSB4. His well-knowa oratorio Eli was produced at the Birmingham Festival of 1855, and Naainan' at Birmingham in 1864. Costa was an admirable conductor aud, as' a composer^ has left Bome melodious, impressive and effective music. Some of his additional accompaniments to works, of the groat masters are^ however, considered,^) be occasionally in questionable taste/ ■ Mr James Clinton, who died recently, was so highly esteemed in England as a clarionet player, that on the occasion of his performing before a Glasgow audience four years ago, Mr Manns spoke of him as •' the finest clarionetist in the world." He invented a clarionet intended' to facilitate certain orchestral performances in which the clarionet ii? employed, and Sir Arthur kullivan, Sit George Grove, and other eminent musicians who * understood and appreciated the vnlue of Mr Clinton's invention, strongly advocated it. > . Antonio Bazzini, the famous Italian violinist and composer, died recently, in his seventy-ninth year. He was a native of Brescia, and began his career as an organist, but in 1836 the success of Paganini induced Bazzini to follow in his footsteps and to compose solos for the violin of the same character. Many of Bazzini's pieces are still popular, but not being "able to reach the Pagauini standard Bazzini turned his attention to other departments of music, and for the last sixteen years ho was principal of the Milan Conservatoire. Ho also composed operas, but with little success, and will be chiefly remembered by ' his violin solos. Signor Arditi, the fainouß conductor nnd song writer, in his Reminiscences, says that he first Bet eyeß on Adelina Patti in New York, when she aud her mother enme to the hotel to eat the macaroni prepared there by a celebrated Italian chqf. Her " determined little airs and manners then already showed plainly that she waß cleßtined to become a ruler of men." Patti's mother was anxious that Arditi should hear the child sing, and so there wns a meeting at his rooms one day. Adelina brought her doll and declined to sing until she had got a comfortable seat for it. But when she did sing !— ah ! then Arditi "wept genuine tears of emotion, tears which were the outcome of the original and never-to-be-forgotten impression." Diego de Vivo, the celebrated impresario, ondeavours, in the Nnv York. Sim, to solve +he problem ns to why it is that Patti's voice lasts. He writes :— How do I account for Patti's voice being still "fresh ? The following reasons will toll; 1. Her perfect method of the old Italian singing pehool, inherited from' nnd taught by her mother, who was a famous singer; her father, who was a fine tenor, and her halfbrothev, Antonio Barili, a great musician and singing maestro. 2. Her systematic, almost mechanical life in patincr, drinking, and exercise, a life of privation and toil. 3. Her right of choice, according to her contract, of tho ojieras and songß ; each fitted the register of her voice. 4. She seldom attended rehearsals, and so did not fatigue her voice. 5. She never sang when Blightly indisposed, no matter the price offered, and she never forced her voice for effect, as, generally, all singers do. 6. The last and most indisputable reason why Patti's voice has lasted bo long, and, in my belief it -will last at least half-a---dozen years longer—l hbpe so — is a mathematical reason which I will present in the form of the following problem : I 'mow, as an opera manager, that sopranos, mezzo sopranos, contraltos, tenors, baritones and bassos for forty years or more generally have boen engaged by the impresarios to sing four times per week, with few exceptions. Admit that the career of a primn donna, lasts twenty years. The average season of an opera singer is seven months in a year, hinging seventeen times per month, or 119 times in a season, for twenty seasons, the singer would have a total of 2380 times singing. Patti has sung on an average ten times per month — I know it positively— each seven months, making seventy times. In the thirty-seven years of her career just ended she would have sung 2590 times. It will be seen that she has sung, in tho thirty-seven years of her ' career, 210 more times than tho other liriwe donnc of her era in careers of twenty years. Should this not demonstrate to readers convincingly why Patti's voice has lasted so long ? There is no mystery nor any secret about it. Eiibiui, tho greatest tenor of tho century, uscid to say: "The more voice you uso the Ifss remains." Patti has adopted this rule, and that is the reason her diviuo voice has . survived those of her contemporaries mid rivals.