MUSICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6284, 15 September 1898, Page 3

MUSICAL NOTES.

•- ■ : '♦ I' ■■-....-' ' ■■■;!• [Counter Tenor in "Canterbury' Times."] A Choral Society is being formed -Siri Marton. .-.'••..',.• A system of musical notation and pitch baa been advanced by Mr Walter H. Thelwall, and has been accepted for publication by Messrs Chappell and Co. There is only one stave, instead of five, no ledger lines are required, all accidentals are swept away, and the arrangements of tones and semi-tones are quite distinct. The stave is of seven lines, the middle line thick to simplify reading. The stave exactly contains on its seven lines and six spaces the no.tes included i n a ll octave of the pianoforte ; which octave is indicated by the number placed at the beginning of the stave. The key, major or minor, an<J the tonic are shown by certain marks. These are the main features of the new notation, which, it Avill be seen, adapt themselves to the principle of our modern " equal temperament." j Sir Arthur Sullivan is unwell, and has I been advised to relinquish work for a couple of months. Madame Albani, who is now in South Africa, is under contract to sing at the Festival of the Three Choirs at Gloucester early in September, and at the Leeds Festival the following month. Senor Sarasate wears on his watch chain a curious " charm," in the shape of a miniature violin ef polished wood lying in a. silver case. It is an exact copy of the Senor's own instrument, and is a beautiful specimen of miniature work. Madame Christine Nilsson, whose cold Swedish beauty and marvellous voice delighted opera-goers a quarter of a century ago, invested some of her savings in American real estate, which turned out immensely valuable. The other day she disposed of the last of her Boston holdings, consisting of valuable mercantile houses, which realized over £30,000.. The .once great singer, after a tempestuous private life, isjwyw the .'-Countess de-:GasarMuwtt'da,;'-'and erijoVs- her -fortune 'and' title in : ~the South, of Irance. .She is a remarkably well preserved woman-.-. According to 'the r London "Daily Chronicle," Gounod's " Romeo et Juliette" belongs tb'the class of opera that, when compared with a few other works from the same pen, pleases most when but little of it is heard. It is a capital opera to talk through. It does not warrant serious consideration. Depending solely ujpon- its flow of tune, which seldom attains a high level, it cafo be listened to or disregarded without either gain or loss. Its history has been chequered. It has lived, as it were, from hand to mouth. Not even the rare gifts and charm of Adelina Patti could give it lengthy prosperity ; neither could Albani keep it in strong favour. Its best days have been since it ! was taken up by Jean de Reszke and Melba. Mdme. Alva's friendship with the little . band of Italian composers who are at present upholding the prestige of the Land of Soni' has led her to introduce some new arias at the Alva concerts. The splendid Racconto di Maddalena, from Giordano's new opera, " Andrea Chenier," was much appreciated here (writes a Sydney critic), and to the new • prima donna also belongs the credit of bringing forward the first excerpt yet heard in Australia ifroin " I Medici." Leoncavallo has, however, written a yet later work. " Chatterton," which has not so far reachel England. The composer presented Mdme. Alva with a special copy of the work, of which she entertains a very* high opinion, and adds that it has by no* means dropped into oblivion, as is so generally supposed in musical circles at Home. Signor Leoncavallo explained to her that "Chatterton" was in abeyance merely owing to business complications with r the publisher,' Tedeschi, and thnt the matter would be settled after a lapse of no great time by the reversion of the performing rights to himself. As soon as that happens, Signor Leoncavallo will negotiate for the production of "Chatterton," which' was warmly .praised by the. ltalian critics, in Paris. and London. ; - ; ; . - The London correspondent of this paper wrote on July " 17 : —-Mr Mandeno (late Tommy) Jackson is beginning to "boom" He gave a very smart concert indeed in the gilded saloons of Sir Lionel and Lady Darell at their sumptuous mansion in Upper Grosvenor Street on Monday afternoon. Nothing could have been more select. Those who paid dubbed up a guinea a head, and those who (like myself) didn't, tried' to look as though parting with such an insignificant coin were beneath them. The ladies' frocks seemed purest Parisian, and the matinee hats were stupendous. As for the programme, it erred, if possible, on the side of being too rich arid too heterogeneous. There were no fewer, than eighteen items, and these included every form of musical diversion from songs (composed by Clutsam) by Ada Crossley, Minna Fischer, Cecilia Staunton, David Bisphan, and the beneficiare, to a whistling solo by Mr Helme, and an imitation of Ellen Terry as Ophelia by Miss Price. Mandeno himself was goodly and pleasant to look upon, but I have heard him sing better. Truth to tell, he seemed to have a cold. If, however, Mr Jackson failed to touch top form, Ada Crossley was superb, warbling "Devotion" and bidding her "Loye Awake/ jn hearfc-mpyipn 1 accents. Alice Esty, Alec Marsh and Savld Bisphan also received as much ttpplau&e as gloved hands would permit of, the baritone s splendid rendering of Damrosch's setting of Kipling's "Danny Deever " being specially approved. Altogether, Mandeno s matinee went off fizzing, and afterwards (this shows how "toney" we were) Lady Darell dispensed afternoon tea to the audience. Diiring one of the tours which Madame Sarah Bemhardt made in England she appeared at Glasgow. An overflowing audience was watching Dumas' famous play when suddenly the " divine Sarah " became aware of warning shouts from the front, and simultaneously found herself in the grasp of two strong arms. At first she thought it was Darmont a little overdoing his part, but judge of her horror to find that it was the limelight man, who, carried away by the scene, had rushed on to protect her, and with his face bathed in tears, shouted to her lover's father^ Ye niaunna hairm her : she's a quid lassie. Happily, Darmont himself came It the rescue and lwUhe excitable limelight man to the region of the files. "Miss Lilian Alexander, a Palace Music Hall f vocalist," writes the Sydney "Bulletin s London correspondent, '" has bestowed her shapely arms, (peerless bosom and splendid voice— as displayed nightly— on Mi Fairfax, of Sydney, in return for a tiny wed. ding ring. This very attractive lady car sing, and should she retire from the public stage she will |, c much missed. Her ' Daddy • ffi, > lr ellng , of Ida Osborne, but he: Children s Home ' makes her more mesmeri. than the Pied Piper." Who is Mr Fairfax of Sydney?— or, rath hiA M FairfaX