LIGHTNING MELODIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17575, 27 June 1925, Page 22 (Supplement)

LIGHTNING MELODIES.

SONGS WRITTEN IN- RECORD TIME. Who can claim the distinction of being the world's quickest composer? Many people (says a London paper) would give the credit to IT. Trotere, who composed such famous songs as “in Old Madrid,” "The Deathless Army.” "Asthore,” “Go to Sea,” and “Aly Old Shako. " “Asthore” was composed and written in forty minutes while Trotere was sitting in a restauThc melody of "In Old Aladrid" came to him while he was walking, and he rushed into a public house, seized a biscuit bag, and jotted down the air. After this, we arc told, he had an inspiration which compelled him to sit down to compose and write "The Brow of the Hill.” The whole incident occupied but eight minutes. A MENU-CARD MANUSCRIPT. An interesting story is told of how Signor Mattei came to write the music of "Dear Heart.” When calling on his publisher one day Mattei was handed a poem with the request, “Can you make anything of these pretty verses?” The composer walked over to a piano and played four lines of an air. In less 1 than one hour the song was complete! Leo Fall, the composer of “The Dollar Princess,” has also some claim to rapid composing. During the great waltz vogue it was his habit to hum a new air as he left his bed, sing another over his coffee and rolls, and have a third running through his brain dur-

ing his morning walk. While lunching with Sir Edward Alcss one day, he was asked to compose something that would go with a new waltz. Immediately Fall wrote some notes on the menu. “What's that?” Sir Edward inquired. “That is the melody of the ‘Eternal Waltz,’ which shall be produced at the Hippodrome,” said Fall. The piece proved a tremendous success. Sullivan was also a rapid composer. ; n twelve hours lie wrote the overture to “The Yeomen of the Guard,” and between late dinner and next morning’s breakfast he wrote the overture *o Tolanthe."