MUSIC IN THE HOME

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19036, 3 April 1930, Page 4

MUSIC IN THE HOME

GRACE NOTES

(By VIVACE.) As has already been mentioned in this column Hollywood—or the talkies —has attracted to its heart prominent light opera composers and others. Now it is announced that Mascagni is to write an opera for the talking screen. Lawrence Tibbett has used the music of Franz Lehar for his film and John M'Cormack that of Charles Wakefield • adman. At the age of 60 Oscar Straus has journeyed to the heart of moviedom to create music for the vocal film. And Mascagni—Pietro Mascagni, composer of “Cavalleria Rusticana”—has promised to write an opera for the -■Green in preference to releasing “Cavalria” and “L’Amico Fritz” to the users v . the films. “Composers/’ he said, “must adapt themselves to the new conditions, as the talkies and sound films can be made a medium for educating the masses musically. As a general rule, musical innovations born in America are later adopted in Europe. Artists like Tito Ruffo and Feodor Chaliapin have signed contracts with the film companies. We composers must follow their example. At present I am not composing as I am busy with a society, but I shall soon get to work. With film or without, opera music will have great success, especially in the Latin countries. For this reason I look on the talkies and cinemas as my allies. The introduction of good music in the talkies and sound films would do away with the invasion of the European markets by jazz and other trivial music, against which we should erect a chain of defence as violating our musical traditions.” tl $> America has money to spend .and is spending it to buy good music for its newest commercial enterprise. “Variety,” the well-known American periodical. commented recently as follows: “When it comes to spending coin for the development of music and musical organisations, the symphony societies and philharmonic clubs don’t compare with the picture outfits. Allowing that the sudden film concentration is strictly commercial, that also goes for the symphonies and philharmonics, who aren't exactly satisfied if the income from concerts is as a post-season game between Vermont and Hobart. “Newspapers front-paged it that Serge Koussevitzky had been handed the baton of the Boston Symphony and 40.000 dollars; even General Motors blinked when an orchestral engineer like Stokowski was slipped 60,000 dollars yearly to make the Philadelphia Symphony non-skid, and the world in general gulped once or twice when Toscanini accepted leadership of the New York Philharmonic at 75,000 dollars per annum, the equivalent to that of the White House occupant with just as many drums and trumpets.

“But has anybody mentioned that Warner Brothers’ contract with Erno Rapee calls for 335,000 dollars? That sum spreads over three \*ears, but it’ll do until a regular salary shows up. “For his first year Rapee will be on the receiving end of 85,000 dollars; for his second 115,000 dollars; for his third 135,000; and if there’s a fourth year the ante goes to 165,000 dollars. This for the job of general musical director on the coast for both Warners and First National. The contract carries a two-year option. Rapee is thirty-eight, and leaves lor Hollywood January 25.” Shorn of its American phraseology, the article quoted means that good music is to be made available to the world's cinema-goers. The music-loving community will not complain.

Music-lovers will wait with interest for the first concert of the new Christchurch musical organisation, the Christchurch Professional Orchestra, which is shortly to be given here. Such a combination if properly handled should be capable of giving the music-loving public really fine entertainment. The possibilities for such a band of artists are great, as, to a large extent, Canterbury is starved as far as orchestral music is concerned.

RECORD REVIEWS. A delightful musical offering' (H.M.V.) comes from the New Light Symphony Orchestra, under Dr Malcolm Sargent, of Bach’s Air on G String,” and Grainger’s arrangement of “Londonderry Air.” The lordly impressive phrases of the Bach piece are recorded with impressive dignity, and rich sonorous colour. The recording has a satisfying fulness and realism. An equally enjoyable performance is the lovely version of the old Irish air, played with a winsome pathos. The brilliant Toti dal Monte makes a w r elcome reappearance in the April H.M.V. catalogue. In “O, luce di quest’anima ” from Donizetti’s little-known opera “ Linda di Chamounix,” her remarkable soprano voice is truly dazzling. In this aria the heroine of the opera sings rapturously of her lover. It is a brilliant aria containing many elaborate passages which display the art of the coloratura to the utmost. It is coupled with another radiant number the Polonaise. “Io son Titania” from Thomas’s “Mignon.” The staccato notes in the upper register are beautifully clear. These two famous coloratura numbers are now recorded electrically for the first time. vi Alessandro Valente has a tenor voice that strongly reminds one of the great Enrico Caruso, and this young tenor is to-day a favourite at the La Scala Opera, Milan, where he sings most of the big dramatic roles. On his latest H.M.V. record he sings the principal aria from Meyerbeer’s “L’Africana”—“O Paradiso!” This number in which the singer, stupifled by the exotic scenes of a strange land, apostrophises the new countrv in ecstatic accents, may well be taken as the acid test of a tenor’s vocal attainments, for it contains many passages which are to any singer without a thorough training. The big, rich voice is also heard in “Addio fiorito asil,” from Puccini's “Madame Butterfly,” an aria of pathos -which is realistically interpreted. Harp records are so rare that lovers of this instrument, which was so popular -with the Westminster Glee Singers, will be delighted with the H.M.V. record made by Mildred Dilling, who plays the -well-known “Arabesque,” by DebusSy, and Zabel’s “At the Spring.' The new process of recording has certainly solved the problem of the harp, for it no longer sounds like a piano out of tune. The vibration of the strings has been successfully caught, and in the graceful arpeggios and passages of “At the Spring” the instrument is heard to distinct advantage. Miss Dilling plays brilliantly. Columbia lists this month feature some good novelty numbers. Apart from the theme songs, of which, as is to be expected, there are quite a number, several bright numbers are to the fore. Jack Payne and the 8.8. C. Dance Orchestra present two worthwhile numbers on one disc —“Riding on a Camel in the Desert,” and “My Wife is on a Diet.” The former is a most enjoyable comedy foxtrot very well played. The second number. “My Wife is on a Diet, from “Whoopee,” is written round the American craze, namely, the eighteenday diet, which appears to consist mainly of grapefruit. In fact “hubby” declares he is “ashamed to look a grapefruit straight in the face.” The orchestra is good and the comedy chorus is in splendid form.^ Two other numbers by Jack Payne's Orchestra are from the photoplay “Rio Rita.” which has just completed a sea> son in Christchurch. “You’re Always in my Arms,” a delightful waltz melody is the better number, but on the reverse of the disc, “Sweetheart we Need Each Other” is quite a good foxtrot well played.

Before leaving the foxtrots we must make mention of the Piccadilly Players’ recording for Columbia of the popular “Smiling Irish Et'es,” a tuneful number, and selections from “Hollywood Revue, 1929/’ played on the reverse by Ben ."elvin’s Orchestra. All the very popular numbers from the revue are introduced, including “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Your Mother and Mine,” etc. A good disc. Terence Nugent, a popular tenor, reappears with “Your Mother and Mine,” from “Hollywood Revue, 1929,” and on the reverse the theme song of Maurice Chevalier’s latest talkie, “The Love Parade, which is at present in season in Christchurch. “The Love Parade” is a pretty little song which should become berv popular. Terence Nugent gives an admirable interpretation. To the fore in Columbia lists once again are the very popular American duettists Layton and Johnstone. They give in good style two titles from the “Hollywood Revue,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Gotta Feelin’ for You.” It is not easy to say which of the two numbers is the better, though perhaps the first mentioned is the most popular. However, it it a disc well worth having.

FRAU COSIMA WAGNER PASSES. Yesterday the death was announced of Frau Cosima Wagner, widow of the great Richard Wagner, and the woman who, more than anyone, was responsible for keeping alive the Bayreuth Festival. Frau Cosima, who was a daughter of Franz Liszt, in her old age was reduced to very straitened circumstances. It seems incredible that the wife of the most celebrated composer of opera of the ninetenth century should pass her old age in want, while every musician and every lover of music acknowledged the debt he or she owed to the great art of Wagner.

Wagner himself never gathered a great harvest from his works—nothing to be compared with the large sums paid to some of the later composers such as Strauss and Puccini. Enough, however, had been set aside to guard against absolute want, but the war and the financial chaos in Germany made all such provision nugatory, and the copyright of the last Wagner opera expired some years ago. The result was that Frau Cosima, the last living link with the great Wagnerian epoch, had to appeal to the charitable. However, the proceeds of charity performances of the master’s operas helped to lift her from the position of the utmost poverty in which she found herself, and her remaining years were brightened by the aid and kindness of many good friends.

MUSIC WITH A STORY.

Few people know of the beautiful legend that is associated with the song “By the Waters of Minnetonka,” a legend which inspired both a poet and musician. In the woods of North America a brave of the “Sun” branch of the Sioux I ndians fell deeply in love with a maiden of the “Moon” branch of the same tribe. Secretly they met, time and again, knowing full well that one

of the ancient laws of the tribe placed the penalty of death upon those of these branches who loved. An old brave saw the young couple at the trysting-place and hastened to tell the others. Knowing that death was inevitable, the lovers rushed to the shore of the lake and waded into the waters till they were finally buried beneath the shimmering waves. Thereafter, nightly, the waters sang the song of the lovers to the accompaniment of the silvery ripple of the current, the sighing of the wind, and the love-call of the night birds. The composer, Thurlow Lieurance, seems to have caught this effect magically. The movement of the phantom canoe, the ripple of waters, the night-bird’s note, the lovely swaying melody—all make a little masterpiece that was instantly identified as such by many of the world’s greatest singers, among them being Dame Nellie Melba.