The World of Music

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19771, 19 February 1927, Page 17 (Supplement)

The World of Music

MUSICAL JOTTINGS (By “C Sharp.”) The measure of success achieved by Miss Eva Webb-Jones at her recital last week was a fitting reward for the long period of study necessary for such an appearance, as well as for the enterprise and courage essential to the giving of a recital of one’s own. Wanganui possesses several artists, both vocal and instrumental, whom one would like to hear in the wider scope of a full programme of their own, instead of being sandwiched in amongst the medley of items that goes to make up the occasional general concert. Of Miss Webb-Jones’ own performance little remains to be said. The freshness of her voice at tIA) end of a heavy programme was proof of the soundness of her voice production, and the quality is as fine as ever. Future developments will probably be along the lines of deeper and more subtle interpretation, and increased facility in the employment of the spfter shades of tone. These are the gifts of maturity, to which every student must look forward. Wanganui will continue to watch. Miss Webb-Jones’ career with interest.

I think the Male Choir has made a wise choice in electing Mr F. W. Slater as conductor. The appointment betokens a determination to continue the pursuit of high artistic ideals. It is to be hoped that the choir will give its new conductor every possible support in his endeavours to advance the .■ -tutus of the choir in tho musical community.

On making her first apeparance in the Dominion—in Wellington on Saturday week—Miss Phyllis Lett apparently fulfilled the highest expectations of her listeners. The “Dominion” refers to her as “one of the very few contralto’s heard in recent years whose

singing makes an indelible impression upon tho memory.” The paper goes on to say:—“Miss Lett has the true contralto voice, deep pitched, and as round and mellow in tone as a well played ’cello—sonorous and vigrant on top and of fine breadth in those tragic notes well below the stave; and, big though the voice is when it is exerted, Miss Lett can with no effort at all sing with airy lightness and charm, when the theme and nature of the song demands such treatment. As an interpreter of great lyrics she exerted a spell on her audience that reached its climax at the end of the programme, when the applause was so insistent and hearty that she had to sing four encores before she was permitted to depart in peace.”

After debating the question of the deductions made by colleges for use of room and piano, and the collection of fees, in the case of visiting music, teachers, the Musicians’ Conference decided to announce that it regarded ten per cent, as an adequate amount. Instances quoted by delegates varied from nothing at all up to 33 1-3 per

c-cnt. An interjection was made that surely the latter must be in Dunedin! However, I heard last week of a college within 50 miles of the Wanganui Post Office which deducts 50 per cent! Shades of Shylock! There is surely something wrong with a scale of values which places the skill and experience of a teacher on the same level as the use of a barely-furnished room and (usually) a very mediocre piano. # * 9

In view of Paderewski’s forthcoming visit to this end of the world, a reference to his ability as a statesman, by Walter Damrosch, in his book, “My Musical Life,” will be of interest. “People,” says Mr. Damrosch, “do not realise that ho was, consciously or unconsciously, preparing himself for just this opportunity all his life. He had always dreamed of a united and independent Poland. He knew the history of his people, their strength, and their weakness. It is said that one day he played before the Czar, who, congratulating him, expressed his pleasure that a ‘Russian’ should have achieved such eminence in his art. Paderewski answered: ‘I am a Pole, your Majesty,’ and, needless to say, was never again invited to play in Russia. His mind is one of the most extraordinary I have ever come in contact with. All the world knows what he has achieved in music—his inspired interpretations, his prodigious memory, and the subtle range of colours of his musical palette, but not so many know of his interest in literature, philosophy, and history; and it took the Great War to demonstrate that as orator and statesman he ranks as high as musician. I heard him make a speech on Poland during the Exposition in San Francisco in 1915 before an audience of ten thousand, in which he gave so eloquent a survey of Poland’s history and of her needs and rights as to rouse the people to a frenzy of enthusiasm. ... I believe that Colonel House pronounced him to be the greatest statesman of the Conference; and it was only the cynical Clemenceau who said to him: ‘M. Paderewski, you were the greatest pianist in the world and yoa have chosen to descend to our level. What a pity!’ ”

1 During the war Mr Mauries Besly, Phyllis Lett’s accompanist, was a captain in the Royal Engineers. He was wounded and taken prisoner in front of Amiens in 1918 when in charge of 600 men of the famous Carey’s rorce. Interned in Mainz, he ran the amusements of the camp of 600 officers and 300 men, amongst his enterprises being three theatrical companies, an 01 ■» chestra of twenty-three, a piano school of ninety pupils, lectures on harmony, musical history, etc. In 1920 Mr Body was made conductor of the Oxford Orchestra in succession to Sir Hugh Allen. Ho was tho first Englishman to have the honour of conducting the Vienna Philharmonle Orchestra, As ft song writer he has already had ft good share of success, and Miss Lett will sing several of his compositions at her concerts in New Zealand, # * Many aro the advantages of pur colonial life, but opportunities ef heasing fine artists cheaply la not &£

them. This remark is prompted by seeing the announcement of one of the “Polytechnic Popular Entertainments’’ at Queen’s Hall. Prices for reserved seats range from fifteen pence to three and sixpence, and unreserved from ninepence to one and sixpence. For what? Well, following a grand organ recital of fifteen minutes’ duration, there were to appear Florence Austral, Ben Davies, George Baker, The Westminster Singers, John Amadio, Clapham and Dwyer (entertainers), Julia Larkins (in child imitations) and Sheridan Russell.

Some months ago I referred to the development of recitals of music for two pianofortes. I notice the English papers the announcement of such a recital by Irene Scharrer and Myra Hoss. Not having visited this part of the world, these cultured artists arc not knoTvn to the general public out here, but to those in touch with musical affairs at Home they arc known as two of the world’s leading lady pianists. They are amongst the greatest exponents of tho Matthay “school” of playing, ha\ing been fel-low-students under the great master at the Royal Academy, contemporary with the two New Zealand pianists, Arthur Alexander and Frank Hutchens. Such a combination should produce something worth while in the direction of music for two pianos.

London is threatened with the loss of Queen’s Hall —as a purely musical institution, apropos of which Robin H. Legge writes in the “Daily Telegraph’”:—ln respect of the controversy concerning the future of the Queen’s Hall, for example, I have had many dozens of letters, from which, as from most other letters on the same topic which I have road in other places, hares spring abundant and course backwards and forwards across the real trail without leaving so much as a finger—or rather a pad —print. Of course, they arc all in favour of the preservation of Queen’s Hall, as at present constituted. But, asks a correspondent in the Northern Heights, apropos of tho possibility of the closing to music of the Queen’s Hall and the formation of a London municipal orchestra under the aegis of the London County Council, “would it not be better for the hall, its orchestra, and Sir Henry Wood to be taken over en bloc by the London County Council as a going concern than to found a new orchestra without the traditions, experience, and patronage behind it?” There is an idea, indeed, that could easily have been written upon a postcard, and in effect was so written. Decidedly I agree with the implied idea that a municipal orchestra conducted by an unknown would fail largely to attract a paying public for many"a year, because we arc musically almost everything but experimental in our ideas.

AERIAL WHALE HUNTERS NOKTH PACIFIC INDUSTEY. Wlis-le hunting by air is not a new form of sport, but a regular feature ot the whaling industry in the North Pacific. Aeroplanes patrol wide stretches ot the sea, and on sighting a whale communication is established by wireless with the fleet, which may be several miles away. These more efficient methods of capture have been rendered necessary as a result of the increasing scarcity . of the animals caused by their migration to southern waters. AN EYE FOR TANKS advance in mechanical WARFARE. Scientists are experimenting with an invention described as “the greatest step in mechanical warfare taken past the purely experimental stage.” It is a dvice termed the ‘ ‘ eye ’ ’ to be. attached to the mechanism of a tank to indicate the position of the machine on a scale map of the territory it is traversing. Every turn in the machine’s course is indicated instantly by a change in the line drawn by a stylus pen across the face of the map as the tank moves. To reach a given spot it is only necessary to drive the machine so that the line drawn by the stylus crosses that spot on the map. It makes the driver of the tank almost independent of vision. The apparatus is controlled by a gyroscopic compass mounted on the rear of the tank. The stylus is geared to the mechanism of the machine so that its rate of travel across the map coincides with the rate of travel of the tank across it. With the device in ffla.ee the operaroi of the tank can be armoured completely against anything but artillery fire, and he can then drive his machine through mist, darkness, poison gas, or rain and hail without ever having to expose himself in the slightest to take bearings, or even to see tho ground which he is traversing.

RECORDED MUSIC THE WEEK’S NEW RECORDS HIS MASTER’S VOICE A Brilliant Singer. Without any exaggeration, but writing with sincere admiration and enthusiasm after many rehearings, one must tell everybody that the latest disc by Elizabeth Schumann for His Master’s Voice is one of the finest soprano efforts heard on the gramophone for a very long time. This singer has but lately joined the ranks of H.M.V. recording artists. She is not brilliant in the colouratura sense that distinguishes Galli-Curci or Dal Monte, but she has feeling and expression far transcending either of them. Of the two recordings which comprise this particular bracket the number “ Voi Nozez di Figaro,” is the more wonderful in its expression of the art of the singer, though the tender “Batti, Batti,” from the same composer’s “Don Giovanni,” is by no means a secondary item —far from it. You must really add this to your collection. * * * * The New Recording and the Bands. If the now H.M.V. process has done marvels for orchestral recording—as witness the splendid Wagnerian records of the “Fire Music” order, and the two recently issued Elgar “Pomp and Circumstance” marches—it has done as much for the military bands 1-V achieving a clearer definition of the component instruments. Try listening in an adjoining room to the recently issued Sousa band record, with the ‘ ‘ Stars and Stripes for Ever’ ’ march, and you will imagine that you are listening to the real thing, as no doubt you are. Other marches in the same class of excellence recently issued are Sousa’s “Fairest of the Fair,” “King Cotton,” “High School Cadets,” while by other composers there are three or four of corresponding merit. * 4 * * New Dance Records.

A special issue of H.M.V. dance records (lOin.) includes some sprightly numbers. Waring’s Pennsylvanians and Olsen’s Orchestra supply the cream of the budget, the former giving us a “Bolshevik” fox trot and the latter “Hey Diddle, Diddle” (fox trot) that fairly tickles one’s sense of rhythm. There is a little choral patter in each, which, if you can forgive the American accent, is rather amusing. One must confess to a patriotic wish that all our best dance music would come from tho Tight Little Isle, which is not to say that a good deal of it doesn’t. We still have the Savoy Orpheans with us, but 1 * their output seems to have deminished lately.

A First-class Cheap Disc. Positively tho best value in 10-inch H.M.V.’ plum labels recently is that supplied by the Victor Malo Chorus, which gives, with an excellent orchestral accompaniment, a fine representation of the “Anvil Chorus” from Verdi’s “Il Trovatore,” backed by the now very familiar “Pilgrims’ Chorus” from Wagner’s “Tannhauser” pronounced “ Tannhoyser,” if you wish to be considered really “musical”). Tho tempo and ensemble singing here is first class, and the disc should appeal to many people who may still be a little nervous of grand opera.

Some Good Zonophones. The Zonophones people have lately been turning out some very good stuff, both in the dance music class and in the higher—but not too high—flights of musical composition. Of the latter may be mentioned for favourable hearing the Black Diamonds’ Band’s recording of the “Electera” suite de ballet, in two parts, a very good example of competent musicianship and faithful reproduction. Barrington Hooper, whose tenor voice records very successfully, gives us for his inaugural effort in the recording room two charming little numbers, “Summer Rain Brings tho Roses Again” and “Say That You Love Me.” Another tenor singer who is liked by listeners at the gramophone is Arthur Cox, who gives us “Pretending,” a nice little trifle, which is backed by a pleasing offering from Foster Richardson, whose fine bass voice is well reproduced in Nicholls’ “Pearl of Malabar.” Zono Dance Numbers. Amongst the new Zonophone dance numbers which will be found worth while is the Cabaret Orchestra’s fox trots, “Horses” (quite good) and “Then I’ll be Happy”: “Lonesome and Sorry” and “Rose of St. Mary’s.” The Carlton Hotel Orchestra gives us “There’s a Shine for Every Shadow” and “Currants” (it ought to have been “beans”), while Bert Firman’s Orchestra gives jis “Hiney Bunch,” “The Rhythm of the Day,” “Coming Through the Cornfield,” and ‘ 1 Summer Rain Brings the Boses Again.” * * * * Have You These Yet? Looking back over recent issues, one wonders whether listeners havo overlooked George Baker in “If There Were Dreams to Sell” of John Troland. The record is quite successful. In this and in “I Heard You Singing” of Eric Coates his expression is good. Harry Dearth has made jolly records of “Ben. Backstay” and “Dorothy’s a Buxom Lass.” Leila Megane in two numbers by Delius, “Sweet Venevil” and “Twilight Fancies,” has made good atmospheric records of two interesting songs. I like the second one particularly. Marion Talley’s records of “Una voce poco fa” and “Caro nome” are good, especially the former. In “Home, Sweet Home,” she sings less well, and gives us only one verse, suggesting furnished apartments or something semi-detached. In “Cornin’ thro’ the

Rye” her Scots is very bad. Emilio de two Spanish songs are splen- ! didly vocalised and given in excellent ' style. One of them is the familiar “La Paloma, ” and includes a sensational bit of phrasing near the close. * * « « One of Galli-Curci’s Best. There is no doubt that at last we have perfect balance from this wonderful electrical recording. Strings seem properly subdued, whilst tho various registers come out naturally, i Perhaps the best example is “Tho !

j COLUMBIA RECORDINGS | I A Fine Eisdcll Disc. Both Liza Lehmann’s “Ah! Moon ot ' My Delight,” from her “In a Persian: Garden Suite/ and Albert Kctelby’s! “In a Monastery Garden” are, vocally, I “as old as the hills,” but arc of the! - ' tuneful typo that never fail to attract. I - Hubert Eisdcll sings them on a Colum- i > bia record with all the charm and mcl-! t ' lowed richness for which his voice is i j popularly known. Ketelby leads a good . i orchestra in his excerpt, and a string j 1 chorus in addition is of obvious value ji to the soloist’s effort. With the other ■ there is piano accompaniment. ' Wagner’s “Good Friday Music.” The Good Friday music from Wagner’s last great work, “Parsifal,” is 3 as serene and symphonic a piece of writing that, or one is tempted to say, any 5 composer ever created. It is familiar 1 ! to all who revel in the wonders and ’ , beauties of the epic work it completes, , ! and like all the music in Parsifal its 1 exquisite and delicate melodies arc de-1 velopcd around the theme's made famil-! ’ j iar in the earlier sections. The music j i gives every chance for individual in-1 ■ struments to be heard, and the passages ! given to the woodwind instruments, j playing with entrancing effect against j a delicate string background and ris- ■ : ing to a typical Wagnerian climax of I majestic grandeur, are vibrant with ; > that tone colouring Wagner so inimi- I j tably delineated. Sir Hamilton Harty i - leads the famous Symphony Orchestral > with his accustomed skill and the in-. , terpretation is on a level with the all I . but flawless recording. This music, 1 lake's three sides of two twelve-inch j , ; discs, the fourth holding “Tristan’s! . | Vision” from Tristan and Isolde. L i * * :;s * . : Industrious Norman Allin. [ I Norman Allin ranks with Jose Mar- ■ , dones as one of the outstanding bass [ singers of to-day. He is, too, a must tirele’ss worker, his industry being remarkable, as may be gathered by a glance at his Columbia record output. This embraces excerpts from the works I of a very wide variety of compose'rs, from Purcell to Edward German, from Mozart and Handel to Gounod and Wagner. He has sung arias and items . from all departments of opera, oratorio, i folk song and ballad, and has invariably i sung with unimpeachable success. Per- ! haps two of the most difficult pieces he has attempted are bracketed on one record—Handel’s “Hark! The Tempest j Wildly Raging,” from the opera “Partenope, ” and the Whitman-Wood eulogistic song “Ethiopia Saluting the j [Colours.” A ready command of vocal j expression coupled with a full under--1 standing of the technique here called for make demands Allin is well able to supply, and his fine sonorous voice is admirably heard and reproduced. * * * * A Haydn Gem. One of the most remarkable of the 19th Century composers, Haydn, was as prolific as ho was fascinating, and over 1000 works stand to his everlast- | ing memory. Of these 77 were quar- [ tettes for strings, the form in which he first found freedom of expression and scope for that amazing genius that was ! to lead to the' production of 150 sym--1 phonies, numerous concertos, and a great many oratorios, masses and operas. His string, or chamber music, has been of enormous value to the various record-making companies, who hays found a wealth of glorious music in this sphere alone. Among these producers Columbia stands high, for in

the reproduction of string music they havo pioneered the gramophone world and given us many exquisite examples of this indispensable class of music. From Haydn they have, 1o date, selected about a dozen works only, issuing sections of some of those as solo discs. These include' tho lovely if melancholy Adagio Cantabilc and the Finale from the Quartet in D Major, in slight structure admittedly, but as played by tho Lenor String Quartet these examples show a fine insight in’o the beauty of Haydn, and more than that, reveal an astonishing fidelity to the actual instruments. Normality, clarity and detail are amazing, and ii played with a fibre needle all the' native purity of the four instruments is brought out with extraordinary charm. * * * * A Superb Soprano. Maria Barrientos stands as high in the Columbia list of “celebrity” vocalists as she' does in the esteem of the critics of two continents. Iler fame spread rapidly when she was but a eirl of 19—ten years or more before the war. and a great reputation made in America—more in the South than in U.S.A.—paved the way to a great Covent Garden debut, ifl 1903. She was then described as “a phenomenal mistress of the school of acrobatic vocalisation”—an agility that ultimately matured into one of the most polished soprano voices the century has produced. Even in thoso days Maria Barrientos was the vocal equal of international artistes with far greater names, and by the time' she came to sing for record purposes her art had reached its pinnacle. She sang for only four double-sided records, but in each displays an exquisitely musical and unblomishe'd quality of tone, with an absolutely faultless execution that every lover of “great” sing w'll revel in. Her voice is singularly sweet and clear, her high notes delivered with that control and intonation that mark the complete artist, and hnr coloratura is worthy of the greatest sonrano singing to-day. Tn the Columbia record of David’s “Charmant. Oisean” (Charming Bird) and on the reverse. 'Donizetti’s “Segnava nol silenzio” (Silence over all) from LucJa di Lammermoor, her singing is brilliant to a degree and her wonderful attack of high notes is as natural and unaffected as heY phrasing is intelligent.