MUSICAL JOTTINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 6 (Supplement)

MUSICAL JOTTINGS

(By “C Sharp.”)

Wanganui will be much poorer musically through the departure of Mr and Mrs G. F. Holloway, who left last week to take up their residence in Wellington. Over a period of several years, while these excellent musicians were in charge of the orchestra at the Opera House, the music at that theatre reached a high level, and it is one of the tragedies of the present epidemic of canned music that such musical assets to the community should find it necessary to leave us. The best wishes of the musical community will be extended to our departed musicians, with the hope that they may find a happy and useful sphere in Wellington.

"Whilst on the subject of “ canned ” music. I went to hear some the other night. It was my fourth visit to the “talkies, ,f and I was lured thither by an English picture, based upon Thomas Hardy’s “Under the Greenwood Tree.” Not only was the picture a delight to the eye, and a splendid piece of characterisation, but the old English carols and church music were a real treat- A very old-fashioned instrument, which created some curiosity’- amongst the audience, was a “serpent,” a tortuous tube which looks like a cross between a saxophone and a bassoon. I remember one of these ancient instruments being played—as a curiosity in an orchestral combination with which I was associated in London for a few weeks in 1921. Altogether the picture referred to showed that England can produce something infinitely superior to the twangy slangy vulgarities for which the Yankees collect so many millions of dollars each year. * * ♦ •

"When it was announced, some weeks ago, that Sir Henry Wood and his orchestra were to do a turn at the London Coliseum, there must have been many who wondered how the experiment would turn out. The following clipping, from the London Musical Opinion, settles the question:—

The success achieved by Sir Henry Wood and his orchestra as a “turn” at the London Coliseum has surpassed all expectations; yet it was not altogether a surprise to those of us who hold that decent music, well chosen, and well played, will always appeal to the most “popular” of audiences. The results of this piece of enterprise on the part of Sir Oswald Stoll and Sir Henry should be very far-reaching-Thousands of people have probably heard a first-rate symphony orchestra for the first time in their lives, and it is reasonable to suppose that their appetite will have been whetted for more; thousands will have realised that listening to an orchestra over the radio or on a gramophone record is not the same thing as hearing it at first hand; thousands will have observed (with some surprise, perhaps) that the “Tannhauser’’ Overture, as played by the local cinema orchestra, is not exactly what Wagner intended; and thousands will have made the discovery that “classical music” does not neccssarily imply “masses and fugues and ops.,” is not all dreadfully highbrow, and is, in fact, unexpectedly enjoyable. This is the best possible propaganda for decent music, and is worth all the “appreciation” classes, talks and lectures in the world.

Tn an article in the Christchurch Press on “Famous Fiddlers,’’ T. W. Dent, a popular writer on musical topics, recalls the great fiddlers who have visited New Zealand during the last fifty years. The list is indeed an imposing one, though, of course, the visits were such fleeting ones, and the period so long—not many of us “stay put” in a large centre for half a century—that we still bewail the infrequency of these visits. The list opens with Auguste "Wilhelmj, who came to New Zealand in 1880. The next is Remenzi, the famous Hungarian, followed by Camilla Urso. Ovide Musin’s visit is set down as taking place ia 1892, but 1 think this is incorrect, as I heard the artist in Ilawera, not earlier than 1895. Reference is made to Musin’s playing of Wieniawski’s “Obertass” Mazurka de Concert, but from a description I am convinced that Mr Dent is confusing this with the violinist’s own “Mazurka de Concert,” a brilliant piece of virtuosity- i believe that a Wanganui lady, Mis Hughes-Johnsou, was an assisting artist to Musin during part of the tour. The names which follow Musin’s are better known to the later generation of concert-goers,, and include Marie Hull, Kubelik, Elman, Ernest Toy, Daisy Kennedy, Toschu Seidel, Bratza, Krcisler, Heifetz, and Johu Dunn. Apparently some violin ists have come to New Zealand with--out paying the South Island a visit, for r.o mention is made of Zacharewitsch, Zimbali.t, Hugo Heermann, and Leon Saruetini. I suppose the Chcrniavsky’s are regarded more as a trio than as individual artists, otherwise Leo should have been included. Mr Dent attributes to Marie Hall the statement: “If I miss a practice one day, 1 notice it, if for two days, the critics notice it; if for three days, s the public notice it.” But this remark is older than Marie Hall, and has been variously attributed to Liszt, Von Bulow, and Rubinstein. Leopold Auer, who taught both Heifetz and Seidel, is quoted as describing the former as “the Angel of the Violin,’’ and the latter as “the Devil of the Violin.” • • ♦ •

On March 18 Kubelik, who is announced to visit this part of the world during this year, gave a concert at the People’s Palace, Mile End Road, London, the whole of the proceeds being devoted to the fund for Queen Mary’s Hospital for the East End. Her Majesty accorded her patronage to the concert, which was Kubelik’s first appearance in the East End for 25 years/ Robin H. Legge, the veteran musical editor of the London Daily Telegraph, says:— ‘ ‘ The habit is clearly growing of universally celebrating the centenary and other anniversaries of the great men of music. I cannot recall such

celebrations either from memory or from hearsay in my youth. But recently we have had our Schubert and our Beethoven -jollities—if that be the concert expression—and now 1 hear from \ ienna that already preparations are being made for the celebration in 1932 of the 200th anniversary of old Papa Haydn’s birthday. Under the auspices of the Societe du Konzcrthaus—what a bilingual title! it is proposed to hold an international exhibition of music and of the theatre (this to celebrate Goethe’s centenary) to last for five months. Various societies in Vienna, including the Opera, will take part aud share the responsibilities. * * * ♦ An English writer thus refers to an artist who was a familiar figure, to concert-goers of the older generation:— “Many of us who were frequent members of the audiences that flocked to the Saturday and Monday “Pops.” in the old days of St- James’ Hall will recall the pianoforte playing of Benno Schonbergcr, who has recently died. Schonberger was a pupil of Bruckner and, for a short time, of Liszt. He settled in London in 1886, when he made his first appearance at St Janies’ Hall, and toured with Gerardy and Ysaye. I remember perfectly web this combination playing in St. James’ Hall whtjn Gerardy was so small 1/ his chair had to be placed upon a packing-case in order to raise the boy to the level of the giant Ysaye- At one time, I think, Schonberger was on the staff of the R.A.M. • • • • Guy Marriner, the New Zealand pianist to whom I referred recently as having been educated at the Wanganui Collegiate School, was announced to give a second recital at the Aeolian Hall, London, on April 4. The programme was to include Liszt’s arrangement of Bach’s Organ Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, the BachD’Albert Sicilians, Schumann’s Fantasie in C Major, a group of Chopin’s Nocturnes and Etudes, and the Ballade in F Minor, a Debussy group —to include “Poissons D’Or,” “La Fille au cheveux de lin,” Liszt’s “Feux Follets,” John Ireland’s “April,” and IDohnanyi’s arrangement of Delibes’ “Naila” waltz.