MUSICAL JOTTINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 424, 15 November 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

MUSICAL JOTTINGS

(By

“C Sharp”)

Last Thursday’s concert of the Orchestral Society completed the tenth season of the society’s work since its revival in 1921, following upon its disbandment during the war years. Mr W. M. Beck conducted the society during its first post-war season, since when the society has retained its present conductor. During the last nine years it has been the aim of the conductor to 1 produce a symphonic work at every concert and Wanganui has thus heard two Beethoven Symphonies, three of Mozart’s, three or four of Haydn’s, two of Mendelssohn’s, and one of Schubert’s, in addition to two concertos by Mendelssohn and one by Grieg—a total of fourteen works of symphonic form and dimensions. Rhapsodies by Liszt and Friedemann, suites by BizA, Massenet, Grieg, Gounod and others, Wagnerian operatic excerpts, and lighter modern works have ail figured in the society’s programmes. Such sustained effort on the part of a musical body, to give the city an opportunity of hearing the world’s musical masterpieces, is deserving of greater public, support than is accorded the Orchestral bocicty. The subscribers’ list should be at least twice its present length, and the subscription value, though not the fee, would be increased thereby, for it would enable the society to give three concerts per year for the present subscription. The loyalty of the city’s best instrumentalists to the orchestra is a noteworthy feature. The most experienced and capable players are the most regular in attendance at rehearsals. The oboe was sadly missed at the recent concert, and it is to be hoped that before long sonic player upon this instrument will take up his residence in Wanganui.

Musicians are generally supposed to have no hobbies. Their absorption in their art is supposed to render them incapable of taking an interest in anything outside their own sphere, it has been said that of all Hie professions, musicians are the worst offenders at 44 talking shop.” From a magazine article which came into my hands recently it would appear that Sir Henry Wood frequently talks “shop” of a different kind —■“ workshop,” to be exact. He is a skilled wood-worker, and has transformed an old burn at his country house in Hertfordshire into a completely-equipped carpenter’s shop. Another part of this building has been made into a lounge, with large casement windows and comfortable furnishings, all made by Sir Henry himself. After all, it is not unnatural that there should be some connection between Wood and carpentry!

The remarkable influence of one man in moulding pianoforte technique is shown in an American musical journal' by what is described as the most astonishing ' ‘ musical family tree ’ ’ in history. Czerny is the great forefather of technique and he himself was a pupil of Beethoven and ClementiCzerny’s pupils included Liszt, Kullak, Lcschetizky, Thalberg, and Dachs. Amongst Liszt’s pupils we find Rosenthal, Haver, ID’Albert, Von Bulow, Tausig, Joseffy, Sgambati, Hi loti, Klindworth and Sternberg. Kullak’s pupils included Scharwenka and Moskowski. The sole representative (on the tree) of Dachs —but an illustrious one—is Bachmann. Lcschetizky’s list is also formidable, including as it. does Paderewski, M.uk Hambourg, Moiseiwitscn, Essipoff, Gabnlowitseh, Katherine Goodson and Schelling. The present generation finds Harold Bauer and Htojowski as pupils of Paderewski, and Rachmaninoff as a pupil of Siloti! The “tree” is published as an advertisement for “Czerny’s Pianoforte Htudies,” and is certainly a powerful one. Nearly 5000 bandsmen, belonging to 189 bands, took part in the annual brass band contest at the Crystal Palace, London, on September 27. The winners of the thousand-guinea trophy and the championship of Great Britain and the Colonics were Foden’s Band, who belong to Foden, Ltd-, the steam wagon and road locomotive engineers, of Sandbach, Cheshire (conductor, Mr F. Mortimer). Black Dyke Mills were second, Irwell Springs third, and Crystal Palace fourth. In the junior cup contest B the first prize—the Daily Mirror Challenge Cup and £15 —was won by Rugoy Town. Mr George Bernard Shaw was among the 27,000 people present. He showed great intcicst in the test piece —“Severn Suite”—which was dedicated to him by Sir Edward Elgar. “It is a thing to bo very proud of that Sir Edward should have written such a piece and dedicated it to me,” he saidThis is the second work recently announced from Sir Edward Elgar’s pen, the other being a march —“Pomp and Circumstance No- 5.” It ?s many years since the first of the “Pomp and Circumstance” marches was composed, the one played by the Wanganui Orchestra last week being composed in “Edwardian” times.

It is not generally known that Bernard Shaw, prior vo Lis fame as an author and playwright, wa: 3 a musical critic for one of the London papers. In September one Paris company controlling several cinema theatres in the city and suburbs dismissed 500 orchestral players a» a result of the introduction of the talkies. Commenting on this the London Daily Telegraph says: “Through observation of what has happened in America, where unemployment in the musical profession is on the wane owing to renewed demand for 4 4 real music,” it is believed that orchestras will later come into their own again.

Something of a sensation has been caused in operatic circles in Italy by the appointment of a woman musician to succeed Toscanini at La Scala, Milan. Signorina Anita Colombo had worked in close association with Toscanini during the latter’s brilliant and autocratic reign, and the appointment was made upon the recent death of Angelo Scandiani, the former manager. A correspondent writes that Signorina Colombo is a young woman of exceptional organising ability, that she is a pianist of wide musical culture, and speaks four languages fluently.

Financial administration and choice of repertory remain in the hands of a committee acting for the National Fascist Association, which dictates the programmes not only for La Scala, but for the principal opera houses at Rome, Naples, Genoa, and Turin-