MUSIC

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVII, Issue XXII, 28 November 1896, Page 111

MUSIC

MISS CELIA DAMPIER S concert in the City Hall, Auckland, last week was an extremely

successful one, and quite satisfied the high expectations which bad been formed of it. There was a very large and appreciative audience, who encored the principal items with enthusiasm. The instrumentalist of the evening, Miss Celia Dampier, gave two violin selections, each beautifully played, showing marvellous taste and accuracy for one who is still a mere child. They were Wieniawski’s popular ‘ Legende,’ and a ‘ Fantasie de Concert ’ by Delphine Alard, the latter being her first solo. Miss Dampier received a flattering shower of bouquets. The other contributors to the concert were general favourites of Auckland audiences, viz., vocalists—Mesdames Kilgour, Boylan, and Shoesmith, Misses Lorrigan, and Miss Rita Tole : Mons. Casier, Messrs G. M. Reid, and W Manning. Instrumental—Misses E. Maclaurin, Harding. Wood, Bates, and Mr Alf Bartley.

The Blenheim Choral Society (says a corresponient) has been practising the music of ‘ lolanthe ’ for some time past, in which good progress has been made. The intention was, I believe, at first to simply sing the music at a concert, but now I understand that it is to be properly staged. This will be much more pleasing, but, unfortunately, it always entails a heavy expense, especially as there is no scenery to speak of in the hall used as a theatre. The dresses, too, form a considerable item. However, the idea will most likely induce many to take an interest in the society, which is liable to fluctuate as regards members.

Rafaele Vitali, a singer well known in his dav, who has just died in Italy, had a curious experience during the course of his career. Vitali was a tenor, as well known for his good singing as for his remarkable qualities as an actor. In operas such as Rossini's ‘ Othello ’ and Donizetti’s • Lucia ’ he never failed to bring down the house by his pathos. One evening at Rome, while he was singing in ‘ Louisa Miller,’ he was suddenly struck with a lowering of the voice, which made it impossible for him to finish his role. In one moment he had been changed from a tenor into a baritone, and for the rest of his career he sang in this latter capacity. He retired from the stage some years ago, and devoted the rest of his life to teaching.

Poetry and music have been calied into requisition to fete the return of the hardy polar voyager Dr. Nansen. A Christiania newspaper, which opened a competition for the best piece in verse destined to glorify the celebrated voyager, announces that it has received no less than 543 manuscripts. As for music, it appears that in Christiania they are selling thousands of divers compositions inspired by the voyage of Nansen. The work most in request is a march by Oscar Borg, entitled the ‘ Nordpol March,’ and a piece which bears the original and meteorological title of ‘S6-14’ (eighty-six degrees fourteen minutes).

George H Clutsom has been uttering a very true wail of an accompanist. He says : I He must have considerable technique, and confident command over his instrument, be well versed in the different schools of music, be able to adapt himself to the personality of the artist he is assisting, be able to read with certainty at sight, possess the power of finding little or no difficulty in transposing, have enormous patience, tact and judgment, be prepared to bear all the consequences of any mistake on the part of the soloist, accept a most inadequate fee for his services, and feel grateful to the critic who will condescend so much as to say, “ Mr So and So accompanied,” in recognition of his work. As to his position in the artistic circle. I am sorry to say the real value of his work is rarely appreciated.’

A correspondent from Paris thus describes the professional applauders : ‘ The other evening I attended a performance of “ Les Cloches de Corneville,” and I was so placed that I could witness all the goings on of the claque. The gang occupied about thirty seats in the front row of the gallery, and consisted of a lot of semitoughs and hangers-about of all ages. They were under the leadership of a man old enough and respectable enough in appearance to have been in better business. This worthy wore eyeglasses and kept a sharp watch on his band to see that no one shirked his duty. At certain points during the opera he gave the signal and all burst out in frantic applause, continued until the order was given to desist. At special moments cheers and bravos were ordered and served as desired. The natural effect of the claque is to make people, who might

otherwise wax enthusiastic, maintain a scornful reserve, so that the piece goes with almost no applause save that by these hirelings.’

Sims Reeves is hard on what is called the ' vicious encore system ‘ He characterises it as a preposterous piece of dishonesty, of which all honest people should beashamed. The nuisance, he says rightly. seeks to take shabby advantage of the professional, and it is to be regretted that few of our performers have courage to say no. The encore monger cares nothing for the wishes 01 others; all he wants is to hear more than he has bargained for. If managers, artists, and the musical public would but think this matter over and determine to stamp out the nuisance, one great blot on English musical performances might be effaced. Unfortunately, it is not yet qnile certain whether encores are more distasteful to the great majority of performers than they are to a large section of the concert-loving public. In taking a rough estimate of a large audience it is reckoning within the mark to assert that not one in twenty is in favour of the encore, but, as usual, the noisy minority gains the day. S. R. Gaines, writing in the Song Journal, remarksthat • In glancing over some programme books of seasons past, it is surprising to note how very limited the popular violin repertoire is Raff’s Cavatina seems to hold hist place, then “ The Legende,” by Wieniawski. and the Chopin-Sarasate Nocturne, to say nothing of Schumann s "Traumerei” and “Romance.” which latter seems to have a new and startling interpretation each time it is performed. After these “ Muzarka,” Musin ; “Reverie," Vieuxtemps ; “ The Zigeuner Weisen ” Sarasate ; “Scene de Ballet," De Beriott ; “ The Romance," from Ries' Suite in D, and Carl Bohm’s “ Legende aud Canzona." The one redeeming point of this limited repertoire is that we can better compare one violinist with another and note with interest the different expression and individuality which each player puts into the same piece