“SOWSER.”

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 9, 30 August 1911, Page 16

“SOWSER.”

The March King in Auckland —A Memorable Visit by Bayreuth.

The Superheated View. OVSA or ‘’Sowser” as some unsuspecting folk will have it is ending up his meteoric flight over the circumference of the planet in Auckland, the last, the lone liest, but nowadays not altogether the loveliest outpost of the Pacific. There is need for making as well as indulging Reflections on the circumstance. With the whole of the American Press proclaiming the fart in delirious headlines to eighty-seven millions of people, Sousa departed for Europe. All Britain trembled with the anticipation of his coining. He was heralded by the panting Presses in Fleet street, his name strode across the landscape in great letters from tho lonely marshes nf Essex to the big black throbbing world of Lancashire. Even the House of Peers hastened to its fall as the uncrowned democrat, th? Sovereign Lord of th? March descended amid a whirl of poster and paragraph on to th? Motherland of our high destiny and purpose. The gates of historic Lon don flew open wide at the very first breath of the magic talisman implanted forever in that one sacred sounding word—Sousa! After Sousa, it might incidentally be added came the Kind, and .London thrilled with patriotic inarches. Ixmdon. ’the provinces,” South Africa. Australia how readily the words fall to us in these days of per fervid Imperialism* "No recapitulation is needed now of the splendour* of that pageant of sound, or even of the surrender of the citadels of Empire to the strains of "The Stars and Stripes” streaming out across an astonished world under the very sceptre of our Sovereign Lord the King of the Marches Honours have been showered upon him. but Sousa still rem?.ins th? incomparable —the only begotten and eternally sounding Mr Sousa. New Zealanders and Instrumental Music. The foi ’g-'ing is not nt all what I want to >.iy about Mr. Sousa and his band of artists. It is merely a reflex of the superheated idea which has run amuck amongst I'-.my minds in New’ Zealand that Sou> < is a vulgar manipulator of ihe h« sliding*. who knows more about ?.i\ tii-ing than music. A»a>! it th* m.in iud th? artist? It can 11 hit one more evidence of the r. pi:' holds as “a frost” v. o re insirumert J n usi? is concerned. that an oi-utilisation of extraordinari calibre md artistic supremacy is allowed to p. through this country and pl?\ t • st inly houses 8 msa is both ait;- u. 1 Ameri an. The two t .2 ' bob n less British folk a re apt L im.j.gii. !’• ing an American, he under-tiinu- H.e public and what the public want- L ing »ji artist, he ensures at t -.an un ■ < io- supremacy of good inu-ic. i:cl i ms Wagner, Ts.haikowsky. nd <pn -* il» all find i un on lira ; _ in i • - li has gathered round him a remarkable u»la\y of talent — mu- t - v •.» dle tively represent t e I .' -’ iy f . :strumenta! players • - i ’ i - • in thi- .•> ’ ry i- « »m i n <1 It is only the n - «i p gui • in • ur larger e litre- vho i jgm- 1 He extraordinary | • bißd th ' i-u'ii..* | i .which ’ - . lai - r .in w >r-»* than oth r err-- it • - r.--.- t 1 aspirations - I ■ the r Kt g a • i- I ir- i on U? dt*-truc-tior. Lv '*•»»•• snorting villain puts t»«*r :»*ar *i.iifwd roantenamv on to the «: ding* l*i !•••*» njn hardly b* raised »s an arguir -nt I ire. three and two is a tn**d*»rate «*<«tle tf.w a band of sixty perf”rir;- r*. arid aboild hate n.ad*- fMO'krd t. • - * id! through Mn-irally fq«mkin«r, thero i- a th-al more U» l>e bad out «f S 1 «nd than the Sheffield ( hnir. I'.ut it >■ the despair of any Intelligent per»xi that wb*u a lot of apurtou* talk

about Imperialism and jingoistic claptrap is freely indulged in, when the sacred cause of Empire is bandied about for the sake of "boodle,” the public pay their guineas cheerfully, don dress suits, and without a murmur allow Dr. Charles Harris* to walk out of this country with some thousands sterling. What a monument to our artistic incompetence! No Fuss—Just a Case of Getting Busy. Of Sousa and his band, to whom we owe many delightful evenings, there is nothing of the flambuoyant or the artificial. The so-called March King conduct* with as little fuss and ostentation as Dr. Richter or Arthur Nikiscli himself. The extreme punctiliousness of the whole proceeding, the complete absence of any superfluous moments —such things are almost mechanical in their observance. Sousa is much too utilitarian to waste a moment. Tn contrast to the usual somnolent methods that carry performances of "The Messiah” and other more or less archaic productions far into the weary night, the example of our famous visitor is highly acceptable. As usual, the first items of both sections of the programmes were spoilt for a good many people by those very considerate brethren in our cities distinguished alike by their manners and their voices, who will arrive late, out of breath, and gurgle between the gusts about their seats. The band presents many novel features and instruments to New Zealanders accustomed to look upon the complement of the ordinary brass band as the correct thing. The large number of clarinettea, the oboes, the bassoons (including the monster contra-bassoon) were importations not familiar to most colonials, whilst even the French horns, the saxophones, the "cor anglais.” and the trumpets formed the subject of observation in the constitution of the band. The various accessories accompanying the tympani. such as Xylophones, tambourines, castanets, musical bars, and so on were a source of constant surprise, and to many a revelation so far as the ‘’colour*’ of the orchestration was concerned. The monster tuba phone, which, of course, is the foundation of the whole band, was decidedly the centre of attraction. It is. so to speak, the Dreadnought of the whole fleet, but. with all picturesque suggestions aside, there is no mistaking its influence and power in giving the necessary body to the collective tone of the players. The quality of the whole of the bra* - is a i »y forever. Never before has such horn and trombone work, so admirably rendered and so readily controlled, been heard in this country. The solo carnet player. Mr. Herbert L. ( larke. burst upon the audiences in Auckland nothing short of a revelation. The technique of the whole band was as near perfection as anything that has been heard on this side of the world. I do not. in saying this, disguise the fact that it was impossible at times nut to detect the entirely mechanical quality of the playing. The band is at the end of a long and strenuous tour, and whilst the actual rendering of their ]a‘t furmam es appear in most eases fiawle&*. the al»eii-e «*f colour occasionally b ■ <>me- a little conspicuous. Sousa b.im- - -if also n »t infrequently takes a reading of some of th* Wagnerian excerpt*, or in c impositions such Sibelius’ "Finliria,” <>r the lXch«iikow-k\ "1512.” that i* distinct in temp » ami expression fr -m those usually heard in London. There is no artistic defect in the fact. It is a question of pei sonal predilection, or, if you wish, t nnperaniPiit.il leaning towards the reading that appeals to the most. The arranged out »f Wag ner’* operatic scores, magnificently played as they are, cannot be regarded w ith.approval by any truly muai al person to whom Hie operas themselves an* familiar, but really it i* so rare when we ever get Wagner well played in this country, th? Io«s would have Iwen ours )~ad they been excluded fioiu the pro* grammes.

The latter extend over a repertoire much too extensive do cover here, and it seems superfluous to individualise any particular performances. It can be but added that Sousa’s orchestral band is a revelation, bearing with it a inusicianly quality and excellence which are part only of the few organisations to whom the works of genius can never be quite as perfect in expression as they were amid the ecstasy of the soul which created them. Perfection in art is impossible, but Sousa and his hand has taken us a little further up the heights than our timid unfledged souls have'yet dared 4o climb. 'rhe soprano accompanying the band, Miss \ irginia Root, seemed veiy tired and worn out by travel, and hard work in Au-ckland, and neither her singing nor her enunciation left us very highly impressed. The violinist, little Miss Nicoline Zedeler, on the other hand, is an cktraonlinarily promising player. With a little more physique, which years should give her. and there will be little she lacks in the qualities which should bring her fame. ihe organisation of the Now Zealand tour is to the credit of Mr. Edward w ho so far has sent to* these shores not only th.it which is good, but occasionally something more than a section of the people deserve.