MUSIC NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 19 December 1912, Page 23

MUSIC NOTES.

(By

“G” String.)

Madame Kirkby Lunn, the celebrated contralto, who is at present touring the Dominion, has been much extolled,, in Europe as a Wagnerian nterpreter. Her numerous appear ances in the “Nibelungen Ring” in Brussels and other centres of culture have given her a tremendous European vogue. Her most popular interpretation is possibly hep Brangane in “Tristan and Isolde,” and her most human and bewitching is her Kundry in Wagner’s immortal production of “Parsifal.”

Miss Eileen Boyd, the Sydney cont 7 'alto, recently made successful appearances in Manchester and Liver-

pool, and also at a brilliantly-organ-ised London charity concert in aid of .he Guild of Help.

The Minister of Public Worship in Germany is sending truck-loads of German national songs to the scattered German settlements, in German Poland, in order to counteract the Pan-Slavic enthusiasm.

The Quinlan Grand Opera Company will open its second Australian tour in Melbourne on September 13. Mr. Quinlan proposes to give twentythree operas, including Wagner’s ring cycle.. (“The Rheingold,” “The Valkyrie.” “Siegfried,” and “Gottendammerung,”) also “Manon Lescaut,” (Puccini), “The Marriage’ of Figaro” (Mozart), “The Meistersingers”

(Wagner’s lightest works, “Louise,” (Charpenter), and “La Tosca’, (Puccini). It is to be hoped the management will find time to include New Zealand in the tour.

Gounod’s three act opera “Le Medicin Malgre Lui,” has just been produced at Dresden with great success. The libretto, of course, is founded on Moliere’s comedy of that name.

A gala performance will be given at the Paris Opera House during the winter to raise funds for a Massenet Monument.

A curious illustration of the trade union spirit, afforded by the action of a New York orchestra, is reported in the English papers. Miss Ada Reeve, the well-known English singer,

who recently appeared at the) Colonial Theatre, New York, brought, her. own musical conductor (Mr Workman) with her. For the first two, evenings Mr Workman led the orchestra without molestation, but on the third night the musicians went on strike, the reason which they gave being that he was not a member of the Amalgamated Musicians’ Union of America. Mr Workman, who is a member of a similar English Union, offered to join the American Society, but his admission was refused, and the orchestra demanded his dismissal. The difficulty, to a certain extent, was overcome by a piano being placed on the stage, and Mr Workman, accompanying Miss Reeve as a pianist, while the orchestra maintained a grim silence. In this way he became—free, from the jurisdiction of the society, which governs the actions of musicians only and not artist.es.. The American papers . almost' unanimously condemn the highhanded “action of the union. Madame Ada /.Crossley, the Australian contralto, recently introduced a group of new songs, at the Chappell Ballad Concerts in the Queen’s Hall, London. The compositions of. Mr G. H. Clutsam, the clever composer, w.qre prominent on the programme.

Signor Guido Papini, whose death occurred in London on October 3, was born in 1847 at Camagiore, Florence. When only thirteen years old he made his- debut from the studio of Giorgetti, at Florence, and for several years he was leader of the local Societa del Quartetto. -In 1874 he visited England, commencing a series of regular annual appearances at the Musical Union and Crystal Palace Concerts, and- with the Philharmonic Society. During the years of his- professorship of the Royal .Irish' Academy of Music he was a big factor in the musical life of Dublin. In 1896 he resigned his appointment in Dublin on account of ill-health, and removed to London. In addition to his teaching work he devoted considerable 1 time to composition, his works including violin anil violincello concertos, instrumental trios, quartettes, solos for violin, piano, and ’cello, songs, transcriptions and arrangements.