MUSIC NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1245, 26 February 1914, Page 37

MUSIC NOTES.

By

“G” String.

Last week’s mail brought to hand a parcel of the latest publications of Messrs. Chappell and Co., Ltd., the well-known music publishers and pianoforte manufacturers, of 235 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, and ;>0 New

Bond Street, London, W. Among the really good things in the parcel are “The Sailing of the Dream Ships,” wo;ds by Herbert J. Brandon, music by Raymond Loughborough. The Vocal theme includes some effective passages, which, with the aid of the organ obligato, enable the singer to achieve a dramatic climax. There is also an accompaniment to suggest the lulling murmur of the distant sea, which should be played smoothly. “Beside the Sea,” words by Marshall Roberts, music by Herman Lohr, is a simple little song of reflective sentiment, being pleasingly harmonised. “The Blind Ploughman (with organ accompaniment), words by Marguerite Radclyffffe-Hall, music by Robert Coningsby-Clarke. This composition is inspired with. some “ religiO'SO 1 ” strains that are well harmonised. “I Remember,” words by G. Hubi-New-comhe, music by Robert ConingsbyClarke, is a tenor song which somewhat lacks the piquancy and character so often distinguishable in this composer’s work. Two waltzes are included in ..the parcel which are calculated to stimulate the disciples of Terpsichore during the coming winter. “Sunrise,” from the pen of Pedro de Zulueta, is a dainty little composition, whilst “Laughing Love,” by Montagu Ring, is a light-hearted triple. Under one cover, and entitled “A Calendar

of Song,” is a group of four short songs, the words of which are by Harold Simpson, the music being by Montagu Phillips. The first, “Wake Up,” is tuneful. The second, “Butterflies,” ought to prove eminently suitable for an encore number. The third, “Autumn Leaves,” suggests ?n idea of repose amidst the rustle of falling' foliage. “ Snowflakes ” is the fourth, and is a dainty little number. No. 176 of “Chappell’s Librarv of Part Songs” is “Love is Meant to Make us Glad” (from “Merrie En?' land”), the words being by Basil Hood and the music by Edward German. Mdlle. Antonia Dolores, accompanied by her companion Madame Va.udour, arrived m WeTingcon oy the Ulimaroa last Wednesday The celebrated vocalist will stay in Wellington for a few days before going south Her tour will commence in Duaecfin on March 2, after which she w’ll visit Invercargill, Gore. Oamaru. Timaru, Ashburton, Christchurch, and perhans the West C~ast before re turning to the North Island, which will be early in April. Mdlle Dolores will also visit all the principal towns in the North Island, her tour fin’shing at Auckland towards tbe end of May. An Australian tour will follow. That amazing youth, Erich Korngold, though scarcely fifteen years of < age at this moment, is already attract ing a very great amount of attention in the serious music circles of Greate" Europe. A few weeks ago a perfor mance was given in London of Ko~ " gold’s new violin sonata, of which t n critics spoke in terms of high pra’se and also seemed to weigh the sonata with an even greater seriousness than usual in the case of “prodigy” work. Now comes the news from Vienna of the production, of the third Philharmonic concert there, at the beginning of January of Korngold’s “Sinfonietta in B Major.” The correspondent of “Signale” declares that the production was awaited with almost nervous excitement by the Viennese, and “to whatever party we may be long we are all face to face 1 with the fact that a mere lad of fifteen has composed a sdnfonietta, and especially this sinfonietta.” At the close of the performance the young com poser was called, with Herr Wein v gantner, times almost without number, to bow his acknowledgements, so it seems clear that this stripling has begun a career with more good fortune than sometimes attends composers, in that he is indeed already a prophet in his own country. When the last mail left London all Europe, it seems, was looking forward to the rush of “Parsifal” performances. The end of December saw the termination of the copyright of Wagner’s great opera, and the na tions of the world were making arrangements to present the work, which, with two exceptions, had not been seen outside the famous opera house at Bayreuth. Zurich and New York were the exceptions. In the former case the copyright, according to Swiss law, expired thirty years from the date of Wagner’s death, and in the latter the question of copyright ii was ignored. Barcelona was to lead the way with a performance timed to begin at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and the opera was to be sung in Paris, half-a-hundred towns in Germany and Austria, and also l in Scandinavia and Italy. London had its first performance in German at Covent Garden on the 2nd February. Mr. Charles Vo’kert, of Mears. Schott and Co., is anxious to arrange for some performances in English, and he feels certain that so great an opera will appeal to the many Englisa people who cannot go to Bayreuth. Madame Melba and Kubelik seem to be covering themselves with glory as well as gold in America. It is said that the tour “is proving to be one of the greatest concert attractions in the annals of that country.” At St. Louis the box office receipts amounted to 13,000 dollars, and, great as is this sum, it was approached on several other occasions. In America receipts often run high when “the goods put up are good enough,” as they say there. Recently Pavlova and her company of dancers danced to about 13,000 dollars on their first appearance in New York.