MUSIC NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1256, 14 May 1914, Page 39

MUSIC NOTES.

By

“G” String.

From Messrs. Chappell and Co., Ltd., the well-known music publishers and pianoforte manufacturers, of 235, Flinders Lane, Melbourne, and 50, New Bond Street, London, W., there came to hand last week another parcel of their latest publications. “The Way That Leads You,” words by Edward Teschemacher, music by Robert Coningsby Clarke, is a noteworthy composition that is likely to become very popular. It is written in valse time, with piquant runs and miniature phrases of a flowery character in the accompaniment. “The Little White Town,” words by Ada Leonora Harris, music by Guy D’Hardelot, is an attractive yet simple little song, though lacking the distinctive character so noticeable in this composer’s work. “’Crooning Water,” words by D’Eardley Wilmot, music by Teresa Del Riego, is a very sweet and tender composition, with persistent phrases in the accompaniment suggestive of the pleasingly monotonous movement of tiny waves. “Wake Up” (“Spring Flowers”), words by Harold Simpson, music by Montagu F. Phillips, is a brightly alert and tuneful little song. “The Barber of Turin,” words by Fred. E. Weatherly, music by Kennedy Russell, is a comic song with a tra-la refrain. It is brightly written, and ought to make a very popular encore number. “Harvest,” words by P. J. O’Reilly, music by Teresa Riego, is a really good song, with’ solid chords of a portentously melodious character. It illustrates the idea of the blithe sower, who knows not who shall reap and is sleeping under the earth when the fruit of his labour is gathered in. “Where My Caravan Has Rested,” is a valse arranged by H. M. Higgs on

Hermann Lohr’s popular song. Under the same cover are also valse arrangements of the composer’s “I Wish I Were a Tiny Bird” and “The Port of Au Revoir.” “In Andalusia,” by Albert Sirmay, is a pretty and vivacious tango, which I recommend to all tango dancers.

Information has been received in Wellington to the effect that Mr. Charles Saunders, the English tenor, will not make his intended tour of Australia and New Zealand this year. The cablegram came from America, where Mr. Saunders is at present singing with considerable success. Mdlle. Eva Gauthier, the brilliant Canadian soprano, who gave a few concerts in Sydney and Melbourne last year, has been engaged to support Mischa Elman during his tour of Australia and New Zealand. Mdlle.

Gauthier is due to arrive in Sydney on Thursday, 21st inst., from Java. Mr. Percy Kahn, the well-known London pianist, who has accompanied the famous violinist in his tours for the past three years, will also be one of the party.

Nothing like being frank about oneself. There is a violinist in Pennsylvania who sends out circulars, or rather letterheads, in which he informs the public that he is “Second to none in the public eye. Now sober and reliable.” However stormy his past, he can to-day be trusted with a fiddle. Nor is he improvident, a

scatterer, reckless. In the upper lefthand corner of the sheet is the motto, "C.0.D.” On “delivery” of the lesson, presumably. This fiddler, humorist, who thus gives himself away, should obviously be encouraged. Paris 'files to hand are unusually enthusiastic over the music by Leroux and the book of Hennequin and Hughes Delorme of a new operetta recntly produced at the Apollo Theatre, Paris, entitled “La Fille de Figaro.” The score is stated to be brilliant and sparkling both for solo parts and chorus, whilst the tender love melodies are entrancing. It is almost certain that this new operetta will shortly reach London and other parts of the world. Mr. Reginald Blow, who is a son of Mr. H. J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary of Public Works in New Zealand, is reported to be making good progress with his musical studies in London. This year he is sitting for three examinations. The first, in the theory of music, was held in March, but the results have not yet come to hand. The second is a vocal competition for the silver medal of the London Royal Academy of Music, and the third is for the diploma of that institution. He has been selected to sing in a competition for the Goldberry prize, which is open only to bassos and baritones who have studied for two years or more at the Royal Academy of Music. “The encore system has almost died away,” says Mr. James Glover, in his recent

book of reminiscences. Alas! no; the encore system has by no means died away, though it is certainly not quiet so rampant as it once was. In the early Victorian days it was a great nuisance—and an expensive nuisance—to the impressario who had to engage such artists as, for example, Sims Reeves. The great tenor took a large fee, sometimes two or three hundred pounds a concert; and for this he agreed to sing two songs, with an additional fifty pounds for every extra song or encore. This led one poor music-seller who exploited him to insert in the programme the appealing legend: “Please don’t encore Sims Reeves or I shall be ruined.” It encores had to be paid for now, we should have fewer of them.