MUSICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 13

MUSICAL NOTES.

(By "Treble Clef,") - "Tlib Redomptlon." All kcon lovers of the sounder classics ' will be pleasurably anticipating tho performance of Gounod's "Redemption," to be given under tho baton of Mi'. Mnughan Burnett, by the ■Wellington Choral Society. ~- Tho oratorical cantata, it partakes of tho qualitios, of both oratorio and cantata has been altogether too seldom heard in this city,' and ,the society is to be congratulated on its selection, for tho last performance of the present season.' Mr. Barnott's knack of getting tho best out of his chol'us is as well-known as tho; care ho takes that tho . choral parts shall be perfectly sung by the hundreds that have revelled in chorus work under his porniolcotty baton. Mr. Barnett never slums his work, and tho not result is that one can always look for a certain degree of finish in tho works produced tinder his supervision!, "Tho Rcdouiptign" on Uiis occasion will bo made remarkable by the inclusion among tho soloists of tlio groat oratorical baritone, Mr, Andrew Black, whowill' sing tho part of tho Narrator; This fact alono should be sufficient to 1 attract' a. crowded • audience, for'it is not every day wo .get an, opportunity of haVing.such ii-singe* in the particular department, of music that, ho has made'bis speciality in tlio United Kingdom. The name of, Mr- John Protiso (is also, included: among ■ tho soloists.Tho performance is to 'tako place at : tho Town Hall on Tuesday evening next, ' ■ ' ' " An Accomplished.Composer. ■ / ■. Olio of. tlio most accomplished and thorough of British musicians is :Dr. Frank;' Osmond Carr, composer of "Vladimir,' flis . Excellency,", in which, lie had " tlio .'distinguished company of Sir W, S, Gilbert as librettist, aud many Otlier successful musical.pieces, amongst the. moro-. recent being tho tlie fine "Sir Roger do CoVorloy" ,ballot at the 'Empire,' Leicester 'Square. A Yorkshireman ; by' birth, Br. Cans really belongs to. th'o. Kbrrs of- Jedburgh. -i His'

Ijrandi' of ' tlns eiiiifloiit f'aniily of ei-str' wliilo .'Border thieves, VeuMhrOats, 'and rovers, however, was "out" in tho '"45," and tho- survivors settled in Yorkshire,'. changing thoir y.uUio to its present fornij not so,much for. piirppsos of concealment; as because they grew; tired, of continually fighting Englishmen, who -Would- pronounce, their name likq .that of. a dog of no particular pedi- , grco. .' Olio of these Carrs, by the way, becamo Lord . Mayor of York. Tho present representative is a . big,' strongly-built man, .indeed, something of a son of Anak, with the greyisli-bluo eyes of his- . Scottish anccSary..- At Cambridge Dr. Carr quickly established a great reputation as a musican and all-round scholar—hp is If.A. of Cambridge, as 1 Well 1 as Doctor of Music of bpth Cambridgo and Oxford—so milch so that life was only, twenty whcil 1 lib was called 1 to tlio "High Table" Of his college.. -There'lio sat nightly opposite tho' late .Professor Archer' Hinu, tlio great; Lucrotirtn Scholar. The' professor •was,a man-of'few words ■to ahyoho, and for two years he nover once opened his mouth'.-to> his: young- colleague', Then, ono/evening,-ho 'suddenly leant acioss the - table, and - asked Dn Cart, .whence lio camp,,/'-'.After two years, of;, being ignpro'd .Dr, Carr thought tlio question a littlo abrupt, and answored gruffly, 'I m a'Kerr, of Jedburgh." "A Kerf of Jedburgh," almost-shouted the Professor, "then, by tlio. great Lucretius,; my groat-grandfather hanged your

great-grandfather":, "Oh, .ifiit ~coriibSj ; to hanging;,matches,'? coolly .retorted Dr. Carr,. "my grcat-great-graridfathcr hanged your, grent-groat-grahdfatlior." This,, as a matter of. historical -fact; was correct. ■>. From that day thb erudito, taciturn professor find tho livolyy brilliant young musician became : tho closost of friends. About Sahtlay.■ . Many years ago; (says London "Truth") a small foy was tnkfch to tho Albert Hall to hear "Elijah," gracedijiis. helpngings by- askhig' in .a. loud'voice, * *ls Santicy'toiior pi\baSS?": It ; was liiariy years.igo, but'thb.sm&li boy.-has never forgotten tho'i_n(pclont, and it is'still quoted against him. 1 It 1 did,' indeed, represent almost the ulti- - mato.limits of nuisical' ignorance, and, at any- ratcy the small boy never hail occasion to makV tho same ' enquiry again, To-morroW some thousands of Mr. Santloy's friends and admirers (in-' fclttdiiig tho small boy) aro to'assenlblo ill tho largest building aVailablb fortho purpose in 'London with tho Object of assisting in the celebrhtioh of his pro-fessional-jubileo. What lias' been tlio secret; of Santley's success P , Putting aside v hiS i voice, I should bo inclined to say his sincerity, ? A well-known' anecdote tells.how, on ' one occasion, lie stopped a fire panic in a' t-hehtro by stepping forward arid adjuring the audience not - to make ,fo6ls of themselves. It was advice which-lie-has never failed, to act upon liimSelf. His art hds always been manly' : and tin-, alfectedi : The'ro has never been any, humbug about"it. And,tho qualities of.tlio man were rollfioted to somo Nextent; in Ill's voice. It always had ,a, certain' roughness which'gavo it charaotor and virilityj and constituted ono of its greatest charms;' This was certainly due, however, to In) defect/ in ■ Mr; Santloy's ; Vocal method. Ho

ioAi'nt .his lessons well, under Nava at Mflau in tile first place, and Inter \vith Oai'oiiV,' and .reaped,' liis reward ! to the full m the leiigth of years during which lie was able to practise his nrt. Even to-day it js . still a pleasure to hear him.-, A Marvellous [.earner, ■ : , Marv'cllpus, .indeed,has, been Mr. Santloy's careor. • Yet'young, singers of to-day may take confort from:'the fact that lio had his early "struggles like the rest,- and ho himself lifts recorded 'thatj'frhen he first settled in London after studying in Italy; _ • the prospects of his' liquidating tho liabilities /.which. ,'liO;had'incurred were jlOhe too bright. GhorlOy, '• however, introduced■ hirti, to Costa, who ga\>e liim an opportunity in Opora, 'arid''thenceforward his'■success was 'assured. '; It is So long now since, Mr. Santloy abandoned tho stago that one is ajit to forgot how gl'cifc .''iyere -his".'. oa'thei" triumphs' in that'snhero.,: His'actual' operatic debut he' mada at 'Coveht'Garden as fioel ill "Dimprall" iii 1859. Later ho wag''the first Flj'ing' Dutchman in this country,'while .everyone- knows, .of-course 1 that when 'Gouttfitl's, "FauSt" was first introduced iii' London ho Vrtitr the Valentino. •'' In

connection .with' his playing of the latter .-part, irlicn on tour with Tletjbns, Trobolli,' and; Sims Reeves, Mr. Sant- ' loy tolls, by' tlio wa.V, an "anluking Story.' In tho'doatli scene just as lib Was'ftbout, to cxpiro, a gallery hoy called out, "Unbutton'liis wcsliit," thereby conviilsing tholioiise. ' It was, for Shntley that Gounod added tlio number, *'I)io rtofcsontfi." ; Mr. Santley was aIBO tho first Danny Mail in Bciiedict's ;"Lily of Killarncy." Ai> to tli.6 famous sillgors with ivlioni ho .appeared) tlie.y would make nil imposing list.' There wort giaiits in those days. He'himself has placed it oil'record that the most per-; feet-Marguerite ho Over heard Was Christine Nilssem Patti's best pai't was,' in his judgment, Dimorah, I3mil Simer, the eminent pianist, lifts Contributed to tlio "Strand Maga- . zincs'- 1 Bomb-interesting-thoughts': on , Mendelssohn' ami modern.nitlsiiv "Tho )nodbrl^Conlpose^',' , lib'-Snys; M is a.sort • of musical matliematiolan and engineer, who, with great labour and a trehibndous ahlouiit of calculation, builds an onorhious bdifico which;- like nil American ' skyscraper, attracts ; our attention and our wonder tot tha marvels of its construction and thb wonderful precision with* which bvory

strain lias been calculated and every inch of hoight; and breadth proportioned. Look oil the skyscraper oud then otl this other picture"'.' Compared to such works as theso,'tb play Mendelssohn is like migrating from the American skyscraper I have used as a simile to a tiny cottage in the country, built in some peaceful spot amid exquisito Where one can live in peaco and quiet, fanned by warm breezes carrying with them the scent of a myriad bright' flowers.": Mr. Saner torsoly , adds, "Giro , too-tho simple cottagoj", but lie has 110 hope for tho immediate future..'' ''This.modern madness will grow still , more," hp Bays. "Fresh composers willj no doubt, write.music, for three or. oven six Orchestra's, ~with not thirty-threa, but ninety-nine systems. But .one day the musical world will awake and find that it has boon humbugged."

/While in Paris recently to conduct nis "Salome," Richftl'd Straiissigavo a brief sketch ,of ; his career and a con- • ' fession of .faith to a journalist... Ho said that.-.ho began to compose when J.nly--ten years old. i'ivo years later his first symphony Wau performed in Munich, .uudor Levy. Six years after ' that, Ilans ; von' Bulow put liim at the ; hoad of ah orchestra.; Among tho composors who first influenced: him wore,Haydn,..Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert; but, above all, Mofcart.-; He Was eighteen when he, first... felt: the sfiell or i tho. music of Vagner. and Liszt, as well its Berlioz,-alid {these three men henceforth became his'.idols', and models... Es said, in speaking of . Berliozi,"ln.the-main I ehdeavoured , to. derive from i .trench music [those things which are most wanting;in the German, certain airy, " charming finesses, .as exomplincdl particularly in the score ■ of ■'Cannon,'• which presents Buch .a; strong, con* treat to the serious heavy; stylo .from which the German composers mid it so difficult to'get away." Straussy did'»■. not appear'to realise Uiat no Germail , ! oomposer is quite as.many'miles'iiway. from tho "airy, . graceful, Charming finesses" of "Carmen", as ho hijusolr ( ill his operas quite ai much as in!his symphonic poen\s. Regarding his now ■ opera, "Eleotra,", lie said that, two acts;'afO.already completed.

, Tho late Charles James Oldham, oj London, was &' Well-known, coUeotbr Of violins. / Ho opicd, amoiig other instr'utacnts, four oxecllent ones ; by. Stradivarms, undoubtedly gonumo. In his will ho left, one of theso.tp ilia State, unless a [.purchaser. oj»a!-;. ha found willing to . pay :£!)000 " .for it Tho dato of this instrument is ,1690,' and it. Was-.sold, iii 1888, for £1000. An otlior of/ the- Oldham violins,' valued at ; £1000j ho' hoqucatlied; to' tho' British Musoum;.. Not a few foreign journals has' taken, this occasion to inveigh ohce trtbre, ftgainst, tlio. "stupid,'egotism'' and, "crimifial inaliia" of h6h violin collectors, who prevent the tini-sicil-l' publio'from | enjoying the finest :instrument's in' : existence,.

LITERARY WOTESi , .With the: comparatively recent.addt" lions of*. T,. Ij. ; , Brown and Christina 'Rossettii "tho. Well-known green clothMacmillah; 'editions; _of the English poets, uniform' in , binding 'and price with tho sevon-and-sixpenny "Tonnysoh," aro brought up to eight, Thoy includo Tehnysoftj Matthew Arnold, . Lowell,' Shelley, 'Coloridgo, \VordsWrtli, T, E,' Brown., and ', Christina ftossotti/ - 'Sit'- Sr;Gilber)i/£) "Bah -Ballads,"and. an.,attractive petition of "Tho Ingoldsby Legends," with steel, plates by Cruikshank, Loccll, fold'Barham,' have'.alsp. been issued in tho same forni. . " 0 ;-'; • Tho Dultb of Argyll'has befln :engaEed ■lor somo.timo in tjio'•preparation''pf his , memoirs, ;and they aro'likely, Messrs. Hutchinson .announce, to make their appearance during, tho autumn of this year. It' of coursoj Well known that tlio Duko is an; accomplished artist, and it is believed: this, book will, bo largely- illustrated,with sketches from hia pencil. • • •-v.■.' '. 1 - • : 'Messrs!'.'Chapman l , publish 'in nine volumes Dickens's famous. Christmas ! numbers of "All the Year ; Hound." j.This'is the-first-'titto tliey have been | printed complete witlivthb liamb'bf each author attached chanter.' Tho Volumes, are' "The Haunted Houso," ''A Message from the ,Soa,'' "Tom Tiddler's GrOUnd," "Somebody's . Lug* gago, 1 ' "Mrs. Lirripor's • "Mrs'. Lirriper's Logncyj'.' "Dr:' Marie gold's Prescriptions," "Mugb.v Junction," and "No Thoroughfare." - : Lothian, of Melbourne, will shortly, issuo a (irtllftited edition .of Arthur' Adams's poems in five voltttaes at two guineas the.; set) under ( tho "gbhpral title "Marama, and.,' other Verses." The edition .will he limited to 200 sots, signed and, numbered, , and will poiisiss of a selection, {mh pthpr .Verses,'.! .a, re-issilo of. "London, Streets" and tho "Nazarciie," as. woll_ as many-'unpublished; verses, a'nd 'the verses that'our poot has "'scattered through ~'and; niagaKiiicS. during tho last' seven years. ■ , .;' .. . , r Mr.' Clark Russell',- liUo 'Mr. Thomas, Hardy,.,has turned: from Action 'to'Verso.- Ho has written a volumo.bf sea<ballads entitled. "The Turnpike, Sailor, and Mcsrs,. Skcfiington aniiounco ~ it. Thqso "rhymes, of,; tlio road,'• as the \author /describes, them in a ; sub-titlo,-aro supposed ..to he/.i'fecited -by.; ])UCoanoers, . privateers, slavers and sailors of,all degree.":.: :. ; ' ■■■'

[ : . Messrs, Jack think there is h dtira&nd: for an bditioh,Affile Waverley Novels with • coloured illustrations.' Accordingly tlipy are to issue'.a 1 now- edition'' so 'embellished.' :of thoir Edinburgh ' Wavefley. The typo' tiiid tho stoo or tho vohimo Will bo tho same, but tho page will contain morV mattor. Thrco. volumes— (Ivanhoo," illustrated by Mr. Maurice .Grioflenhagcn;''Kenil.worth,'?: illustrated by Mr, H. J. :Ford ;i; and ,"Tho Talisman," with illustrations; by Mr. S. 11. Voddcr—will appear soon. Each work will contain an introduction" by the Hoti.- Mrs.i'Maswoll-Scott, of AbliotsFord, besides: notes and a glos- ; sary. : i . Reviewing .the '^"Times''" liideXj•: the : ''Times': 1 notes in passing tho.Jabsu'rdi-';' ties of soiiie ihdexes. They .aroj'.tluo'toi': plodding-; diligence., Honco .tho!;tradi-u tional arid 'pftirepoatO'd'.orroi's, spring-', ing from lafck of discHiiiinfttiOh in hoftdiiigs, dofdetivp! intelligence, vain repetition, or [sheer Such mal-, formed: or fepbtitiyd'entries as tho-fol-lowing'y, '!'• : -.- .'and ' their work. LfttlVy ~ »' 1 ;/kre phiil," What l' rench or' \ •' i" 1 ■''' Creek 'in Demerhra, Up : ft ..f.t Demeritra, Up, a Creek in .■-■ . Up a Croclji in Demerara , 'are" common' enough in any magazine iiidos of,'lDo7| hut a fine blend- of all tho deficiencies[referred to must have been, tho' prerequisite', 'of'such, onirics I'atti,"Adeiina, .' , ''. '. ' 1 „' Oyster or"' ." Anglice, Chinese' for nihj'pbro.,; ; Merriment has • sometimes _ been caused hy qUaiiit juxtapositions in an hides, such as "Jones, Davy," l ftnd "Jones,. jt'iuil," pi' "IWod; ttobitit" and "Hood, Sir Samuel,"-in the Dictionary-of Na-. tioiihl Biography," 'or-b.v ; tliO < ovorsbrupulousness .' of - • entries '; such ) aa' Fern, sep Fcniß." - 1 ; : Hero is a' plehsant'littlo . paredv of "Drake's Drum," from ' Tho Log of the. Blue Dragon". .v Mate, lie's in the cabin, and lus IhOUehtß are .: (Skipper, are you sleeping of hliviiP) llung up in a dead cnliu. upon a sum« - ;. •- mer's "tiny... ■ 1 And'dreaming all tho time Of tea at five. ■ - Shiftut upon the starboard, Stbriitoy to port,'. Sufltniei 1 sun a»siukiug Very low, With ,tho. s<?nmoh, crying, .and tho . ' black flag flying—'. ■ ... . ■ 0 who will out the dinghy and volnn< teer a towf.