MUSIC IN LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 273, 11 August 1908, Page 11

MUSIC IN LONDON.

CRITICAL LETTER FriGM MR. CYRIL TOV/BEY. Writing to "The Triad," Mr. Cyril Towsey (of. Wellington) says':— . "i iiad a terrible time here for tho host part of last year, and was eventually lucky enb,ugh to- get a'chance with Schulz-Curtius and Powell, quite the leading agents here. As you 'know, I went away touring with Szigeti, Vccsey, Busoni, Backhaus, Ella Russell, • and Marchesi. I have played also for Ben Davips, John M'Cormack, iiiid Charles andonco for Ada Crossley. Later on this.year'l am going as solo pianist and accompanist with' Marchesi,' Szigeti, and John M'Cormack. I also go on the Mclba touras Szigeti's • accompanist. . Landon Ronald plays :for 'Melba,'.but I expect sometimes I shall have that .honour, es Ronald may liavo engagements for conducting. Tho guarantee is £850 eacl} place, and Melba gets a fee of £300.: We are all iooking forward with great interest to the opera • season, which commences to-night. Melba and Tetiazzini meet. John M'Cormack, Walter Hyde, and a new tenor, ■ said by Nikisch to be tho equal .01 Caruso'; are to sing.' I'will send you cuttings, etc. Of course; tho great excitement is in the rivalry between the .two prima donnas.; ' ■ ' ... - , ■.The musical world here' is just awiul. There arc hundreds of artists waiting to pounce oiv your work if there occurs a chance. Money will, of course, still get you on tours and'ciiablo you to give recitals, but the artist' without it. must' be prepared' to wait two "or three years, and perhaps not even tlien-will-he or she have had even a chance. ; " I have been litcky,- very.;- -All my ivor ; has been with first rank artists. The work of an accompanist is very, very hard here.. You-iriiufet be a first-class .reader, and-abto to feel;'similar emotions to the artist. ; I will never;:forget' the ordeal on December .-J. Vecsey arrived in the morning arid we rehearsed' iii : the afternoon. Powell came alpng to the hall, and I-quite understood that the tour was riot for-me if Vecsey vas riot, satisfied. / -It, was a nervy experience. That was all the- rehearsal we had for the first three concerts; • ■ ■ -'.'One bther experience and I'm done about Eiyselfi ;I was given a programme for Leamington, with Szigeti, and prepared it. Tho concert was three o'clock, on Monday noohj/iten o'clock train...At nine oclock Sunday .evening a message came from Powell tosay he had given me tho tfreng programme. I "had never seen the music of tho new. one, and had to get up the .Max Brucli G'Minor, three caprices (Paganini), two scenes;- Czardas of .Hubay, and tho Devil's .Trill Sonata,- and play thein all without any rehearsal.lt was.fine practice, but I-don't want ;,a repetition. Szigeti is quite making hisiway to the front, and he is a fine playor, with- real emotion —technique one takes for grante'd.;l was much amused at you for slatdigVMarie'; Hall's playing of Dvorak's Humoreske', and just let me tell you that you and: are wrong. It;is not often ono' gets a dig' at you, so this is-a'great chance. Kreisler, 'Vecsey, Szigeti, Ysaye, Zacharewitsch,V.Serato, Marteau, and Thebau all play-.:it riiuch tho same tempo, with, of course; passages in which passion _is let go. The opening theme, however,' is always playedrquito slowly. One other thing, anil then I agreo with every word you liavu written. ''AVhy' do you consider Liddle's setting, of ,'lVbide'with Mb' trashy? To thoso words could the music :be more character istic ?:I showed Liddle your remarks, and lie was'wild; and more so when-1 explained, to him 'that you 'were the 0110' man south of the line that knew what ho was writing about. Liddlo is .a fino fellow and ' : a j 'wonderful accompanist of vigorous- '-.songs,' no good' v/ith violinists. ' Tho. . accompanist is Hamilton Harty, husband of Agnes Nicholls. Really thero aro very few : accompanists with soul or tempore* men't ; 'or '.irinigkeit, bi'/'frhatever, -ypu-'liko tocall.'if. Charlton KoitH,- who used to"be El-. man's"accompaivist.- u'ntil."Dahiel - Mayer •. tried. to get him to contract to• livo with Elnian and (do all his work for a sum that would have.kept him in.cigarettes, i t s a first-rato mart, technically, but very littlo feeling.. Nikisch is an ideal voice accompanist. _ lio always plays for Elena Gorhardt, who is tho most, wonderful singer of Liedor ever heard in London.,. Julia Culp runs hero close, but' ■ ■ '• i ( ' ','Tom Trowell is a marvel. His teclmiquo is .the most astonishing I havo over heard, and-hTs' tone is glorious. Ho has nioro than" fulfilled: ajl' his promises. . Several publishers are'.;buying his compositions. Nothing 'caij bo doilo for him bsfore tho summer of next year}: as all tho tours !iro already • fixed up for. this year. Now, do. you think a tour of 'New Zealand could bo arranged for next yearriloaVing hero middle of March?should; of ; courso,-come too. ■ It is a question'of .funds. Do you know anyone who would"care to speculate? Now -Zealand should; bo a gold mine for Trowell for a. two months! tour properly managed. • "Backhaus is 0110 of the most interesting players. Always certain, and having nerves that ,ail earthquake wouldn't ruffle, and a strjkiug personality. Next to Pachmann, no one : p)ays tho Chopin studies like him. To my mind his' most marvellous performance is 'Campanella' (Paganini-Liszt). It is an electrifying performance. "Lamond is my ideal Beethoven player. His will, live in my memory. Heiir.U' funny fellow, y.'itii platform manners of a_ bear. : When you have heard Busoni play a: Liszt 'Rhapsodio,' 'Raindrop Prelude,' and 'A Flat Polonaise' of Chopin, you want to sit down. : calmly and think. I was very lucky iri 'b'Mlig-on tour with him, and a'charming fcllbjiv ha is—good-hearted, improvident, and pleasedjias-a child if you praise a good perforrnatice. Tho octavo part of the Polonaise he plays iii his own way. First through m.p., then, without a broak at all —that is, without tho : sis arpeggio- chords —ho -commences a crescendo, and what a cresccndo it is I There seeni no limit. _ Sir. Robert Parker onco spoko to mq about Jt, but you cannot conceivo it till you; hear it. Of course, Godowslcy stands alone, tho giant. iSuch a technique, and yet such: a tone colour. His pp and ppp, and then again the - wonder that tho Bcehstein can stand suoli terrific power, and withal it is music'and tone. ' 'iGalston, who was out with Gerardy, gave a. cycle of five recitals a year ago. They were remarkable chiefly for the ■ stupendous programmes lie put 011 —Bach, Brahms, Beethoven;, Chopin, and Liszt. A memorable performance was Bauer's of the B Flat Minor Coricerto of Tschaikowski. with London SymJ>hoiiy ; Orchestra, under Richter: ' It was afeat that I will remember as long, as I live. Percy .Grainger is known in London as the piano smasher. I need say 110 more. NowTmust stop, for want of time. Next letter-.-I .will devote to vocalists, . violinists, arid :bfchestras. Piccadilly and Leicester Square miist also have a paragraph. I love •London, but detest tho provinces. . To-day I sat behind Parlovitz at a concert, arid next him. was Clara Butt's sister. I screamed when reading about tho concert in aid of a niato for the lion in Newtown Park. It has made many laugh in London."

Isle of Wight (Jounty Council recently decided to lease for 21 years from the Commissioners of' Woods and Forests 38 acres of land,"being'a pbrtion'of tlio Crown's Osborne estate, for the purposo of small holdings. Scicnc# has been applied to many processes of manufacture, but in matters of health and .disease,' of marriage, of education, of economic methods, of social organisation, wo pursue our course largely by the guide of habit, tradition, or blind impulse.—"American Journal .of Theology," Chicago. ANOTHER TRIUMPH FOR RHEUMO. Mr. William Hereomb, of Cuba Street, is a well-kpown Wellington business man. Read how 'RHEUMO cur«d him of Rheumatic Gout. He '• Vritci: - ' "Jnu*ry 7th, 1908. For many years I, Blttfer«d iritk rheumatic gout, and (hiring? that tine took rarious medicines recommended "to cure, but, I regret to say, with very little effect. Some time ago RHEUMO ma broujht under my notico by a friend, and at his . earnest solicitation I decided to try a bottle. I did so, and feeling better, decided to take another. Tho result was surprising, and I airi.pleased tn say that I nm now quito woll." Try RHEUMO. It will cure you, All nheinists and fiforftß r./l. ii m I is. (Id. 5,