MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 9

MUSIC.

(BY Treble 'CLEF'.)

"The Happy Prince."

lliis is-tho title of a Christmas story by • the lato Oscar Wilde which has been set to music by clover Liza Lohmann, of "Persian harden fame. Wilde's story (says tho LOll- - r ®' an dard") "is simplo and childlike, yet lull of deeper meaning, like the 'Christmas Carol of Dickens. An example of this is shown in the sentences that follow' the opening words: 'Ho is as beautiful as a weathercock,' said one of' tho town cbuhcillorSj who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes, 'only not quite so useful, lijf added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which lie really-was. not. _ 'He is just liko an angel,' said the charity children. . . . 'How do you know?' said tho Mathematical Master, 'you have never seen one.'

' But equal in importance to the Happy Prince in tho story is a swallow who had stayed behind, although it was autumn and his fellows had already gone to .Rgypt,. because lie was in love with a Heed with a slender waist. The music here suggests the gentle flight of the bird and the dip of his wings on the water as he flits round his beloved in his courtship. He tires of her ere long, though, and, as she will not accompany him to tho Pyramids, ho sets off alone". At night ho arrives at tho city, and alights .on the golden statue of the Happy Prince, to the , sound of the opening chords. To his surprise a large drop of water falls on his ■head, for the night is clear and tho stars are shining brightly. This happens . three times, and each time the pianoforte gives ■forth the phrase quoted above. "Then the puzzled little bird looked up and saw the eyes of the Happy Prince filled with tears. A Tristan-like makes its appearante, with the characteristic Wagner turn, at .this place, and, as the swallow tells the ■ .Prince of his destination, an Eastern theme is sounded, which becomes more important later on. The story goes on to tell how the statue bogs the bird to stay with him for the night and do a good deed which lie cannot perform himself. He tells the swallow to take the' ruby from his swordhilt an.d place it near a poor woman who .has fallen asleep while'sweating'at a gill's dress for a State ball and whose boy is in a fever. The willing little bird 1 does the errand gladly, and fans tho hot brows of the hoy with, his wings. But the good deed , makes the swallow warm, in spite of .the approaching, winter." : This beautiful subject, which Is full ol peace, ' charity, and devotion, is destined to become the most important of the incidental music and is developed to 'considerable length later on. . Three other, tasks are demanded of the little swallow, ere the Prince will let him emigrate, but by the time these are performed the statue has . sacrificed.} is two. sapphire eyes, and the gold./covering of . hisbody, while, the winter coming on, his willing messenger. pays the price of charity with his life. ..

, "Bring me the two most precious , things in the city," said God ttf- one of his angels. "So they brought ■ him the..'statue's- leaden heart (which could not be melted down) and the dead bird," '• relates, tho to'the music of, the. last given theme, which" is worked into-a sort of epilogue to the -story. -Well- delivered - and sympathetically, played, "The Happy-Prince"-will make a remarkably effective recitation. . Another Mascagni Opera. The;. chief feature _ of Mme. Eugenie Joachim's pupils' matinee at St. \ James's ■'Theatre:' next -.Tuesday (December.' 1), is- the first, public! .performance in ' England of an opera entitled "Zanetto." The composer is taking the greatest- interest in the production, and would have come over to conduct jt himself had: engagements permitted. "Zanetto," which was written before "Cavalleria Rusticana," is really an operetta, for it has only; three scenes, and is sustained entirely by , two characters. The story of the opera deals--with a cruel Florentine beauty of the. Middle Ages, named Silvia, .who, when the curtain ascends, gives one-the. whole situation'. in ' a nutshell* in the follbwm'gVSiscouraging wordsj-"'

"Cursed be. love I Tears have I none to shed. Kissed is my hand in homage,, like a queen's; Yet never kiss thus, given l has touched'my heart." :: In this antagonistic mood slio goes on,' to swear, ruin to the next young 'gallant who' comes that way. Suddenly the, sound of. a lute is'heard. 1 Itisthat bf Zanetto, a young troubadour,, wlio, in'quest of a night's shelter, 1 has strayed into SilviaVgarden. 1 She is in-: terested, but not moved.;■ With another song to the' stars : Zanetto 1 falls asleep on a bench below. the great beauty's terrace. .'Silvia, de-" soendsj^and,'strangely moved by,the sleeping; youth; she wakes him^ 1 . At. first; he is dazzled by such .'lovelincss. ■ But-soon,.tothe sorroyr of her -quickening heart, 1 she finds'lie 1 , too, scorns love; : "The painted dragon fly," sings lie, "is scarce so free as I." ;. ■, \ Then to her horror she learns that he is in quest, of Silvia, tlio famous queen of beauty, to crave a position in her household, not to ask'for love. But Zanetto has received the latter gift unasked, so much so that Silvia begs him to forego, his .intention, and. warns li'im of the snares of tlje famous beauty. "She will have more than songs from thee." "Thou aro jealous," exclaims Zanetto. "l'erchance she has robbed thee of a brother, or a. lover ; thy fears are f° r mG alone." Silvia offers him a costly ring as evidence, of her faith. This be refuses, thinking and, taking a rose from her liaiv instead, Zanetto departs, his serenade dying away in the .'distance. "Love, blessed love I Yet once again I weep!" cries the lonely woman, bursting into tears as tho curtain falls.— I "Standard.

New Elgar Symphony. : The musical world is eagerly anticipating the; symphony by Sir Edward Elgar. that is to be produced at Manchester on Thursday nest (says the London "Standard"'.'of.'November 30) under Dr. Riclvtcr's direction, aivl will be heard in London next Monday, when it will be performed at tho concert given by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Itichter. The event is of unusual interest, as it is the first composition of this kind that the composer! of , "Tho Dream of Gerontins" has given us. . From tho clear and analytical description of the. book in the December number of the "Musical Times," it is evidently of originality and power.. The writer of the notes states that the symphony is in tho / orthodox classical form, of four movements: —(1) Andante nobilmente e simplice—allegro in first movement form; (2) Allegro molto, ."which is practically a Scherzo in all but name"; (3) Adagio, a serene slow 'movement in binary form; (4) Lento-Allegro, after a slow introduction "breaks into a swinging theme, the principal one of a rondo movement." _ The symphony evidently has no poetic basis or any definite story to tell, as the composer denies that his woil; "illustrates any particular phase of life," but rather it is written "out of a full life experience, and is_ meant to include the innumerable phases of joy and sorrow, , strugglo and conquest, and especially the contrast between, the ideal and actual- in- life." ' v Misoha Elman. On Wednesday evening, November 25, Mischa Elman gave his farewell orchestral concert at Queen's Hall, previous to his departure for America and Australia, and, as usual, rendered very finely ; Brahm's violin concerto. M. Ernil Mlynarski was the conductor, and the programme-included the interesting symphony by ICalinnikoff which M. Ivussowitsky produced, at' his concert last May. __ ■: . Notes. By -the last English mail, Messrs.- J. and N, 'J'ait received the news of tho- death of Mr. Walt-er Brearlcy, who was a member of tho Bosses o' th' Barn Band, and on the rocent tour of Australia and New Zealand by this organisation made many friends in this part of the world. Mr. Brearlcy died in Manchester somo few weeks ago.'. .',

Before starting on their journey through the towns on the way to Sydney en route to Now Zealand, tlio Royal Welsh Male Choir gave two. fiirowell concerts in the Glaciarium Building, Melbourne; which were highly jipprccintcd and patronised by some 5000 people, who ivero most.enthusiastic in their applause, an encore being-demanded after every item. Tho choir opens its New-Zealand tour in Auckland on January Id.