TO HIGHER THINGS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 420, 1 February 1909, Page 9

TO HIGHER THINGS.

THE FALSE AND THE TRUE IN SONC, i

INTERVIEW WITH MR. ALBERT MALLINSOX.

"I think New Zealand is wonderfully advanced musically, considering the youth 'of the oountryi" said Mr. Albeit Mallinson, in the course of a short interview. Mr. Mallinson hns high and definite ideas on the subject of music, and while doing his utmost— which is a very great deal indeed—to realise that ideal, ho does not fancy that he, or anyone else, will offoct a revolution m musical taste in a year or two. "It is coming, though, Iho says optimistically. "There aro indications all over the woild of a desire on the part of the public for better music, and the tact that good things are found daily on programmes that were endured but rarely twenty yoars ago bears me cut. Even the ballad concerts in London are a deal less popular than they were, and 1 hear that Boosey s, who havo given such concerts in London for 1 don't know how many years, are giving them up,. I can only think that the class of song that used to please is finding its proper level somewhere below what, wo would all like to consider the public taste." "Artists—real artists—don't sins the trashy mock-sentimental ballads because they like singing them —don't run away with that idea. In nine cases out of ton they sing them ljecauso they are paid to do so by the- publishers That is to some extent, lam sure, how. the public tasto in England came to be as it was. In Germany such a thing as paying an artist to sing certain songs hy their publisher is unknown. The result is obvious 1 The practice was harmful to a degree, as it only needed half a dozen good artists to be paid to 'boom' a song of the class I mean.

:. "I don't, wish you to thirik : ;tbat I am out against'!ill : songs that.• cannot be classed;as. high-class. ■', A: comic song,' for; instance,'; may;"; b'e:a 'g6pd;'sbng;;.andj:quite-artistici;.bi4t 'the ; comic', sprig' , doesiri'otVpretend :to"-Ve anything eke,; - , arid'there vare^•■plenty'of; simple "ballads' with mnsicali arid even poetical, charm./ It is. that:class of ballad that pretends , to high\art l ; when' it'is .sheer; nonsenses-it; is paste-beside the■'diamond.'v:'.-,To'.'illustrate-—'Daisy Bell!i js.a-good;'. 'melody arid. arid,. Imiakes , no: pretence, tb" be other than 'what itis—a .simple song for simple'pepple:-.Similarly;;. ; Tickl in',; Jock,V. is - a ,'good 'comic «>ng j.ii[ ; was• meant to m&ke people laugh';, 'and••it<Hoes so. vßut.it-is in , Euch.songs" as' Tosti's': 'Gopd-bye, , ?;, ."Thei Holy City,';;:arid 'dozens' of; , others; that you 1 mcet:;an utterly false: Sentiment,./and a.great , : many:'ofc.'thd. ;publio;d6' , iiot appear'to be able.to' discrim-j sentiment [.and sentimentality.;;. '': "On.\the,other : harid,;fespecially good work ; is;being;;done;'atrHome;byElgar;' J,';Holb.^6ok,;,.Vaughan r iWilliamsj: and: FritzDeliuß;, -which■■'will4iye- long; ,:;The: last'mentioned,-; Fritz Delius-rwho is half Yorkshire and" half. Sbaridinayianf i is-;turriing:'ont;' some, remdrk-;'. able music; chiefly orchestral. .He cannot- be: ;Eaid'te ? belong'.t6 any; school, but; is-rather ;a: 'law;unto .himself;-;with his. pTNTi peculiar'ideaa, of : ;thVjiannoniq v scheme;; ; 'These: andUother/ ■good Writers are.'coming through to tho front';; .thwKs; : 't^""th.e.''assistMce/|ent^by.:Mr. ; ' J.' Woods/and; other .musicians' of bis stamp.'?, ; ."I' , ; think ;!,ought: tc : . iriclude ; the;' Mallini. sons.',in;tbe: list', of.', those "who-'sire.dping: up-, lifting .wqrk ; 'vyeritured.''the ,; ' l inte .mentioned,..paint Vwith a, Wg- .brnsh 'littleVwaterrrcoloufs.? ,, - ' r :-i'i'-" ; .; : ; ; 'i- ■:','£ .'-.;?> ; c i

■;'.■,;-'About;.yourself,;' Mr.'-Mallin sbny. dd.ybu "find - much.' difficulty ,:in';: obtaining ;: 'suitable.' lyrics"fpr .'your, songs?.",':-. •'„■.. .:' : '.'.'-j'.-'p'/\'-<;.■ V "That to me. '.'-No,'-' T find it difficult 'to got' out .ox r and; the : Eriglishi language, is;-.perhaps';thp;ni6st:: prolific source of .a|l; ; .I ha^eLquite'.recently' . Bliss'Carinen r s.;trans-: . latiofis'.of':friigm€n'ts : ;ojF."tho' beautiful ;,spnes'. years old.,x ; They are iho'.phoicept 'ge,Dis'"-"of' roe, ,W. E.. Henley, AV. 8.-Tyea^/^GnrisMna. and "TJaiftte:;^Gabriel■, ,Eo'ss.ejttj ( ':J:a'n.dx!a)J., V'tjie. The.'works of«;su'ffi- ma r sters'"oi' : Joetic verse .'are fiiir of. good ; things,''.' To pne has.only:tp"read , the|lines r 'Eldorado,' ;'Eleanore,'.. ; 'SloWj Horses, Slow,' :(Let Theni'■.■not.Vanish,'. : 'We , Sway,; A]qng' (the "train'Bdng)' ) ; 'Eventidei!/''pVcr'tho.West-' efn Sea, , 'The, Cavalier' and; others. , '