MISS SMYTH: COMPOSER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 423, 4 February 1909, Page 3

MISS SMYTH: COMPOSER.

Miss Smyth, the English composer, is the *? At °, a quaiut and interesting passage - 8,1 i scnaikowsky's diary of his tour in 1888. The meeting took place at Dr. Brodsky's house m Leipsic. After speaking of Madame Ixrieg (Grieg was one-of the guests), Tschaikowsky, goes on:—"There was another lady' at this party about whom I should like to Bay a few, words. After the Christmas tree, while we woro still sitting round the teatablo at Brodsky's, a beautiful dog of the setter breed, came bounding into tho room and began to frisk round the host and his jttie nepnew, who welcomed his arrival Inis means that Miss Smyth will appear directly, , everybody exclaimed at 'once, and in a few minutes a' tall Englishwoman, not handsome, bnt having what people call an expressive , .or 'intelligent , face, walked into the room, and I introduced to her at once as a fellow-composer. Miss Smyth is one of tho comparatively few women com-' posers who may,be seriously reckoned among the workers sphere of-music. Shi «huvT!i, L - lpZlg 6 few y ears bofor e and onc-hIV t composition very thorwo?l- y t?, i a ? ,C ? m W soveral interesting woiks (the best of which, a violin sonata, 1 Bolf ahd Mr Brodsky), and gave promise in the future of .I serious and career. «rim, u- n ° En , ghshwoma P is without her oriemalities and eccentricities (continues Tschaikowsky), Miss Smyth had hers, Xh were the beautiful dog, which was quite inseparable, from this lonely woman and invariably announced her arrival not only on this occasion bnt at other timos when I mot her agam-a passion for hunting, on account of which Miss Smyth occasionally returned to England time; and, finally/an incomprehensible _ and almost passionate worship for the intangible musical genius of Brahms. From her point of view, Brahms stood on the supremo pinnacle of all music and all that had gone before him served merely as a preparation for tho incarnation ot absolute musical beauty in the creations ot the Viennese master. And in this case e V? v S." , Iy when I camQ in contact with Tabid Brahmsitos, I tormented myself with the guestion: Arc they all wrong and imagine what does not exist, or have I so oitonded God and nature that the 'revelation predicted by Bulow will never condescend to bless me? As to Brahms, time has proved the judgment of Miss Smvth to bo better than that of Tschaikowsky, but as she is now well known as the composer of seveial operas of considerable merit, the chapter also proves that Tschaikowsky's judgments were not always wrong. b