MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 645, 23 October 1909, Page 9

MUSIC.

.'■.. (Di TRKiiLn Cur.) "Tho Creation." . : On Tuesday next Iho public of Wellington 'will once more be given 'theopportunity to hoar.the mighty music of Hwdns Creation, which is to be presented by tho We Ungton.Mu. sicaKUnion at the Town Hall. This fine old classical oratorio, conceived by n master musician in the. days of big .things, is now 111 years old,-the work having been-written-in 1703, and first produced in Vienna the following vcar. It is meet that Hie Creation should "be-"produced at this, time, as this is the centenary year of "Papa" Iloyon.'.as ho was familiarly called. Josei Haydn, who was born in 1732,- was the son of. a coach-builder at Bohrs'n" (lower Austria), who had musical taste.-', The 'lad was sent to . Vienna, at-nn early age, and such.progress did he make that when but'2l .years of age, his first.quartctto was heard the. next year, and in IiGO, the world 'first' hoard''bis';" Symphony in ■■•J). \ He 'afterwards 'became kapellmeister to Pnnco Esterbazv. for.whose new theatre ho composed "La: Fodetta Proniiftta" (1780), "Orlando. Palatini ", (1782),' and " Arniida"" (1781). In 1791 lw first'.visitcd England, caving a number of concerts with success. While on a subsequent | visit-he conceived the idea of the "Creation," the most notable perhaps of all his big works. ■ Tuesday's soloists ■ provide matter for comment. Mrs. Mead, who is to sing..the so-j prano; music''"'lias sung ,very little in public in this city, or indeed in anywhere of late years:' 1 Yet'she is probably tho most cultured soprano in the. Dominion at the present time. Her, joy is the-study rather than-the plat-form.T-.ind there sho .'learns nndcarols' out of tho' fulness of .her. love !of vocalism. Mrs Mead studied under. Sontley in London and since sheSflur'ned to, New Zealand (Christchurch is hcrhome) has continued, her studies, under ,Miv ■Spencer •• J.o'rrainb; • She has a fluent, knowledge of'tH'c whole range of Italian arias,'is well'up the : oratorical, roles, and has a .passion for Wagner, at whose-shrine.she has bowed fora'.'year or.'more' past. I anticipate ■pleasure . : ln ,f ; hoarin£: Mrs;'. Mend,-' in ..Haydn's :music.. Mf! '"Barry .Phipps, who ,to mo is an unknown quantity, is to simr the tenor, music. I nm given to understand that he has*a classical repertoire and .a 7 gnod record. Milch interest is taken" in.Mr; ;Ernest-Parkes, who, is to sing' the., b.arito'no .musics,'-' For natural quality Mr. Porkcs. has no rival in New Zealand, but ho lacks iexperience," hud t is at a 'disadvantage through not having hid a musical training.;.. Still hollas a ready aptitude for:.loirning 'new compositions nnd he rarely ■sings-'--without ;making a marked • impression. I hope_for the,best from Mr. Parker's chorus 'and.;.orchestra., ; ..... . ,•'-.' ■'■ ■ ■ < '-Homo' News;': - :■;' : , ■■'■'~ ■''..'.' '■ .' A At:.'the Three "Choirs Festival-at Hereford -last '■■■ month; the:new works \ included 1 "Noble Numbers," composed for the festival by Dr. AValford; Davies.. organist of' th.6. Templo C'liui'ch, i '-n : new Orchestral Suite from, the pen of/Mri- Grnnvillo- B.;ntock, who. recently, succeeded Sir Edward Elgar as Professor of Music, Birmingham' University; and a Dance Rhapsody .'for orchestra by Mr. Frederick Dolius. •Sir s Edward Elgar is represented in the scheme ;by "iThe Apostles," nnd his symphony,, and Sir 'Hubert Parry,contributes his oratorio "Job." ."Messiah," "Elijah," Bach's motet, "Be Not Afraid," Beethoven's Moss iu D, and selections from Schubert's "Lazarus," Haydn's "Crea-. tion,";-and'.Wagner's "Parsifal" we're, also, in ;the, programme... The title "Noblo, Numbers," :.wh'icl),.Dr. ; Davies has utilised for his' work, that ■ which. Herrick. gave to. his serious pieces added- to the "Hesperides." Of these pieces'nd fewer than eleven have been set by r Dr.. Davis,. together with contemporary pooras, 18 in. all. Further, thero is a short, instrumental 'prelude,' into .which is inter-, pointed an introductory quartet and chorus and', a :.fully-developed ■ orchestral interlude bearing on the title "The llastt-ry,'.' and the motto, "No, man is tempted so but may o'ercome, if "Hint he has the will to masterdom." The work is divided into two parts, each occupying forty minutes in performance. The Leeds-Musical authorities, havo now all but completed their, selection for the chorus of 1910. They; had decided not to confine .the members of the chorus'.'for the next Festival to 'Leeds vocalists only, but to include those from the principal musical centres in tho West Riding also. This has necessitated tho arranging'of two centres for rehearsal. Engagements have already been'sent'out to the following artists'as soloists:—Madame Agnes Nicholls, Madame .Clara Butt,, Mr. Walter Hyde, Mr.. Gervasc" Elvres, Mr. Eobert Radford, and Mr. Plunket Greene. • The Waltz King. ' . ,Tho Waltz king, Johann Strauss, is ; to-bo honoured bv a monument in the city park of Vienna,-Which is to cost 150,000' crowns. Of tbis'sum 110,000 crowns are already iu hand; the , remainder- is. to bo obtained- with -the aid'of- a-'few.: festival performances of his favouritc : operettas. The. first of these will be the "Gvp'sey Baron," in.which the-popu-lar-Girardf, who • created the'role of Czuzan, will -again assume . it. The , famous • tenor, Sleznc, will also be'in the cast, and the operetta will be conducted by Lehar, composer of "Tho Merry Widow." It is worthy of noto that the Imperial .'ministry of education contributed 30,000 crowns toward, the monument, to the great,satisfaction of the Viennese, who hold that such healthy, melodious music as the waltz king wrote not only entertains the 'millions but educates the mind and elovates.it above shallow and vulgar things. Is it likely that that other Strauss-tho composer of "Salome," will;over have a monument in Vienna, built,with the aid of the Government? Notes, I have received a cony of a military song chorus, entitled, -'TVhat We Havo We'lfHold," words by Mr. F. J. Courtney music by Mr. Nelson Dyson; both of Wellington.. Tlie song has a stirring melody, and a good swing, and tho lyrics aro well up to tho average of such songs. It should become popular in camp or on the march, whercvor. indeed, a rousing male chorus is assured. Tho solo can be sung ■with equal effect by. the baritone or-robust tenor voice. '-..-. Jenny Lin'd niade ,15-),000 dollars on ' her Amorican tour 'under the management of Barnum; but of this she invested 100,000 dollars for benevolent purposes in' Sweden. .Forherself -sho kept,only what was necessary for a living; and for buying a cottage on the-Mal-vern" Hills,' England. Her'wants were, lew, audi she '-would' not have complained if. reverses of fortune luubcompelled her. to. live literally in'accordance with the recipe for true, happiness contained in the, following lines,' written in one of her letters from Boston: "Few sus■pect how -'unutterably little - the world, and its splendour havo been able to turn my..■.mindgiddy. Horriugs arid potatoes—a clean wooden chair, nnd a wooden spoon: to eat milk-soup with^-that'would;wake me.-skip like-.n-'child, 'fprrjoy::':And'this-\rithout:the slightest trace V' exoneration." ■