MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 9

MUSIC.

(Bγ Treble Clef.) ■ Elgar's Songs. "Elgnfs new sougs can only be pronounced a disappointment," London "Truth" fears. . "While graceful, melodious, and expressive up to a point, they cannot be called great in any sense of the term, being nothing like .so original and attractive, for instance, as those of the famous ' Sea Pictures' series, though oven these, it is to be feared, for all their popularity, are hardly to be reckoned among tjio finest things that Elgar lias done. The truth is, apparently, that we cannot hope to produce songs in England in 'any way comparablo with tho best things of this kind dono by the foreigner, though why this should bo: is not very obvious. In his larger works Elgar \has written music worthy of being, ranked with the best produced abroad.; Why, therefore, should he bo unable to give us also some really fine and original songs capable of taking their place beside those of, say, Strauss and Wolf, to. name no others? As it is,, sucb as ho has written so far are, for tho most part, unworthy. altogether of the best work which ho has done in other directions. Yet , good songs are always acceptable (to say nothing of being highly remunerative),, and the leading com T posers are few who have noTi written many." . Miss Amy Castles, who is appearing with 'tho Grand Opera Company, . ii: Sydney, has been asked by cable message from London to accept-an engagement to sing at the great Empire concert, to bo-given in tho Albert Hall, on June 23. Miss Castles was compelled to decline tho offer. A cable message announces that Miss Ruby -Rich, an Australian piariiste, ■ has given a recital by special request oi Princess Henry of Battenborg. Madame Emma Calve commences hei tour of Australia in Melbourne to-night. Richard Strauss .related.tho. other day that at a concert in Berlin, many years ago, Bulow introduced Brahms to those present in tho artists' room as the composer of "The Tenth Symphony." Brahms, not feeling very comfortable at Bulow's praise, said it gave him a sensation "as if one had got pepper in the eyes." In 1885 the master was present at a concert of 'the Meiningen Court Orchestra, at which the second conductor, Richard Strauss (Bulow was conrtuctor-in-ehief), directed a performanco of his own Symphony in I' minor. Brahms expressed a lukewarm opinion about the composition, calling it "quito pretty" (ganz hubscli), adding: "Youiig man, you might look at Schubert's dances and try to invent simple oightbar melodies." ' • Leoncavallo's new opera, "Malbruck," which had its first performance in Rome recently, is entitled a "fantasia comica'" mediovalo," and has a number of comic, and parotlistic features. ' In one place Alba, instead of exclaiming: "che strazio!" ("what a torture") cries out "die Strauss!" and at that moment the orchestra plays a parody of some bars of Strauss's music, ficoncavallo had better look out. Richard Strauss may sue him as a plagiar-, int. :