AN ART PATRON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 814, 11 May 1910, Page 3

AN ART PATRON.

KINO EDWARD'S LOVE OF MUSIC

AND THE THEATRE

ENCOURAGEMENT TO ASPIRING

ARTISTS.

Mr. Hugo Gorlitz, the manager of tho Ellwood-Nixon concerts, has been in touch with the late King as an entrepreneur' on moro than one occasion, and talks interestingly of His Majesty's great love of music and the assistanco his royal favour has given, not only to artists of established repute, but to budding talent. "For many years," says Mr. Gorlitz, "it was the custom of the late Sir Arthur Sullivan to give weekly musical parties, which were attended pretty regularly by tho King (when Prince of Wales) and the late Duke of Edinburgh. Aftor Sir Arthur's death, these parties were continued by Sir Alfred Rothschild. I remember on one occasion the host asking l?ig ' Royal Highness, what class of music he would like to hear, and he replied that he would like to hear some of Sullivan , s music, m preference to a high-class concert. Not only did he do his best far artists of experience and acknowledged talent, but he was very kind and encouraging to aspiring artists, and many now living owe their first step up the ladder of fame to his royal favour. ■ He was a very regular jiatron of the opera, and all big musical functions in London. The Royal College of Music was an institution he was particularly interested. in, and he gave great encouragement to the professors by. occasionally dropping into their meetings. "I am personally indebted to the lato King for favours shown. He frequently attended the performances of Eleanora Duse when I introduced her to London audiences at Daly's Theatre in -1895. Ho helped me tremendously to 'boom' Kubelik by commanding him to play at Sandringham on tlho evening of his birthday (November 9) in 1902, on' which ocoasion the Gorman Emperor was present. The third occasion was the last concert I gave before leaving London for the colonies. He attended wrtjh a party, and at the. conclusion of the concert (which was given in Albert Hall) personally thanked mo for tho excellent concert, and wished me a pleasant journey to Australia. ; "I attribute the great success of the big orchestras in London to tho influence of the King and Queen. Years ago such concerts spelt ruin .to the entrepreneur, ' but the King became very fond of good orchestral music, and the public followed his load. What was the result? The people went again and again,, and became educated to a lovo of good music, and now these concerts —particularly those given on Sunday afternoon —are regarded as part and parcel of London lifo.. "Princess (now Queen). May is also very musical. She plays' the piano very well and sings. Her regular weekly musical parties are quite a feature of life at Marlborough House. She gives great encouragement to young artists in particular. The new Queen inherits her talent from her mother, Princess Mary of Teck, in whose family music waa always a cherished recreation.

"The late King waa very fond'of the theatre too, and command performances at. Windsor were more frequent during his reign than at any . other time. He has raised the dramatic profession considerably by his influence to such an extent that it now boasts such titled artists as Sir Beer,holn\ Tree, ■ Sir Squire Bancroft, Sir Charles Wyiidham, the forerunner of whom was the late Sir Henry Irving."