MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 840, 11 June 1910, Page 9

MUSIC

■ Treble Clef.) The Hunt-Bloy Recital. At tho Horace Hunt-Herbert Bloy recital, to be given at tho Concert Chamber on Thursday next, Mr. Bloy, the talented violinist,' is to play Tartini's famous composition, "The Devil's Trill," which has not been heard in Wellington for some time. "Writing of tho composition of this work, Tartini said:—"Ono night 1 dreamt that the idea had seized mo to hand my fiddlo over to the devil to seo what he could do with it. How great was my astonishment when he played with consummate skill a sonata of such exquisite beauty as surpassed tho boldest flight of my imagination. I awoke, and seined my violin, and tried to retain tho sounds'l had heard, but in vain. The 'Devil's Sonata,' which I then composed, though the best I ever wrote, how far below the one I had hoard in my dream!"' Schumann's 'fin der Naeht," which Mr. Hunt is to play, is a liable attempt to picture that graphic incident in the lives of Hero and Leaudcr—the swimming of the Hellespont, between Sestos and Abydos. Roth Messrs. Hunt, and Bloy are the type of young musicians who deserve public support. Madame. Carreno in Melbourne. Madame Carreno met with an enthusiastic reception upon beginning her Australian tour at tho Melbourne Town Hall last Saturday week. Her programme, the "Australasian" observes, .was a magnificent as well as popular oiiOj including as it did examples of tho finest pianoforte classics of diverso schools and modes. Beethoven was represented by the great "Appassionata" sonata, tho distinguished pianist showing by her performance of it that sho had the intellect to comprehend -tho intellectual grandeur of the composition, the heart to sympathise with its varied emotions, and the masterly ability to express its beauty, not only, as a whole, but in its exquisite detail. Her portrayal of the tempest of passion in tho finale, which continually increases in power and fury until tho grand climax of tho unique coda is reached, roused tho audience to a tumultuous outburst of genuine applause. Four of Chopin's most popular pieces followed—the Nocturne in F, tho Studv in G flat, the Waltz in A flat, and the Ballade in A flat, all given with technical mastery, and exquisite taste. In response to imperative encores, Madame Carreno repeated the "Butterfly's Wings," and gavo. a magical performance of tho Berceuse of Chopin. Some Schumann music delighted tho audience, and then a feast of pyrotechnics from the works of Liszt in the "Gampanella" and the Sixth Rhapsody. At the second concert Bach's Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue. Beethoven's Sonata in A flat, and Chopin's Polonaises in A fiat and E flat minor were the leading features.' The Most Popular Orchestral Work. - A voto was taken the other day in Glasgow by the Choral and Orchestra! Union of that city with a view to ascertaining what are tho wovks held m highest esteem by local concert-goers. At the top of the list was placed Beethoven's C minor Symphony, which scoured 407 votes, and next to it the Fifth Symphony of Tchaikovsky, for which 405 votes were recorded. Third and fourth in order stood tho "Ijconora" No. 3 Overture and tho "Pastora" Symphony respectively. Tho overture to "Die Moistersinger," Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream" overture, Grieg's "Peer Gynt" Suite, and Rossini's "William Tell" overture came next in the order given, and afjer them Elgnr's Symphony. Death of a Dreat Teacher. Tho last lesson of Lamperti, who died in Berlin on March IS, aged soventy, was given to an American, Mr. M'Kenney, of Portland, Me., only five clays before his death. He had no children, and is survived only by his widow, Dora Lamperti, who was his faithful and constant companion for the last twenty-four- years. "Rarely indeed," writes the Berlin correspondent of tho "Musical Courier," "is such conjugal harmony as was theirs found on the art world, or, for that matter, in any of tho other walks of life. Madamo Lamperti understood the artistic nature her famous husband to a wonderful degree, and she cared for him and looked out for his welfare during this quarter of a century with touching fidelity. Her society became so indispensable to him that he could not bear to have her leave his side at all; it seems incredible, but it is an actual fact that these two pcoplo wero never separated even for a day during those twenty-four years. Tho caso is almost unparalleled. Lamperti was active as a vocal instructor for more than half a century, and it would be impossible to estimate how great arid Tar reaching were his services to art. At first an assistant to his famous father, Francesco Lamperti, tho founder of tho Lamperti School, he-soon branched out for himself, and during his residence in Milan, Paris, Dresden, and Berlin, vocal' students from all civilised countries of the globe, of all ages and of all degrees of talent, flocked to him. Of the host of disciples who sat at his feet, Marcella Sembrieh has attained tho greatest fame, but for decades there has been scarcely an opera house in Europe that- has not harboured one of his pupils. Among these were the late Paul Bulss; Stagno, tho famous tenor; Havolli, Hclene Hassrciter, Hcnrictte Sartori, Bcrtho Brcthol-Pierson, Agnes Huntington, and Anna Sachse-Hof-mcister, to mention only a fow. Ernestine Schuinann-Heink also studied with him for a short time. Lamperti counted among his personal friends nearly all of the .great artists of the last fifty years." A Balalaika Orchestra, The balalaika, the strange, threecornered guitar of the Russian peasant folk, is considered to be the simplest instrument in the world to learn. This (says the London "Standard") mav account for the fact that a newlyformed band of performers on this instrument so recently introduced in this country, wore able to give, at tho Queen's Hall, a public concert last night. It is an open secret that the majority of the players wore English, and members of the Coldstream Guards' Band. However, their conductor, Prince Tschagadaoff, was soloist in the original balalaika, troupe, and his prowess as a virtuoso on the instrument was shown in two solos. The music of the • programme was naturally of a'light order, the artistic interest and variety being obtained by careful gradation of expression. One of the most favoured effects is that of making- a gradual crescendo and then dying slowly away again. The balalaikas have a particularly appealing tone when played pianissimo, the sound of tho plucking of the strings not being then so apparent. Among the pieces played in the manner already described wore the "Vanishick Danco" and the "Volga Boatmen's Son." Other successes were the "Russian Wedding Song" and Abb's "Serenade." The band received a cordial welcome, many repetitions being insisted upon. Baron .lervis Scalisi pl'tvcd his own pianoforte compositions with considerable skill. Miss Gertrude Hcmber was the vocalist.