MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 9

MUSIC

'By Treble Clef.)

Calvo Again. Calvd, is to sing ; at; tho Opera House to-night, and- oh- Tuesday next. ■ She will bo assisted.;by' Signor; Gasparri, a pearl among tenors, . and M.' l'ihtel (pianist.). Verb. sap.

"A Summer's Night."

'Th6\ !: tohdoiV'V.cdrres^ntofc'-''pf v ': the Sydney : "Herald" thus, prefers ..to'' the •production of .'Glut-sands' "opera -ui .LoiW don,. Svliicli as well'as an artistic, interest.for those who : remember tie early career of Mr.G.'H. "Clut-sam.bn.-this. side:—Mr;:G. H.;olutsam's one-act opcraj'.'A'Summer Night;-' pro-, duccd -in London on July 23 by Mr. Beeoham.V at His . 'Majesty's' .Theatre; • made- a. genuine,' artistic sucteessi , The Australian, composer, who! was liis own ■librettist, .bad founded his book on . a story'in the' "Heptameron" of Margaret of which,:by, judicious rearrangement of '■[ ,wo ; s made ,to yield :'a. satisfactory; humorous' episodes concerned, with .a. husband and. wife, and various ' details .of mistaken : /Musically.. Jfj;,; Olutsam. isj.of.'' 'jfcho' nio.derns;'.- "esped-!: ally "of' Stra'uss:';ahd! Debussy, i-liis\work , rpvealed.-.great 'mastery ' ;<jf' oroliestral possibilities, and niaiiy.- 'clever-touches ;of instrumental humour, were evident in .a-, score•, generally ;;qf ■' high', distinction;Being a modern..opera,': "A Summer Night" contains.. scarcely, anything of the set air. variety, but a great dcal .of genuine -melody,".well .assisted, bythe. composer's ; unfailing orchestral resource. An interlude for orchestra depicting night and' the coming .of; day especially impressed; the house. Mr. Clutsa-m : was 'enthusiastically , called at tlto close. "V. ;•

Fritz Krelsler on Violin Playing.

; - The vie\ys of Fritz. Kreisler "on -.the ( violin art'are .always of interest,, since .he' occupies a position as' 0110 of . the ; world's" greatest ..violin ' artists,.'; -"and: i asidu from; his ; supreme , excellence; in i violin playing,;he is; amusician of broad : attainments,' and a man of. wide gen-' oral;culture. .. Mr. Kreisler, in-a chat with the. "Musical Courier," discussed a number of subjects, of great interest to the violinist and violin student.

When asked what concerto ho liked the best, he said:"The Brahms. .'.Do you. know; it makes ;me;..sad to '-'think that Brahms and Beethoven wrote but, one' concerto, each'for . the violin., ; And Chopin I What. a pity that lie devoted all his time to. the piano! .We . might, just, as well have .had many, more great' concertos" '' " ' . •'

.' Continuing, lie said that there are so few really, great.' concertos that violinists must play the really notable, ones over and over .again. There are..llo ;' really; great modern. concertos, the old ones stand supremo. "" Of, violins' lie. said:- "You 1 know; the possession of a. 'Strad' . is more or . less ' a fad. 1 once thought it essential that 1 should have one, and bought the bestone 1 could find. I soon discovered,'. . howevpr,; that.-1. did not need it,- and rarely used it. I have just sold it to an American dealer. I have three in- i struments in Europe besides those I carry with me. The' violin I use the most) and ' which-' I- like • best, >. is. my Joseph, Cluariioriuß. "I use a' Tourle bow." ■ , '' . Of strings Mr. Kreisler said that ho J finds good ones ; everywhere, and buys them wherever lie happens to be. He; is not a "faddist" as regards, any par-, ticular kind of string. ■ The violinist stated that he 1 was never troubled with cold or clammy hands,, sweating fingers, orwith nervousness. . "I do not feel the need; of excessive. practice," he said. "I 'am never troubled with stiff 'fingers, either. T. call get off a train sifter an all-day ride, and .go to the s concert hall and play as well as ever. My greatest 1 anxiety is to preserve'my, enthusiasm, and to be ■ able to make: my playing -fresh and buoyant.; When I play for. myself I always -do so to; distract my mind. I never, practice compositions .which I am to play in the near future. I must have them fresh. I must not allow myself to become tired of them. I have to play many things I do,not like, and it is.difficult for me to play them coil amore. : That is, my only trouble." Concluding, Mr. Kreisler said that ho personally lovod to play tho hig' things Beethoven, Bach, Brahms—but that a violinist has to give the public ivhat it likes, and the people seem to enjoy many of tho small things best. ~