MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 9

MUSIC.

.. (Br Treble Clef.) _■/ One-Sldedness In Music. ; '■'■■'■ Why is it that one finds so many pepplo engaged in ij'io musical profession who aro ardent admirers of somo particular "school" of music, and havo no cars for might "else? For ono man thero is nothing but Wagner; for another French opera is tho only thing; a third does not caro for opera anyway,, and wants oratorio, in whicli ho disagrees with a fourth, who prefers chamber music and orchestral concerts. Musical tasto is apparently honeycombed with/thousands of littlo cells, in which oaclrseparato musician sits in icy isolation from his neighbours. This docs not exist in any other art—or at least not to anything liko tho samo extent. Literary people, as a rule, aro willing to acknowledge Renins, from whatever source it comes, and, indeed, Ifiey usually, look with contempt upon tno tyro who exhibits strong prejudices for: any ono particular writer at tho expenso of another. Why cannot musicians adopt a similar freemasonry among themselves, and bo duly grateful' for genius, whether it expresses itself in tho complicated methods of Strauss, or in tho strong simplicity of Handel, or tho glowing -tints of Chopin?.' Birds in their nests should agree.

A Handol Failure Handel had many failures before ho learnt to write oratorios of a kind tho public wanted. . For, many years ho wrote Italian operas, closely following Italian- models, and none of, those aro now porformed, lor the simple reason that thev are not worth listening to, though tliey contain many excellent isolated'numbers. It.was not unlil nftcr repeated failures as an operatic composer that it occurred to Handel to produco oratorio of a "popular" kind, The outcome of this idea was "The Messiah," which ranks among tho grattcnL works of all time. Tho English people cherish a regard for it which neither they nor any other race possess for any other musical work. Nevertheless, Handel bad somo failures nmonc bis oratorios, and ono of these was "Theodora." ' Tho' extent to which it was patronised on its production may bo judged from a remark made by Lord Chesterfield. > Somo ono met his lordship coming out of Covent Garden in Iho middlo of a performance of "Theodora," "Is thero not an oratorio tonight?" lie askod. "yes," replied Lord Chesterfield, "they aro now performing, but 1 thought it best to retire lest I should disturb the King in bis privacy."

Mr. John Lemmone, the cultured flautist, who has been all round tho world with Melba, has arrived back in Australia,