MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1102, 15 April 1911, Page 9

MUSIC.

(By Treble Clef.) Eoiisa. Nowhere is Sousa more appreciated than in-London. Writing of his recent concerts there, the "Musical iimes" says: —• Sousa's own compositions were naturally given a prominent place, ami none could complain of tin's, for in their own sphere they are works of genius, and they are unquestionably tho best medium for showing off ihe qualities of the Sousa band. Their orchestration is often of superb effectiveness. Some of Sousa's ideas in this connection are entirely his own. Not even Strauss has discovered the variety that can he imparted to a colour schcine by shifting plavers, or groups of players,'from one portion en the platform to another. During the performance of a familiar Sousa march, six cornets stepped forward to the front of the platform, and gave their best to the audience, pla.vtune as a kind of "canto fern>o ; shortly, six trombones ranged themselves alongside, and fulminated a counterpoint beneath; then picrolos stationed themselves on the other side, and added a freo part above, and meanwhile the remainder of the band carried on the strenuous life. "Macboth" OparaticiEod. Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth" has once more tempted the composer of music, but it yet. remains lor another Wagner, Dr. Verdi, to handle tho theme with the depth and breadth of inspiration it demands. The newest essayist is Ji. Bloch, a Frenchman, whose effort has been staged at the Opera Comiquo in ) ans. An American correspondent, writing from Paris, offers the following general survey of the new work:— " j'hc music, of M. Bloch, the composer of ; Macbeth,' has the defect of being entirely impersonal. Then the subject does not lend itself readily to music. It i:; true that more than one composer has judged the test not insurmountable. In the. annals of music are to he found '.1 'Macbeth' by Lock, which was presented in Lnnd'.m in the year 1072; another by Andre at Berlin in 1780; a third by lieieharl at Munich in 17!).-,; a irn-.rtli by Chebird at Paris in 1827; and tint of Verdi in 18-17.

"To come hack to M. Jilcch, 1 must Jiyiiw that tins young musician lias the gut of incmory. He has what the laic Ann-lien Schull, the famous Parisian journalist, nialieiouslv called 'tlip cleverness ... of others. .

"In truth, tin) score of TMachetir is an eclectic composition of W;i"iii'r Claude Doliiissy. Jlassrnpl. and I'anl Dukas. and reminds me of I lie famous Russian saliul which Alcxsiiulra Dumas lils, (leseril)ed in one of his stories, a silad which contained so nianv in"rcili(.'ills that, the greatest gourmet, c.iiili! not liavn found "out what it was made of.

"Then, fnn, M. Hlorii's music is pnld, it doe:; not corrci.pnnd in any ivav with the poignant situation of the liln:>tto derived from ShakcjpiviroV, drama. One feels that truly Ihi? composer is a Oenovoia, and, while a conscientious and upright worker, s influenced by the ciiowy summits of Mont Bbnc.' His music has not even the reaction and glow which the human body receives from contact with ice."