MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1515, 10 August 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

(Bi Treble Clef.) Kirkby Lunn's Tour, Information by Wednesday's Sydney ina.il conveyed the news that Madame Ivirkby Lunn will be supported on her tour of Australia and Mew Zealand by Mr. Andrew SJmiiks, u young baritone wlio recently appeared at Hammer.sU-iii's London Opera House with great success, 11. Andre de Kibaupiorre, a gifted Trench violinist of high repute, and .Mr. William Murdoch, an Australian pianist who has had a fine career at the Eoyal College of Music, and who toured South Africa with Madame Clara Butt and Mr. Kennci-ley liumford last year.

The Xen; Zealand tour will Ijo as follows:—Wellington, Thursday, Saturd-iy, ami Monday, October 10, 12, aiul 11; Auckland, Thursday, Saturday, and Monday, October 17, 19." and 21; Clirislelnircli, Saturday and Monday, October l>6 and 28; Sunc-din, Tuesday, October 29; and Christchurch (return) "on Wednesday, October 30. Thnre may be an alteration in these dates yet, but they arc approximate.

A Late Discovery, Barely has the musical world had such a tit-bit to gossip about as the recent "discovery" of Ernest Fanelli, the himi-. ble drummer who hasMvritten music in his youth, which appears to have antedated the theories of Debussy and other modern French writers by quite a considcrablo time. Fanelli had no oic to befriend him in getting a hearing. Doubtless, too, the fact that most of his works are extremely long, and call for unusual instruments, made those who might have wished to help him think twice. His discovery came about by his submitting to Gabriel Pierne a specimen copy of one of his own scores, in apply-' ing for.work as a copyist. Pierne has aided him to the utmost, and his prompt action in bringing to notice a composer of genius who bade fair to be for ever neglected, cannot fail to add to his popularity as conductor of the Colonne orchestra. In speaking of Fanelli's work, Pierne has said: "M. Ernest Eanelli's craftsmanship is admirable and astonishingly modern considering the time when he began to write. I obtained the Prix de Rome in ISS2, and I can confidently say that in those times our art was very different from M. Fanellils. Wagner's, influence was not yet felt in France; wo did not know the' Russian school, and Debussy's creative powers hardly asserted themselves before 1890 or thereabouts." Fanclli was bom in ISGO, and entered the conservatoire at the age of ten. He gave up attending the classes in consequence of the terror inspired by one of tho and was consequently oxpelled. He was readmitted at the age of sixteen. He studied under Delibes. hut was. obliged at the same time, to work for a. living, so processed little. Most of his remarkable skill has been »ained as the result of self-effort.

Puccini in Paris. Paris had to wait more than two years for a hrst hearing of Puccini's last opera, Ihe Girl of the Golden "West," and even, then it was not Iho Grand Opera's own company that pave it, but Raoul GunsbourgSjMonte Carlo company, including, on this occasion, Caruso, Titfa-Ruffo, and Carmen Melis. Puccini was present at the Parisian premiere am! shared the plaudits. The conductor was Scrafino; tho manager was praised for providing a picturesque scenic setting. There wero no scenes of wild enthusiasm like those which occurred at the New York premiere of tin's mediocre opera. To Americans it must seem as if it would have been wiser en Puccini's part if he had travelled before he wrote this opera (to California, to got some local'colour), instead of travelling to attend first performances in American and European cities. In its musical atmosphere this opera is much more Parisian and Italian than American, as wo all know. The Parisians could hardly be expected to know it. The "Figaro's" critic remarks on this point: "We are poor judges to decide how far 'La Fille du Far-West' is 'American , or otherwise. But tho rag-time of the_ banjo music plays a prominent part in it, and produces some very happy effects." As a whole, this critic .considers it Puccini's best work since "Manon Loscaiit," with the exception of "Madama Butterfly." The commentator of tho "Echo de Paris" was so fortunate as to iind tho Jflst act_ "intensely melodic." The "Comoedia" discovered tho samo characteristics that' account for Puccini's previous successes. All of the critics praise tho Belasco libretto.

"Princess Caprice." A recent Berlin success, Leo Fall's "Der Liebo Augustni," has been produced in Lomlon in au English adaptation, under the titlo of "Princess Caprice.". It is described as "a. comedy with music," implying that tho play is of greater importaiico than the music; but this, it seems is not the case, for while there aro fewer musical numbers than usual, Dr. Fall has contributed music of rare charm. It is Viennese, of course, with a predilection for waltz rhythms, and tho "Telegraph" pronounces it "a miracle of refinement." That'is the feature of the score "which strikes one first and foremost. Thero is not a phrase, not a bar, in it to which the most fastidious musical ear could take exception in that respect. In point of actual melodic invention there have been occasions, it is true, when the composer has shown himself better inspired, and given the public tunes more clearly destined at a first hearing for. popularity than any of those, perhaps, for which an introduction was claimed recently. "But it may well be doubted whether the graces of Dr. Fall's musicianship have ever been better exemplified than in tho pages of his latest work. Over it all is an air of daintiness and delicacy in keeping with.the best traditions of the lighter art-forms. Thero is a lightness, too, in the composer's touch that will be readily recognised and appreciated by all who lend an ear, in particular, to the tokens of fancy and taste that abound in his instrumentation. Full of deft touches, yet free from any over-elaboration, his scoring is,' indeed, a model 'of what such things should be."

On Contraltos and the Gramaphone. l-'ow people who aro possessors ef gramaphones are without records of tho superb voice owned by Madame Kirkby Luiin, tho Queen of England's contraltos, now on her way to Australia and New Zealand. Contraltos—that 13 great contraltos —are even rarer than tenors. During- the last decade wo have been privileged to hear three contraltos who have reached places of eminence in the artistic scale. 1 hesitate even to say three, became there is a doubt that Miss Ada Crossley can be considered a. really great contralto. A fine singer, perhaps, but lacking almost entirely the spirit and temperament of an artist. Madame Clara, Butt soars high by reason of tho colossal breadth of Jior voice. She thrills with a power of vocal force, which is almost uncanny. But for pure artistry in voice, interpretation, temperament, style, there is only one Kirkby Lunn, and Messrs. .1. and N. Tait are making it- possiblo for this half of tho world "to hear, not the "canned" article, but the real living, breathing, vital thing. The gramaphone has its limitations, and to hear Madame Lunn, Caruso', or Melba sing through them is most enjoyable, but after all it is merely a shadow of tho voice. The news ot her coming has already created a demand for records of Kirkby Lunn in Australia, and doubtless that demand will soon be felt in New Zealand.

"The Jewels of the Madotina." AVolf-Ferrari's hot grand opera, "Tho Jewels of tho Madonna," was' produced in England for the first time at Covont Garden on Thursday, May 30. lirielly, the plot concerns the love affairs of Jlaliella, an Italian fjirl of passionate temperament. Tier lover is Gennaro, a faithful souj, whom she rejects for the more picturesque Uafacle, of the Camnuirisii, who has vowed that ho would steal the jewels of the Madonna for her .sake. CSennaro hears of his vow (which is only an idlo boast on the part of Ttafacle), anil actually ste.-.ls the jewels and brings them to lUliella. She hurries in terror with the jewels to liafaele, at the meeting of the Cnmmoristi, and then makes olf to drown herself in the sea. Gennaro, ilenouiicod by Mnliclla as Hie thief. stal;s himself in romnrfc before a pointi'tiß of thu lladonna. The music, of Wolf-Furrari is said to-be uneven. The i'olo scene in Xnples is siiid to he full of colour, and curious bands playing in different keys -is cleverly jiainteil in the seine. "One finds a curious mixture," says "The TiniHS," "of holdiK'f-s iii tho pi nn of Ihu ..ojiei'a and timidity iu its exesutioa."