MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1527, 24 August 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

— ' [Bi Stmiub.]

Some Successful Failures, - Dame Fortune is a, fipkle jade, and plays sorry tricks on those who woo her. She loves nothing tetter thnu to frown upon tlioso whom eho intends to fnv<yur later. Slio frowjied very Mveroly upon liizet when "Carmen" was produced, March 3, 1875. Before very long, however, gho was willing to smile her sunniest upon tliu lucky composer. Unfarhmutcly, however, ■there wus a, slight litisuiuloi-s landing upon piwt's i«ixt, and lie died—some shy his heart : was broken by disappointment— three months niter tho "failure" of his greatest work.

Wagner was made of sterner 6hiff than Bizet, , and when the fickle goddess frowned upon him ho was by no means inclined to accept her dismissal. Nearly oil of his earlier operas were dismal failures at iirst, "Tannhauser" was hissed oft' the French stage. "Tristan aud Isolde", waa given up as /'impossible" after 57 reliearsals at the-Vienna Court Opera. In tho end, however, Wagner achieved the customary "happy ending" in his lovo aflarr with Dame Ibrhino and lived happily ever alter. ■ ■ ■ ■

Hossmi saw an apparently hopeless dotcat turned into oho of his greatest triumphs when his "Harbor of Seville" was produced at Naples, 181 G. Salieri, a rival composer, had organised a cabal against Koasiiu, and succeeded in. sinsnhing up (he pertormanco. Kossini, however, was not disturbed by his misfortune, and when tho singers left the opera house and went to his hotel to condole with him they found him peacefully enjoying a luxurious euppor, apparently in the b?st ot tempers. Probably hip, most popular opera of modern times is "Madams Butterfly." Yet when tho work was produced at La Scala, Slilnn, l<lol, tho audience' simply howled with derision. Tho storm began after the lirst teiv bars, and continued throughout he entire performance. Three months later tho work was produced in Brescia in a slightly rensed form, and from that doy on its -.success has been nniverniL * '_ .Success seems to be with individuals as •it is with operas. Caruso sang for years before ho became known ns the leading tenor of the day. l'adcmvski spent a long, long period of probation before In, gamed his present eminence. Liza Lehmann ofl'cred her "Persian Garden" to many .publishers before, nbe found a placj for Jtiin America, and won a wide reputation ,with it.

"Tho Greatest Artist." This evening Madame Kirkby Immi is to mako her liret appearance, in Australasia at the Town Jiall, Melbourne. To those conscious to art, or any iorm of art, this is an outstanding event in tho history cf music. 'None of-tho contraltos who have visited New Zealand liavo ever risen to. that peak of perfection "which Madame Luiin lias reached, lu eayrng so, 1 am quoting authorities who "can' speak with certitude. Our*contraltos-liavo'been Patoy, Belle Cole, Antoinette Sterling, Ada CYosfley, Clara Butt—a vci-y admirable lot of singers, but/none of them in the same, class with Madnhio Kirkby "Limn," of whom Charles Santioy wrole: "Kirkby tnnn is tlio greatest artist—man or woman—who has. appeared since Paulino Viardot saiiK m 1858." Other English artists who havo visited i\cw Zealand lately, including clever Margaret Cooper, Philip Xcwbury, and Andrew Block, agree that Madame Kirkbv •Luna has no rival on the concert pintform or'operatic stage in England. Sho .is supported by Mr. Andrew-blanks, baritone; Mr. Andre do KibaupiciTu, violinist; and Mr. William Murdoch, pianist. r Word is to hand already of an alteration in the dates Of thetour Of Now Zealand of ■Madame Kirkby • Lunn. Two w:eeks ago if was announced that she would first sing in Wellington in October. Now she is to commence her tour at Auckland on .'November 19, and nfter three concerts there, will appear in Wfllingtou on November 2G,,28, and 30;Christcluirch, on December 10, 12, and H; Dnuedin, on December 18. and 19; leaving tihe Bluff for Melbourno on December 23. Madame Kirkby Lunn arrived in Melbourne on Monday last, and is to sing in Australia for tho first time this evening;

Sydney Opera Season Ends, Tho Quintan Opera Oo.'s season in' Australia ended amidst a season of brilliance and enthusiasm in Sydney yesterday week. Tho concluding bill consisted of acts from "La Traviata, "The Talcs of Hoffmann," "Carmen," and "Tho Valkyrie." At Hie conclusion of tho . last-named, act Mr. Quinlau camo before tho curtain aiid said:— "Ladies and Gentlemen, —I am most grateful to you for the extremely kind manner in which you hnvo received my company, and incidentally myself. We havo been delighted at tlio keen artistic appreciation you havo shown our productions. Tho present season has been, to somo extent, in the nature of an experi. ment, and that is why I have nearly Killed tho critics and paralysed tho public by demanding their attention foe 14 operas during tho brief period of 11 days. Thin trial season lias shown mo liow great is your musical culture. Tho musical knowledge of tho average Australian is at a very high standard, but now that I have become, so to speak, one of yoursclvos, you won't mind my saying that there is no reason why it should not lx> etill higher. If you will cooperate with me you will be encouraging mo in a proud endeavour to present the greatest works of tho greatest composers, <ind it is with this feeling that I hopo to give, you next year the complete cycle of Wagner's "Ring," "Die Meistersinger," Gkarpen tier's "Louise," and other classics. (Cheers.) To com pic to the plan in my mind I must hring a still further augmented company next year. 'I gladly Boizo this opportunity to express my indebtedness to tho firm of .1. C. Williamson, Ltd., for their whole-hearted-co-operation both, here and in Melbourne. Tho resources of- their organisation and the personal endeavour of tlio absent governing director, Mr. J. C. Williamson, and the resident director, Mr. Hugh Ward, liavo all been available for tho achievement of what was at least a groat endeavour in the ca"uso of art, I must also niako a public expression of gratitudo to my entno company. Every member has worked loyally, often under most trying circumstances, to ensure, the. successful carrying out of this experimental season. My acknowledgments are also duo for- tho valued assistance given by tlie members of tlio press, who might very well havo nursed a grievance against mo, for in the frequent changes of the soason I sentenced them to five weeks' hard labour without tho option of a rest. It is a pleasure to me lo be able to say not good-bye, but au revoir. (Loud cheers.)"

Notes, Wellington music lovers will no doubt be pleased to hear that Mr. Horace Hunt Sroposes to givo a concert in the Town all on Thursday, September 5. Further particulars' will bo presently announced, but those who already know the quality of Mr. Hunt's work will have little doubt as (o the excellence of the- programme. Tho new opera by Puccini, /'Anima Allegri," is somewhat lighter in style than most of his works. It tells the story of a staid old Spanish Marchioness, her scamp of a son, and her.niece, a vivacious and unconventional young lady. Among other pranks tho niece goes to a village, wedding and when Uio son of the Marchioness goes to bring hor home ho is drawn into tho festivities, with the result that ho ■falls in lovo with his cousin, and all ends happily. Tlioro will doubtless bo much "local colour" in the Spanish setting:. Saint-Saons has declared that ho will write no more music for the theatre. Practically nono of his operas has won a lasting popularity except "Samson find Delilnh.". Maseagni is now rather sorry that ho has annoyed most of tho American publishers and impresarios by his extortionato demands. Ho is anxious for an American production of his new opera "Parisienia, to a libretto by d'Annunzio.