MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1593, 9 November 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

TBy TnEHLE Glef.T

The Competitions. The annual musical competitions is the next outstanding feature in the local musical world. The New Zealand Competitions Society, whiph made a success of their carnival last year, has boon actively employed in making very complete arrangements for festival,'which commences at the Town Hall on Wednesday • next. The entries in nearly every-section aro said to be highly satisfactory, and there is a well-founded belief that the public— now possessing a more intimate knowledge of the nature of theso music and elocutionary Contests—will respond well. Mr. Sidney Wulf, of Dunedin, is to judge in the music and piano sections, Mr. Leon Cohen, of Wellington,- will judge tho strings, and Mr. J. P. Montague, of Auckland, will officiate in the important elocutionary sections—grave and gay. The accompaniments will bo in the safe hands of Mrs. Ernest 11. Queree. •Mr. James Dykes is once more secretory, and has, as His henchman, Mr. Brie Lyon. Song and Piano Recital. Mr. Horace Sunt, and his sister Miss G-ortrude Hunt promise an interesting piano and song recital for Monday evening at the Concert Chamber. Mr. Hunt is to play the whole of the Grieg Sonata (opus 7j, jvhich has not been heard since Carreno was here, and'is to give excerpts from the works of Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Debussy, and Macßowoll. Miss Hunt is -soaring high in her contributions. She is to sing the "Ah, Lo So" aria from Mozart's "Magic Flute,", tire Prayer from Puccini's La Tosca" (last ■ sun* here by Melba), a Berceuse by Humperdinck, and a new setting of, some. Shakespeare lyrics by her brother.' Miss May Donaldson, the gifted violinist, will be "heard in a Wieniawski "Romance,." "Le Deluge" (Saint-Saens). • The Hunts deserve well of the public- - , A Doming Greatness. . Madame Kirkby Lunn, the greatest, of. English contraltos, and a singer at tfob zenith of her powers, is to be heard, at the Town Hall on December 3, 5, and 7. . for the past two months Madame Lunn has been charming huge andiences in Australia, and the critics liave been looking round for a new set of adjectives to de6oribe- the- manifold graces of this finfe artist. Only last season Madame Kirkby Lunn appeared at -Coveut Garden- in several of her famous tales, namely, as Delila in "Samson and Delila," Brunhilcle in "Seigfried," and Carmen -in Bizet's opera of-that name. The London, critics will not concede that there is. a ■finer Delila living, and gave her unstinted praise- for. her magnificent perform*, ance. Subsequently she was specially engaged, to sing, /in Gluek's tragic opera, "Orpheus," at Manchester, where again her temperament and peerless < art and style won for.her the praise of a highly critical -public. ' Madame {according to the critic Df the Sydney-"Sunday. Times?)-idealises, everything she attempts.' 'Her singing of Hullah's old ballad, "Three fishers/;' becomes a vbcal tragedy,- in which there are breaking hearts-and tears, and her reii- . tiering of "There is a Green' Hill Tar Away is said to be photograghic of the poignant feeling which the words convey. Her style is restrained and' untheatrical, she poses not, - nor smirks, nor, practises any of the little wiles to catch a fleetingfavour-. Her art is great—and, queenHlce,' she rises in her womanly sweetness and dignity—an artist! • A Possible Amalgamation. It is rumoured in music circles that there are excellent prospects'of an amalgamation - being effected between • the Koyal Wellington Choral Society and the Wellington Musical''Union. In one year both societies have lost their conductors, and that factor may. perhaps assist in bringing about a Union.of forces. There is not room for. two : big choral societies in. Wellington—that- is patent to all.who know anything of the financial affairs- of the societies, and both...from, that standpoint and the artistic, one ; :>ofj giving the public the best, the ainalgaiua.tion is desirable,- The Musical Union is. moribund, and the dust i$ gathering on the volumes in....: its- library—and ..this should not be, "- : .••"■';•' •'. . ''J.'should suggest 'that eacli ;'sbeiety should ■ appoint a small subcommittee of .not more than three members each to go' into the qestion, With a-.view of presenting a united front next season.', ,v A" 'Cello Concert. ; Mr. Frank Johnston," tie able 'cellist and teacher of that line instrument, is' to be congratulated ,on his enterprise and originality in attempting to place on a progranmie numbers by an orchestra of twenty''cellos, which he did at the Concert„Chamber last week. The experiment—for it .was after all an experiment—was entirely successful, and should spar Mr. Johnston on to further efforts in this direction. Anyone who knows anything of the instrument must, be aware of its wide range of expression. In the hands of a skilled- -player, much of the. vibrating sweetness of tie violin may be produced,' and_ its range of tone scales down to tie middle' register of. a double bass, whilst retaining the.; soft. reedy quality native to the instrument. :. The, doubt was ■ that so. many instruments ifl the hands of young .students would be brought into perfect tune, but, thanks .to the efforts of Mr. Johnston, no flaw could be found in that respect. The playing of Marcus's. "Nocturne" in four parte was really very fine, the full chords coming, out like the pegl of an organ, and in tho daintier and more, agile execution required ."for Coww's "Minuet d'Amour" (orchestrated in five parts by Mr.' Johnston), the contingent of 'cellists came through with-flying colours, "' Mr. Johnston,-; in this concert, . gave tangible evidence of the good work which he is doing in Wellington in the cause of a particular phase of music, which has been long neglected, I understand.that lie has been requested to repent the cou r ' cert Whether' he does or not it is his intention to give at least two 'cello concerts next season. • ■ "t/rrcle Tom's Cabin" in Opera, ' According-to the New iYork "Dramatic Mirror," preparations are being- made for a. Broadway production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in operatic' form. Several, prominent men, we are told,, are behind the project, two of the Supreme Court judges, one a nephew of Harriet Beecher Stou-e. The others; are Nelson Roberts, t a theatrical and musical manager for , twenty-five years, and John Eonlier, president of the Bronx Club. The 'production, will be given under. Mr. Koberfe's name in November. Mr. Roberts,, when interViewed last month, saidi "We havo been working-to make an operatic version of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' for two years, and wo have said nothing because we wished to' have every -detail completed before announcement was made. The idea originated at a dinner in New .York two years ago. We had been talking about the long life of 'Uncle Toiii's Cabin,' and tho various forms the play had taken. A New ' York politician said, 'The only thing that .remains to be done is to malte an opera out of it," and the id«a. struck us at once. .Before that party broke up we had organised the company of seven..as- it. stands to-day, and our plans wetfe under way. ■•■;'. "The book and lyrics were written by Joseph Frederick. The story is in three acts, the.last in two scenes, and important changes are made from the traditional stage version. Eliza is still the leading female part, but Eva is subordinated considerably. Cassie is perhaps the best acting part, but she. docs not have a song. Tho apotheosis of Eva is treated in a different manner, just how 1 can't, tell you. I cannot tell .you, either, what the 'scenes of the first and second acts will be, bnt the first scene in the third act will bo on- the levee, introducing a Creole ballet, and there will be a reason for the ballet. "The whole story is handled reverently as it must be to command the respect \oi the public, but there are original variations which I think will improve it, It will be a blend of grand and comic opera. The composer, Arthur Pryor, is intensely ; anxious to make this a great work, and time after time he has begged the score back from us that he might go over it again. He has had six full rehearsals of the orchestral score. "We are now negotiating -for a European singer to originate the part of Eliza. She has seen a manuscript of the opera, and she not only likes the part, but sho really wants to appear in this production and sing a role that, will be new to America as well as to her. Belle Cold has been chosen for Topsy, but sho is tho only member of the cast whom I wish tp ~ annouacSj- y