MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1675, 15 February 1913, Page 9

MUSIC.

IT3t Tbedle Cuf'.T John M'Cormack in America. Mr. John M'Cormack, tho great lyric tenor who is visiting Australia and New Zealand this year, achieved a conspicuous success in New York recently when ho sang with the Philharmonic Society at tho Carnegie Hall. Tho artist was in wonderful voice, and his singing of "Onaway Awake, Beloved," from "Hiawatha," attracted tho audience as much as his fine rendering of the solo parts in Villiers Stanford's "Irish Symphony." His special numbers were equally successful, and he gave beautiful interpretations of Esposcito's "Tho Lnrk in tho Clear Air," Spencer Clay's "The Foggy -Dew," and Marshall's "I Hear You Calling Me." Later on Mr. M'Cormack was the principal vocalist at a concert given in aid of the Catholic Protective Society at tho New York Hippodrome. Tho renowned tenor was heard in some delightful Irish ?i rS t ? ' le m!U ' e sl,cn an impression that ho was presented to his Eminence Cardinal Farley, the audience, numbering some six thousand, standing the while, and cheering the artist until he had to bow his acknowledgements ■ again and again.

Tait's New Concert Hall. Messrs. J. and N. Tniit announce that the opening of their new concert hall, tho Auditorium, has been fixed to take place in May next, for which purpose they have secured the services of the celebrated contralto Madame Clnra Butt and Mr. Ivennerley Rumford, who will at tho same time commence their second tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Auditorium has been built at a cost of over .£IO,OOO, and it is claimed thnt it will be the most complete and up to date concert hall in the southern hemisphere. It will havo spating accommodation for over 2000 people, including' floor space for 1000 seats, and two tiers, a grand tier and a balcony, which hold, exclusive of tho orchestra and chorus gallery, 1050 seats. The orchestra gallery has been- planned on similar lines to the orchestra gallery in tho Queen's Hall,'Lopdon, which permits the various departments of the orchestra to appear one. above the other, thereby allowing each instrument being heard at its proper value, instead of the wholo .orchestra being seated on the flat stage', as is the general custom. An important feature of the Auditorium will be tho ventilation scheme, which- is being installed on the lines of the systems adopted in the modern theatres and halls in Europe. • The air will be purified and heated to 65- degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, and cooled in summer, nnd will be renewed every ten minutes bv powerful centrifugal fans, which force the clean air through throe lartre main ducts with hranehes into the birtldinir. and extract the foul air by force info the open. Snecinl- study hns been devoted to the requirements of nil classes of ent»r(ninmonts. nnd it will be equally snitahlo for classical concerts, popular entertainments and public meetings and gatherings.

Its Hundredth "Messiah." In acsordancs with established custom, the T/mdon Rovnl Choral Fnciety sani; Handel's "Messiah" on New Year's Davits hundredth performance of the work since the society was established 42 years mjo. Mndnme ,Wnes Nicliolls. who visited Australia wJth the Ouinlnn Opera Company, was to have been the soprano soloist; but. indisposition prevented her from appearing, and hpr plncp was fitlrd —and, aeconlimj to the "Dailv TnWrnph " very ably filled-by another artist well known in Australia, Miss VMn who it is. jajd. nas Tan> i y ~„ hrtt<<r. Madame .Ada Cro*slev is alw highly nrmwd for her interpretation of tho contralto music. In the society's first performance of this work, in 1R73, the '«iJoir 3 M <*<V<'n<'s Edith Wvnne. P.itey, Mr. Edward Lloyd (now the *nlv survivor of the quartet), and Signor Foli.

How Massenet Composed. Massenet, heard his music'mentally, he needed, no piano to assist him. It is said that Ho kept; no piano in his country house.nor 111 his Paris apartments. Onco when tho librettist of one of his.operas called to have tho finished piece .played iro'are. told that Massenet- was sorely tempted: to try it over" on the village organ. '■;..' ■ ° Bo usually, memorised the text he was setting to music, and this enabled him to have it with him whenever and wlicr-' ever he chose to work upon it. As ho travelled about a great deal in order to seo the mountings of his operas, hs-always carried his score with him, and, like Verdi, he seldom appeared without, the inevitable and inseparable valine. When "reading" a now. opera to the company who was to give it,- Massenet sang it, through to his own accompaniment with great gusto, but not much voice. Though it was possible for him to work at any time and in any place, he liked best to bo in an atmosphere suited to-his work.

■ When' composing "Thais" ho kept upon 'his writing table a litllo image of Thais presented to him by the sculptor Gerome. The greater part of "Manon" was -written in-a chamber at Tho Hague (capital of Holland). That ho might have a perfeot environment for the creation of "Werther" his publisher fitted and furnished a room for him-at Versailles in tho'fashion of the eighteenth century. When_ writing the scene-in the autumn wpod with which "Thercse" begins, Massenet went day after day to the outskirts of Brussels to tho woods, and hero on- the cold October days he elaborated the-scene.

Massenet had his whims and fancies, but when most exacting he- never forgot to sliow his gratitude to those' concerned in the production: of his work. He always remained the kind and courteous gentleman, with encouragement and a wellturned compliment for all.—J. S. Watson, in "Tho Etude."

Musical Bachelors. . If Brahms had any violent love affairs he seems to have guarded them very carefully from his biographers. Ho was in every sense, a confirmed bachelor. Handel also remained a bachelor, but not without his love affairs. When tho Bux.tehudo, 'tho organist of the Maricnkircho at Luboik, assumed his' position he followed : the; president. and married the daughter of_ the old organist. When Handel applied for the same position ho was also informed that he was expected to assume matrimonial charge of tho daughter cf Buxtehudc as well as of tho manuals and diapasons. The girl was much older than Handel and not particularly well favoured by nature, and Handel declined -with thanks. In ' all probability she had litlflo or nothing to say-about the choice, and was quite willing to be thrown into tho queer bargain as a bonus. Having declined this flattering offer Handel was able to avoid matrimony for tho rest of his tompestuous daye. After a -riotous life and many love affairs Carl Maria von Weber finally marri»d Caroline Brandt in 1817. Ho was then thirty-throe years old, and held responsible'and lucrative positions. _ His wife had been a successful opera singer. Their married life was one of great devotion and affection. In a letter to her he wrote, ."My only joy can be in that which gives you joy, too." ' The marital happiness of Robert Franz, whefe wife was no mean composer; Edward Grieg, whose wife sang his songs with notable effect; Richard . Strau<s, Liza Lehmann, E. MacDowcll, and many recent composers has bran proudly pointed out by musicians who resent the frequent allusion to a few much discussed failures. -