MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 9

MUSIC.

. JUr Teeble Clef.l Miss Nella Webb. One of the most piquant singers of light songs who has. been- heard in vaudevillo in New Zealand is Miss Nella Webb, wlio is; duo at the Opera House with the new Eickards Company on Thursday next. Miss Webb, who is billed as "the incomparable American diseuse," puts gust as much art into her work as the cultured singer of tho best class of ballad. Her style is quiet, subtle, and piquantly pointed. In Australia slio was a great success, and society opened its arms to the dainty American. I;have, to acknowledge tho receipt of copies of several of Miss Webb's songs (published by Alberts, of Sydney). They are a11..0f the light, catchy order, which tickle tho ear and keep, tho toes lap- j ping, ami are of tho type which are sure to have a vogue for a time. The songs include "The Top of tho Morning to You" (which' is Irish), "Anything that's Good Jinougli for You is Good Enough for Me," "Wop?, My -Dear," "All Alone" (sung. here a few months ago by Miss Carrie Moore). Other 'stiiji's sent along- by Albert's are "That Italian Kag," and -My Southern Rose," "both rag-time 'catches, with' a swinging lilt. Theso songs aro being featured by Arnold and Taylor, artists who will also bo seen hero with the Kickiirds Company.. , What is the Art of Singing? The art of singing is (writes - -Wm.Shakespeare in the "Etudo") how to produce the .voice with its appropriate muscles. What is technique but a scries ' of, .exercises which should result in removing the obstacles between conception and execution? This technique, then, has to do with'tho breathing—the freedom from rigidity of the vocal organs, the absoluto purity of the vowel sounds and tho clear enunciation of the consonants With naturalness of expression as opposed to a fixed expression of tho jaw, face/ and eye. V..". ■ • ■ ' ■ The technique of the breath has to do with tho length of the breath—tho manner of balancing it without fixing i tho shoulder points. The technique and development of- tho voice consist in how to increase its power, and to extend its compass and its capability of crescendo and .'diminuendo.' It is obvious, then, that, tlie student must -not attempt to hurry on his studies' by siilging-.bigger, higher, quicker, or longer'phrases ban he can control with ease and"without any apparent effort.' Ho must always,keep in view the command of the breath and the free emission of the voice or he will retard his prdgress instead of hastening it. ' , Tho professors of Italy, France, and Germany seem to bo training singers more for the production of loud sound? in order to battle with tho huge orchestras accompanying them, with the result that great singers arc becoming rare year by year. . ■ , On account of the terms demanded by by the decreasing number of "stars' opera itself is becoming more and more a- luxury only for the rich, so wo must not look to the opera house for tlio improvement in singing. A wave of advance ill vocal art is. approaching, however, and this is to be obsyved in the singing of those who have not to contend with large orchestras in vast buildings, Can a Music Toachar be Sued \ for Honesty? 1 An '. indignant mother from a country town writes asking 'whether, slie can or not sue for. damages a musical instructor of; Chicago, The facts, as she frankly stated them, (ire that, having been advised by the music teachers of her home town to bring her daughter, whom they pronounced a musical genius, to this particular Chicago instructor, she did so, and was told that before lie could tako her as a pupil lie must examine her as to her proficiency in her art.. After having done so the "insult" followed. It consisted in .the instructor's telling the mother to take the diivght?r home and to make of her a gced cool; and housewife! "Now all my friends," writas the mother, "know that T came here purposely that my girl should study with this teacher, ami I am very much humiliated ab-nut it. aud am ashamed to face them." Then she asks-if she could not sue the professor. • " i If any suit is begun if should be against those who <ent her to Chicago. The professor should rcceivc a medal. We wish we might make his name public. Ho had a chance to swindle the mother, the. girl, and the public, The money was already paid. He returned it and refused to be a party to a fraud. H *11 ort instructors were as frank the public mind would l:e saved much suffering ond the arm/ of good housewives greatly in:reased.-Chicaga "Tribune," Massenet as a Soldier. Massenet was sneh a hard worker that it is impossible to .think of him as taking part in anything likely to interfere with his main object in life. Nevertheless, his musical dreams were rudely disturbed at the timo the Germans came down from tho north. But even amidst war's alarms tho prevailing passion made itself felt. 11l Mr. H. T. Finck's book on Massenet, wo read that, "During the Franco-Prus-sian war Massenet belonged to a batallion do.marche. 'The Prussian cannons,' lie writes in his autobiographic skr-tch, 'answering those of Mount Valerien,"' often lugubriously punctuated tho fragments that .1 tried to wrila during tho short moments of rest (hat guard duty, marching around Paris and military "exercises on the ramparts left us. There tho musician in the physical weariness of this novel life, vainly trying to find a few moments of forgctfulness, did not altogether abdicate his rights. "'ln the leaves of a finished score, but olio which will-never bo brought beS;re the public, "Mcduse," I find anotaled the patriotic cries of the people, and the echoes of (lie "Marseillaise" sung by tho regiments as they passed my little hmise at l-'oulaincbleau,on their way tn batllo. And so iu other fragments I can read I lie bitter thought? that moved me when, having returned lo Paris before it w«« invested, I was inspired by the woeful times that were upon us during the long winter of that terrible year.'"