MUSIC, OLD & NEW.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1871, 3 October 1913, Page 4

MUSIC, OLD & NEW.

' 6— — A LECTURE RECITAL. Sydney Stroot Schoolroom was well filled last ovening, whon Mr. H. SaintGeorgo (examiner for the Trinity Coir lege of Music, London) gave a lecture rooital of items played on the viola la ' gamba, viola d'Amoro, and violin. Ho was assisted by Jir. C. H. Stephens (songs). Mr. Saint-George opened tho programme by giving a lecturetto, addressed particularly to teachers and candidates, and entitled "Tho Misunderstanding of Examinations," a topic on. which tho speaker can speak with authority, and which ho made very interesting. Tho viola da gamba, tnq first : instrument introduced to tho .audience, though unknown and unheard of by most people nowadays, was tho favourito instrument of the ; seventeenth century. In thoso days the now .universally played violin was only considered a fit instrument for clowns and mountebanks, ; and not worthy tho consideration of serious musicians. It is a sixstriivfld instrument, a member, of tho viol : Mnily, and found its principal uso in accompanying solos, as in those days the piano was not known. Tho varieties of harps had not attained a sufficiently high degree of perfection. First was played on tho instrument a' sones of old-timo solos, tho manuscripts of which had been discovered by Mr. SaintGeorgo in musoums. of the Old World. Then in tho same 1 bracket followed "Gloclton Marchen," a pieco of tho player's own composing. This was used to contrast modern music with the oldtime pieces. An encoro was demanded for this item, and the, artist responded with Chopin's Nocturiio in E Flat, a picco, however, which was plainly outside tho scopo of the instrument. The viola d'amore, a seven-stringed violin, with an additional sot of synipathetio strings,''had a groat vogue on tho Continent throo ccnturios ago, but aid not' find much favour in England. iUG same course was followed as before in contrasting ancient and modern music as rondered on this instrument, fli somo vory pretty effects wero obtained, effects which could not be K" 1 f™" l modern instruments. Mr. bamiGoorge's next contribution, was a braek«t of violin solos,, a reverie by tarn awski, and a riotous a id, bizarre mazourka by Zargyek. These w dely dissimilar pieces wero plajcct in a masterly manner. Of Mr. Stepnens songs, those that met with tho best reception wero two gems by „ Roger Quilter, "Daisies" and "Julin. 1 ossibly, thic was because they were given in Jinglisb Tho singer's others songs wero bv llios, Grieg, Sibelius, and Cesar Fraiick. Mrs. C. H. Stephens, who capably accompanied throughout tho ovening, Was associated with Mr. SaintGeorge in a piano duet. This consisted of a series of three Spanish, dances, written by Mr. Saint-George, and. like other items from his poll played last night, wero possessed of a pleasing refrain.