MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1907, 15 November 1913, Page 9

MUSIC.

"dudas Macqabacus." The musical event next week m Wellington will bo tlio .performance of tho •oratorio, "Judas Macoabaeus," by tho Royal Wellington Choral Society. This work of Handel's is an cpio in oratorio that ranks with "Israel in Egypt," and, like that great work, is said to have l.bcDii influenced ill character by Handel's residence in England. It is wonderfully rich, in choral numbers, an attribute that is welcome, for the society has a good clroir as a rule. The chorales include the delightfully flamboyant "See the CciiUfjerhiii Hero Conies," in which a choir of children's voices will be heard. Following ifa usual practice* the. m- | ciety is presenting a, new lot of principals—Mrs. Arthur Meade, of ChristI church (soprano), Miss Nellie Castle I (contralto), Mr. Harry Neil, of Sydney (tenor), and Mr. Reginald Goowd, of Sydney (baritone). Of these vocalists Mrs. Meado is realty a very fine soprano, though sometimes slio does not do herself justice before an audience. One fancies that she is nervous, and that this nervousness is inclined to harden her tones. Sho produces her voico beautifully, and is effective over a very wick range. Miss Nellie Castle is said to have improved, but, as she lias not been siiigiug in public lately, one is unable to say to what extent. The Sydney vocalists arc- both new to Wellington,, and have, yet to prove themselves worthy of Mr. Christian Hellemaim's choice. ■ Mr> Maurice D'Oisley. Maurice D'Oisly, tho principal lyric tenor of the Opora. Company, will appear with Felioo Lyne on the opening night at His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, as Duke of Mantua in "Eigoletto." Few tenors are so completely equipped for the operatic stage as Matt* rice "D'Oisly. He is an accomplished pianist and musician, having gained high honours in France, Germany, and England. He. .gained a number of scholarship;; for singing, and after studying drama under Norman Forbes Robertson, he made a niiist successful appearance at the .Court Theatre, leaving there ho. went to the Continent to appear in opera, making his debut in grand opera at the Eoyal Opera Covent Garden, and amongst his most remarkable successes is the character ho will make his first appearance- in at Auckland on December 8. . A Composer's Punctiliousness. The recent Qiiiitlan production of "Samson and Delilah" in Sydney gave added interest locally to tho hundredth performance of this work at the Berlin Royal Opera House at the end <rf September, especially,, because of the hubbub provoked through certain outs made by the management which were strongly resented by the composer. When Saint- : Saens arrived in Berlin, ho received a message of welcome from tho Kaiser, conveying an expression of regret that Hia Majesty would bo uhablo to ho present to see him conduct this performance. "But I will not be there," re- ' plied Saint-Saons, in effect, "They afo making 'cuts* in tho opera of which Ido not approve.* , Apparently tho Kaiser took a hand in this dispute, and smoothed tho difficulty over. . The Berlin opera being under Imperial control, it appears certain that he gave in striictions that the directors should do all possible to give satisfaction to the eminent French composer during his stay in tlsn capital. Accordingly, M. Saiiit-Saens received a visit from the , councillor' in charge of the Imperial theatres, who brought with him the score of "Samson ct Dnlila," with a : view To showing how trifling and un- ' important wore the cuts which had been made. M. Saint-Saens, nevertheless, continued to insist oil the integral per formanco of the opera. Then the councillor pointed out that there was no longei time before tho day fixed for tho hundredth performance for tho musicians and actors to learn the portions usually excised. He offered, however, to give a full performance of the whole work at any later <3ato that M. SaiittSaens might fix. This smoothed all difficulties and it was arranged that tjte opera should be given complete on October 12, M. Saint-Saens oji his part promising to return to Berlin to Con* thict this performance. Saiut-Saons visited Uerlni on this occasion to conduct a concert of his music at the Philharmpjiio Hall, and received a great reception from ' an audience . of several thousands. Richard Strauss Impeached, lliclinrd Strauss has "the .genius of self-advertkeiueut," as Gerald Cumberland writes in the "Musical Times." "With cold and deliberate calculation | he courts tho favour, of tho world by the'most elaborate arid subtle trickery. . . , IJvery work he has written , since 'Ein Holdeiilebeu' lias contained some colossal piece of artistic impertinence which has aroused the animosity of j music-lovers all ovea' the world, and which has secured hundreds of performances of music which otherwise would have been heard only infrequently. The 'Domestic , Symphony had a bitby and a bath; 'JSicctra? had caraaßo and insanity; 'Salome' contained a lady suffering from psychical disease; 'Hosenkavalisr' was decorated with two bedrooms; 'Ariadne' had an orchestra of solo instruments, and so oii. There is genius in each of these works, but thorq is also an equal amount of charlatanism." Notes, Probably a Melbou-rnd audrtoMinn. has never resounded to such a.pplauso as that which has greeted Mr. John M'Cormaek on each of his appearances at that popular hall.. The famous tenor lias sung to crowded houses at every concert, and has estoniifid his Melbourne seasmi from five concerts to nine, subsequently going to Sydney for a week's season. The Bnlfarat people wno havo been .clamouring for a visit from tin , distinguished tenor will bo gratified to learn that ho will give- one concert on November 24. He makes a couple of reappearances in Adelaide on . November 26 a&id 27, and then goes to' Nosy Zealand, eonimoneing his Dominion tour oh December 11. Madame Slajiaffiski, now in London, has boon engaged as pvinm donna for a grand opera season at "The People's Palace for South London," as tho Royal Victoria Hall is called, under tho management of Miss Lilian Uaylis. The first opei'a announced is "Faust,".to bo given every night for a week, and 'fco bo followed by "Rigolotto." Tlio tenor is Mr. Bobert Curtis. ■ Fsiderowski coniineiictkl a tour of America in Now York during tho S'i'st i week of October. ''■