MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1978, 7 February 1914, Page 12

MUSIC.

[BY SYLVIUS,] Frank Foster's Success. Many hi New Zealand will lie pleased to learn of tho success at Homo of Mr. Frank Foster, the orstw.li.ilr> New Zealand commercial traveller, Who was well known to members of tho local Savage. Club. Referring to his performance as : Don Caesar hi "Maritaua" With tho ■Carl lksa Opera Company, one English critic says:T"We iimst preface- reference to tho on.3t by a ward of cordial coiigratnla-' tion to' a new Don Caesar do Bazafl. Mr, Frank Foster played tte. part for tin, first lime, and from ttvo moment of his rolling, staggering entry amid his coughing protests, ho captured the Wise, Not only was his perforniftnco a consummate piece- of charaetor acting, his voice was- rich, ringing, and full or the rollicking deiifliit spirit of tho pic-. turesq-no Bon, As soon as ho took up his part in tlio quartet, "Sec the Gaiprit," wo knew w-o woro in for a tMat. in his-first solo, "Farewell, My Valiant Captain J" this pleasing was more than confirmed. Tlie- prison scene' found, him obliged to quell clamour by giving encores of "Turn On, Old Timd" • and "i'cs, Let Mo like a. Soldier Fail,", And this instant, ever-Swelling trititoph Mr. Foster carried through to tho cheers. of tho finale." Standard WotHs Only. Tho following cheerful notice appears. in tho prospectus of the London. phony Orchestra forthe series of concerts to bo given during i'ho doming sea-' son: "It has been foiih.d necessary to' omit.from the programmes Other'than standard works, as it has been proved by experie.nco that tho public Support ,is withdrawn oil tlio occasions' when now and unknown works'aro performed'-at tho concerts, and it is the general wisli of th(> supporters of tho concerts to include -only works of the standard order." Is this intended to indicate' that thoBritish public caniiot stand for aii.ything new?. At ifir.st .mush this wotlld. seem to bo. the caso. But thfero lias bociia pfl-rffeot craze itt London of lato yearsj and it-may hothatthopublio is getting, just a little rebellious aild is refusing H forget old and tried friends for tho sal'cfe: of pretentious novelties. This h tlirS most:c'haritablo view we--can thinlc of: to account for this astounding .obnseryatism.. It is iiotice'iWe . that the Queen's .Ball -Orchestra., under tho enterprising -Sir Henry Wood, is to in-' culfie maiiy new works, somo of them by comparatively unknown British composers. The Verdi Centenary. ■One hundred years ago, *heu Verdi was born in Italy, the character of Italian music was about. &§ .purely iia* tiOftal in stylo as music eo'ttld possibly. be. Although the swat Italian masters were familiar with tho Works of ttecomposers of other nations they soug.l.it-' to pleads 'principally those who had for years been listeninE to tho sensuous : beauty of arias elaborated from, the mellifluous folk songs .of tha'-Itaiian peasantry. Melody never dies,, but as the ; ■world of music has gono ai-ie.ad it has bewnifi the fash-ion to laud music that : represents the solution of complicated j contrapuntal problem. Acco.rdin.glyj. 'V.crdl is not. judged by his masterly "AicV. "Otello," 'and "Faistaff,-" but'. bv his "nigole.ttb," or "'II Tra.vatore,'' In Italy, tfliero tho ee-lC' i bratiph.s--ot Verdi's .centenary ha-yft jUst : been .iit their Ireight, his comjiatriots ■ have- been paying their . to' [Verdi from his .earliest works, to' hi's 'viast. ..Wagher.'and. Verdi: celebration's..- - : -dUT-ing :thp,; last two' -'or-three-montli's. ' Objections fa FutiirEst .Music Tho Viennese pablip has been demon; strating to Schonbere .and, iijsi pupils, that ''ftiturism in niuslc" will not be. ■tolerated without a struggle. ''Tho i-Mili-.: lie feels that it is : bu,ving tickets for his concerts unde-r tho impression that it is to hear beautiful ftiusie, instead of which it has to pu,t up with the cpnipos.itidns of Sclioiiberg. .'J'ho composer: does nisi dciiy the right of any o.no to' dislike. Iris music, but Ire denies tho right of any one to disturb others from '■enjoying it. He is therefore 'selling tickets to his concert which bear o:ii them a printed reminder that no dt> motystratien b( any kiivd is to bo inride. dtrriAfi the course of the ' Schonherg is evidently in the right. If.' people do fl.pt like Ms, music the proper., way for. thcrii to -show it is to remain 'absent from his concerts, not to go to thom a.jid ereato a disturhanco.. New Zealanders and Codd Music. i H \'es, they call rts 'Our -Bind' now, 1 '; said Mr. .E. G, Strtsttpil, ■conductor <f' tlie Hoyoi Artillery fiand, cliat-tipg -. about -tiio manner in which tho : ,people of Auckland have appropjri.ated the members of his organisation.. "It is. realty .lwmoroi.u to. see the- air of pre*. ptietorshi.-p which tho people have,'and ■ 1 ciirt assuro you that they do not cpisider for a memcht that 'ally other por» ■ tion of tlra Dominion shoiild have the; tsttglrtest say i-ii our 'performances.. AH' of which gees to show that the New; Zeaiandcrs Imowand app'r.eciato good mnsic and it is.to nie really an amazr,. ing tHing tiiat no really -serious effort lias been, made hy some of tho authorjtics in some part of the, country to .provkl© hisxiv-CJa-ss music- by first-class players forthd ■delectatioii of tlie public. "An aria by .Bach, -.cesti-inicd' Mr. Stretton, "k a good long way.from ragtime. Well, tliey encore ft Baci ari.a, ■Which shows that tho majdrity Of tho' people really do know what gctid music ■is. I have bee.i'j recply iniprcssed all th-rougti- our season 'hero by the ipa.nh.cr in which the p.tihlio liivo demanded good Mittsie, and by tho eiiormois crowds which each d-ay and ovon : ing flock to hear our concerts Tho Rovul AftillerV Band, is the ftiofioer band of England., And w.e -receiye « copy of every piece of '-music -published, so you see we have tho fullest- scope in selecting music to suit all tastes, I thought, quite naturally, that when, wo were' engaged t.o como licro- and play for ati exhibition the penjlo would demand light hrtisio; but, without e> accerattng, I receive dozenfe of letters every week with requests, and 1 can truthfully say that almost without exception they are requests -for tlie best works of the moderns and the old masters.' Whenever a letter appears irj the oaoer asking for ragtima 1 get a" shoal'of letters njo not to take my notice of it, saying that tho ransical t»s:te of the town is- bonte and imploring me to stick U tlie ROed things, the band has been, playing. During 'the holi'dtiy season I arranged lighter' programme's;' because I felt that "at sucli a time they we're, needed. When wo went back to tlio, heavier stu-fE, 't received most hearty: thanks on all hand?- ' "It is when such a very keen 10-v,o for good music on all hailds comes, ■under my observation that I .am sorry to see so much cftorgy wasted on 'brass ' bands in Kew ,P?llo brass' band is iust as miich troutilo tp work no as is'ti miKtary or orchestral com* bina-tion, and it; suffers from., very much more serious limitations. What yon want in Now Zealand, is cood military: bands and good conductors. Ataiiy: very earliest pud capable men have told'. me how terribly handicapped thc.y are. tlttousli lack of sySteinatfe training, and thc.v smij-ly plod along and get on tliTOiigJi slj.eer personality. I* Wo:u]d pay yoft w,e-ll to import Kpod nieil, and tliat j ■In-ing-s nie to what I consider tlrri es-. sence of the wliblo thing so far as good mttsis fof the people) of New Zealand is concerned,