ORGAN MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2116, 6 April 1914, Page 6

ORGAN MUSIC

' THE YEARNING FOR LIGHT OPERA. AN EXPLANATION

(By "Treble Clef.")

It was positively refreshing to mo to note tho manner in which the City Council "turned down" the motion of Councillor John Fuller, junr., recommending that Mr. Bernard Pago should roport on tho suggested readjustment of Ills organ recital programmes, so as to innliido selections from "Maritana" and other*of tile lighter grand operas. Here, may I state, is the-case of an important municipal body going to a great doal of trouble to secure tno best organist available. In'their wisdom, a committee' of experts of undoubted standing is appointed to review the applications, and by deduction, aided by great good fortune, Mr; Pago is selected..., Ho is ono of the most brilliant of.,the youiiger school of British organists, already occupying a good position in London (and who would not have dreamed of coming to New Zealand but for health reasons), and haying secured such a "catch," Councillor Fuller wishes the council to dictate as to how ho~shall arrange his programmes as regards the class of music to be played. If Mr. Pago were indiscreet enough to-advise Mr. Fuller as to the class of performance' that should be introduced at His Majesty's Theatre, the position would, perhaps, hardly be so absurd, still the analogy may as well stand. Some peoplo imagine that by playing popular music a tasto for good music may be acquired. There was never anything so fallacious. Tho proper manner to begin to acquire a tasto for the best in music is to carefully read the usually-supplied annotations as to what .the music stands for — and listen. So many peoplo attend concerts and recitals without eyen pretending to listen intelligently. It is usually when something is played "that tickles the ear of tho groundlings" that tho bulk of an audience perks up and listens.- If everybody were to listen attentively, we would develop an appreciation of good music when well played, much more rapidly than is unfortunately the case.

As regards 'the yearning for "Maritana," that will soon bo appeased by the Royal Choral Society, which, is to sing Wallace's ultra-familiar and tuneful work a few weeks hence. "Why such operatic nrusic is not, as a rule, played by organists is owing to tho thinness of tho orchestration, and consequently tho lack of that rich orchestral colouring which aTono gives the organist an opportunity to show tho Tesourccs of tho instrument. Most of the older operas that have lived aro noted for , their melodic qualities', but thoso beautiful melodies, which I admit have all the romance and fragranoo of lavender and old lace, were usually given a simple tum-tum "vamp" accompaniment. An outstanding exception was Wagner, the greater creator, of the music-drama-, who made the voice an . instrument merely in the vast harmonic schemes he in the glory of his genius built up. That is why organists have, eagerly seized upon his works as music • particularly adapted for their instruments. Another modern composer who elaborates . his scores very beautifully. is Saint-Saens, and he, too. is given attention by organists. Some of, Rossini's operatic overtures lend themselves to the organ,' but really the number of writers of opera whose "works transcribe effectively for tho organ are extremely limited. That, is really t|s reason why wo do not hear. "Mantana," "The Bohemian, Girl," "II Trovatore," and works of that class—fine operas, too, be it -understood —as they are not ideally adaptable to tho grand organ,

A LETTER OF PROTEST. , .(To the Editor.) oir,—lt is time that a publio protest was entered against the sorry way in which our new City Organist has Deen treated both in the public Press and by a certain section of the City Council, since he has been here. As one of the committee of selection I intend to make that protest. We import a brilliant young man from London, who has held appointments of exceptional merit at a ■very early age (notably that 'of tho Carmelite Church). A man, in fact, who has made his name as a recitalist at Home before he was thirty. And what happens? Instead of receiving liim with enthusiasm and giving him a warm welcome lie has met with nothing but (1 won't call it criticism) rather contumely and abuse. Since Mr. Pago lias been here I have attended all but two of his recitals and with "a considerable knowledge of great organ players at Home arid .Aroad I say quite openly that in brilliant techniquo, filio phrasing, and extraordinary orchestral registration wo have never heard the like in this colony,' not even when Lemaro was hero. Further, we havo had a class of music given us wo have not heard beforo in tho works of such men as Cesar Franck and Karg Elert, but as is usuafiii Wellington, Mr. Page's appointment must be tested purely from tlio point of view of £ s. d.—the artistic side of the matter does not count. All that matters is, is Mr. Page a good financial investment? That is apparently the purview of somo of the City Fathers. Mr. Fuller, who tabled last night's motion, plunges boldly into .tile musical oart of the subject, and suggests* to Mr. Page that he would play . "Mantana," "Butterfly," and "Boheme." Does Mr. Fuller know that "Maritana" is rarely, if ever performed nowadays, (oxby second-rat*! operatic comoanies in tho provinces at Homo), and is consigned to the limbo of things dead and done with? There is neither dramatic power nor pretonco at orchestration in it, and its only recommendation is tho tw° feoblo'melodies it contains. As to Boheme" and "Butterfly," here Air. iuller shows his lamentable lack of knowledge of tho powers of the organ. 1 should say, from a fairly close acquaintance with the scare's of thoso operas, that a very small portion of rhom could be adapted to tlio instrument.

I would suggest that Mr. Fuller should give, the City Engineer a few hints as to what kind of pumps he should use for our water supply in the upper parts of the City or dictate to Mr. .Richardson how power should be generated for the City tramwavs. If his knowledge of hydraulics and electricity is at all equal to his grasp of the subject of music a report from theso two gentlemen might furnish interest--lng reading.

It should be remembered that tlio foundation of the work Mr. Page is doing now was laid by Mr. Harnett in seven years' hard work. Is Mr. Barjiett's work to be ignored and is Mr. Pago to start all over again? I trust jiot. Mr. Page has given us nothing but the very best, and he is gradually getting an increasing audience of th'o right kind. Keenly critical men and ■women who arc there to enjoy and learn. In the old days of the promenade concerts in London a fine Orchestra used to play such stuff as Julien's British Army Quadrilles (with effects II). 'When I returned to_ London in 1904 1 found on my first visit a hugo audience listening to fs'trauss's "Tod und Vcrklarung," during the performance of. which one could have heard a pin drop. Is such a transposal of task impossible here? I believo not—if commercialism is repressed and wo are given of the best. It i 5 my firm trust that in Mr. Pago we havo a man who can do it. —I am, W. KINGTON FYI'TE, M.D.