MUSIC IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2254, 14 September 1914, Page 9

MUSIC IN AUSTRALIA

IST A "DEPLORABLE CONDITION." ■In the course of an article which recently appeared in the Sydney "Theatre," Mr. Harold Bauer, the emiuent pianist, flagellates Australia for its musical taste and .its acceptance of the, examination system, which he holds* as' being detrimental to musical progress, i an opinion held by Mr. Maugnan Bar-1 liett and many of our best teachers and' musicians in this country. In the course ; ■ Jhis t ttrticlo, Mr. Bauer says: I Tliis brings me to the state of musi-' cal education in Australia. On the whole, I think that music in this coun- j try is i n a, deplorable condition. 1 have been looking about for the reason, and I have no hesitation in blaming i the prevalancc of examinations. Every teacher in Australia is, apparently, willto abide by the decision of the examiners who are sent out from England to say whether his pupils play well or f , T he effect is to produce a dead le\ei of mediocrity. All the musicians here are working under the direction of .foreign examiners, without reference to the individual gifts of their pupils. The 'work the Australian students are to do is set every year by somebody ,15*000 miles away. The student's only idea ,is to pass his examination and get his diploma. He passes something like nine months'of the year practising a set o'f exercises and set pieces. No interest is taken in # music as a whole during all this period. An enormous amount of money goes out. of the-couu-try every year under this system. 1 have been told that it amounts to fully £25,000 per annum. I think it a great pity that such a state of things is allowed to exist."