MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2284, 19 October 1914, Page 9

MUSIC.

TBt Teebli CijSitf Marshall Hall's "Stella" Falls. Perhaps Marshall Hall's next musical item will be entitled "I Do Not Love tho Suffragettes: They Killed My 'Stella' Dead. ' Well, this much-boomed "Australian" opera eventuated at tho Palladium last week,' and with a great flourish of trumpets the news was spread broadcast that the King and Queen would flee along on the second night to weep, and be honoured by the eccentrio harmonies of the professor's score. Unfortunately the evening before this royal burst, the sisters of burn and smashem had visited the Queen's, the New, the Haymarket, Her Majesty's, and, the Apollo theatres, the result being such an uproar in the middle of the various performances that someone called off tho intended kingly presence. It was a sad blow to many. Critically speaking "Stella" seemed to me the type of production that asked for trouble, and the result is what might have been expected. -In the first place, the Palladium is; not the hall for dramatic shivers— as in the case of "Stella." Audiences here require something lighter.—London correspondent of' Sydney "Theatre."

Merely Opinions. Prom an interview in "The Musical Courier" (New York), I extract the following opinions of Glazounow, the famous Russian composer, on tho music of -to-day:—: Schonberg's art is anarchy'. Debussy is merely an episode; bis music is like highly seasoned food.- , Puccini writes artificial, hothouse music; his works have no strong hold in Russia. •'..', Leoncavallo and Mascagni founded no school. Strauss has second-rate ideas. Scriabine-is the.most original of. the young Russian composers. Josef Hofniann, although popular in Russia, is not esteemed by mo as highly as some other pianists. Kussewitzky is a great orchestral conductor. I Tschaikowsky, Rimsky-KorsakofF, and Glinka wrote beautiful Russian music, but Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner wrote music in every language and for all time. A New Violinist. Arrigo Serate, tho distinguished ; Italian violinist, has,, it is said, created a new epoch in tho violin realm. For a considerable period in tho history of music thero have been few violinists of the very first rank; not one of Latin origin;, but the advent of tho new genius, Serate, has added a new and important'chapter, for he is not only a master violinist,, but an artist of such commanding power <as to prove . con- - clusively that musical standards have been revolutionised since tho time of Paganini. Sorato is an Italian; Italy claims him so, but-for all of that, he is.'endqwed with, the intellect and'musical gifts that enabled hiin to 'absorb the qualities of tho profound German school, without losing the warmth and ingratiating individuality of the Latin race. Serato'has lived for in Germany, and has made a thorough study of the German classics; nevertheless, in his performance, he makes apparent the fact that a new and remarkable violinist has arisen up to excite wonder. In Serato's intellect and temperament are said to be wedded the olassical spirit with the modern grace and verve. Serato is a true' genius, and it is claimed that ho has united the well-nigh impossible gamut, reaching from the highest virtuosity to the sillcerest musicianship /that is oblivious of mere technique. Serato's playing is remarkable and of deep interest not alone to musicians, ,but also to the average music lover, because of its sheer beauty. The spiritual, the poetic, the intellectual qualities that make an artist great, are his to command, yet one is ever mindful of his Italian blood and Latin temperament, which penetrate through every phraso, enhancing the music with true emotion and feeling.

[Notes. A statue is to be erected to the memory of Lilian Nordica in Central Park, New York. Wagnerian , opera is not _ popular in London at present. Thero is too much of tho real thing on the Continent. ' Rather than be forced to send Enrico Caruso to tho front, Italy prudently cided to keep out' of it.—"New York American." A , hundred and fifty-four unpublished works by Rossini have been discovered. The works aro contained in sixteen albums, and consist mainly of songs and pieces for tho piano.—"London Musical News." The Royal Wellington Choral Society lost rather heavily on its performance of Saint-Saons's opera "Samson and Delilah," The £40 royalty—an absurd figure—is likely to be a bar to the work being heard in Wellington again for a. long time. •