MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2410, 16 March 1915, Page 3

MUSIC.

TBt Tbebms Clef.l Class Distinction. It was a country town in Australia. Tho concort manager having slippod into his "glad rags," stood outsido the local hall to watch the people 6nter. _ "Say, mister," said a bask-blocks individual, "good pitchures to-night" "Pictures, my-dear-man," said tho astonished manager, raising his eyebrows; "oh, yes, the programme boy has some very tine pictures for sale of Leo, Jan, and Miscnel Chemiavsky, the artists who are appearing here to-night." "Ob, it's a. 'gaff'! Does they darnce, governor?". "No," responded the manager. "Acrobat?" laconically queried the man. "No," replied the manager. "What do they do? continued tho inquirer. "Provide popular and classical music." "Oh, :'s that all?" responded the back-blocks man. "Will they play for our ' 'op' to-night after the snow ?" "I'm really afraid they could not undertake the onerous duties involved in playing for your " 'op," said the manager. "Oh, it ain't difficult, mister. I plays the' mouth organ, and I'll soon Bhow 'em 'ow to play darnces " The manager courteously declined the proffered lessons, and so the Cherniavskys were deprived of the opportunity of oxtending their musical experiences. Cervllle-Reache Dead. The death occurred in New York on January 5 of Madame Gerville-Reache, one of tho most famous grand opera contraltos of the day, whose name was as well known in America a 6 that of Calve or Gadski. The singer, who died from blood-poisoning contracted on a concert tour, was born in Basque province, France, 35 years ago. Her Father was the Governor of Guadaloupe. At the age of fifteen she studied singing with Labordi, and later at Grivot's School, where Director Carre, of the Paris Opera Comique, heard her, and immediately offered her a debut in the role of Orpheus. The following year she sang at Brussels, and then returned to the Opera Comique. In 1907 Oscar Hammerstein engaged her for the Manhattan Opera House, New York, where she made her debut as "La Giaconda." Among her best roles were Dalila, Ammeris, Carmen, La Navarraise, i.Azucena, Queen in "Peleas and Melisande," Herodiade, and Clytemnestra. Her husband was Dr. George G. Rambaud, head of the Pa?teur Institute, of New York. Motes. Madame Sc'hum'ann-Heink, the German contralto, has suffered a severe attack of pneumonia in tho United States. This is the lady who recently made a violent attack on England and the English, irrespective of tho fact that she has fattened on Covent Garden fees for a period'covering a number of years. Never again 1 Frank Leoni's. little-opera "L'Oracolo," based on Chester'Fernald's short story "The Cat and the Cherub," a Chinese story, bas received its premiere in New York at tho Metropolitan Opera House. This opera was first performed in ten years ago. One of the great ..achievements of modern opera is the complete and permanent abolition'of the monotonous recitatives which used to fill the space between the aria's and other set numbers. When that form of musical abomination, the. recitative, with its lean accompaniment of single chords, ,is encountered today in the necessary hearing occasionally of some of the older operas, it acts as a severe discouragement to the spirit and an excessive annoyance to the flesh. Some of the ancient recitative episodes, if tlioy cannot be cut out to a large extent, ought to be spoken. "Should Irving Berlin and Giacomo Puccini be planning to unite on an opera, as. reported, by "cable from London," .says " the .New 'York "Morning Telegraph," '.'the only question harassing the average Broadwayite is just how much the art of Mr.' Berlin is liable to deteriorate." ' ".Carmen" was recently performed for the five hundredth time in Berlin. An American singer, Florence Eaton, sang the title role. frit is announced that the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein, Germany' 6 most important musical association, will,not hold its annual convention and performances this spring. ;The gathering would have heon the fiftieth celebrated by the organisation. In a recent criticism of Arthur Alexander's brilliant pianoforte playing, the mechanical staff made the critic responsible for two curious errors. He was referring to Mr. Alexander's sensitive, nervy touch. The last adjective was made_ "merry.'.' Again in describing' Chopin's Polonaise in-A" the critic's adjective festal appeared as fatal. What a fatal Polonaise, anyhow? One that would slay the pianist or run amok among the audience ? I dunno! The well-known Liverpool (England) violinist, Ernst Schiever, died in Hanover (Germany) recently, aged seventyone. .He had retired in 1911, and returned to his native land. A pupil of Joachim, he afterward long. played in that master's quartet, and finally settled in Liverpool, where he taught, and played publicly for many years. He also proved his capacity as conductor, wielding the baton for some years at concerts given by the Wirral Amateur Orchestral Society and the Blundellsands Amateur Orchestral Society. • One of the be3t known concert cellists of a former period, Chovalicr Ernest de Munck, born in 1840, died in Lbndon hot long ago. He was well known in Europe and America, not only on ac-i count of hi 6 public tours (undertaken in conjunction with his wife, Carlotta Patti, sister'of Adelina), but also because.of his contributions to the. cello literature, which, in their day, were widely played aod admired.' They consisted chiefly of brilliant fantasias and salon compositions. r Madame Melba is already announced, to tour the United States once more durinp the season-of 1915-16. Other notabilities also booked are Kreisler, l'aderewski. and Geraldine Ferrar. Geno Hubay, the Magyar violinist and composer, appeared in Berlin after a lapse.of 22: years, in -.November last. He appeared. at' the oneconcert as a composer, conductor, ' and - performer. Hubay'6 playing (in a duet with his brilliant pupil, Von Veesy) is described as noble, dignified, and finished'. Bußoni, probably the finest pianist of the day, commeuccd a tour of the United States this month. Percy Grainger, the Australian pianist, is also winning fresh laurels in the same country at the preßont time.