MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2452, 4 May 1915, Page 10

MUSIC.

TBr Treble Clef.l

John M'Cormack on Critics. Mr. John M'Cormack, Irish-Ameri-can tenor, has been talking wildly on critics to the "New York Herald," tho indication being that someono lias been ruffling his plumage. This is what he said "When all is said it is the people and not the critics who decide what is wortli while.; Personally, I don't believe in critics. Tliero is not one of them wlio wouldn't trade places with any professional singer, composer, or instrumentalist. Tho real critics were men like Liszt and Schumann, whose opinions were worth something. If a man. liko Jean de Reszko were to tell me that something I did was wrong I would tako off my liat to him, and wo would talk it over. But if a critic wrote it, what) could I do? I would have no comeback. I would like to discuss it with him, but what critic could tell me authoritatively how to phrase a song or how to produce a high A flat pianissimo? How can a man who can't write a symphony —I mean correctly and not necessarily artistically—pose as- an authority at criticising one? The critics should be more lenient with beginners. There is no danger of the public being taken in; it simply can't be buncoed permanently, and, criticism or no criticism, it will form its own opinion. . I would welcome criticism written by successful musicians, but " A good deal has been said of critics, but has anything nearly so ridiculous as this been set forth in cold type? In effect John saye that only one who can write a symphony should criticise one, and only a tenor who can sing as well as John M'Cormack should presume to criticiso John M'Cormack. From this deliciously simple line of reasoning it will at once become manifest that to criticiso a painting one has to be able to paint, and to criticise a building one has to be a builder, and to criticise politics one has to be a politician. If we waited for. symphony writers to criticise symphonies there would never be a notice written iu Australasia, and two or three composers would have'to do all the criticising of symphony concerts in America; the leading tenors Would be rushing round picking holes in thoir fellow artists. In fact, the whole artistic world would bo chasing its own tail. A portion of John's wail is reproduced in the "Musical Courier," which says, with its tongue its cheek: "Mr. M'Cormack's views are correct.. _ He might, however, have with justice included Weber,'' Wagner, and Berlioz in his list of real critics." This is a subtle sting. Each of those writers mentioned . was sorely misjudged by contemporary composers, and in turn misjudged others who rose on the slow wings of Time to eihinence. It is marvellous, too, the money Mr. M'Cormack spends on having criticisms of his concerts reproduced in such papers as the "Musical Courier." What, for example, would the symphony ' writers have to say of tho following programme submitted by one of the world' 6 best tenors? This is also from tho "Musical Courier," which re-publishes John's ideas on critics:—

To his programmed items: "Adelaide," Beehoven; "Once Again," Sullivan; "Sally'in Our Alley," Carey: "Come Into the Garden Maud," Balfe; "Kathleen Mavourneen," Crough; "The Low-Back'd Car," Lover; "The Irish Emigrant," Baker; "Mary of Argyle," Old Scotch; "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes," Jonson; "The Trumpeter," Dix, Mr. M'Cormack added the old and new favourites, "Mavis," "Batlynure Ballad," "Mother Machree," "Molly Branigan," "Little Grey Home in the West,' 7 and "I Hear You Calling Me."

The Uses of Advertisement. No one aspiring to public fame can do without advertisement. It may be achieved in a thousand ways, but it is essential. To demonstrate how the style of some advertisements change, and the historic value of some of them, I quote the advertisement announcing the appearance of Mozart, inserted by his father iu a London newspaper on March 8, 1765. It reads:—

"Mr. Mozart, the father of the celebrated Young Musical Family who have 60 justly raised' tho Admiration of the great musicians of Europe, proposes to give the Public an opportunity of hearing these young Prodigies perform both in public and private, by giving on the 13th of this month a concert which will be chiefly conducted by his Son, a boy of eight years of age, with all the overtures of his own composition. Tickets •may be had at 5 shillings each at Mr. Mozart's, or at Mr. Williamson's in Thrift Street, Soho, where Ladies and Gentlemen, will find tho Family at Home every day in the week from 12 to 2 o'clock, and have an opportunity of putting his talents to a more particular proof by giving 'him anything to play at sight or any Music without a Bass, which he will writo upon the spot without recurring to his harpsichord." The wonderful Mozart family has leng since ceased to advertise. Leopold, tlio father, and the oldor sister aro famous, now only because "the boy of eight years of age" was one of the most inspired composers of genius tho world has ever known. Thrift Street, London, where he lived in 1765, is now called Frith Street. The ; old houses have, been swept away, and nothing familiar to Mozart's eyes is now left standing. Even the atmosphere is different, for the entire district is fragrant with odours from Cross and Blackwell's huge pickle and jam factory.

Did She Mean It? In an article on "Pronunciation" contributed to a London magazine by Mr. Joseph Blascheck (the famous entertainer, who is malting a farewell tour of New Zealand) is quoted a story ot Madame Christine Nillson, whose peculiar pronunciation of the British language sometimes produced rather humorous effects. Sir Arthur Sullivan wrote for her "Let Me Dream Again," & song which attained a great popularity. The words of the refrain, it will be remembered, are; "Oh, do hot wake me. Waking would be pain." Bui-when Christina Nillson sang them they sounded uncommonly like "Oh, do not whack me. Whacking would bo pain." The Great Leschetizlty.

Martinus Sieveking, the pianist, writes to tho "Musical Courier" from ians, under date of Starch 3, 1916:— "I have just returned from Vienna, where I spent half a day with Professor Leschotizky and his charming young wifo. 'Ihe Professor expected to spend the winter in Meraii (Tyrol), but tho weather was too bad, and ho returned to Vienna, as did his wife, who bad been at ischl. lam so sorry that at the age of eighty-live, the Professor is compelled to go through tho dreadful experiences of the war. It has upset mm terribly. He fools deeply on the subject. For him the Kaisers of Germany and Austria appear to bo gods. Leschetizsky's appearance is pitiful. He asked me to hold my face closo to Ins, but lie could not sec me. He is nearly blind, has not touched tho piano for mouths, and passes his days seated in a rocking-chair. He is hardly able to stand up, and, of course, has stopped his teaching entirely. Also ho Ins asthma, and Jiia legs are badly swollen. His memory is beginning to fail. The villa which once was so lively now is sadly silent. Lescheti/.ky.had five operaticflis performed on his eyes, hut all to no avail. Vienna is so lively that no one wouJd^ imagine a war to be going on. Th« optimism of the Viennese in marvellous."