MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2468, 22 May 1915, Page 9

MUSIC.

rßy Tbeble Clef."] A Voice from Belgium. Quite a little stir is being causcd in the local musical world by tho announcement of tlio appearanco at tho Grand Opera House on Monday and Tuesday necct of Madame Lina Nyberg, a young Belgian singer, with some acquaintance with tlio operatic stage in her own country. Of Madame's claims to vocal distinction I can eay nothing, but inasmuch as she has played Marguerite in. "Faust," Mimi in ''La Boheme," and Michaela in "Carmen" —all roles which demand a soprano voice of considerable range And technical facility, one must assumo that Madame ie well equipped. Otherwiso sho cannot fail to pleaso. Slio lias beauty, charm of manner, and a vivacious temperament. On Monday she will sing the oelebrated aria from "Tlio Pearl of Brazil" (David Felicien), last sung in Wellington by Miss Rosina Buckman at her farewell concert, an aria from "The Barber of Seville" (Rossini's opera), songs of her dear Belgium, and some charming French pastorales of the eighteenth century. Madame will bo assisted by Mr. Frank Charlton (baritone), and Mr. Baxter Buckley (sole pianist and accompanist). A Beefy Suggestion. Whetlier or not the story of the Oxen Minuet is true or not true does not spoil a very pretty tale which has been associated with this popular classic for a very long time. It is said that a butcher of tlie festive Austrian capital once had the impudence to ask Haydn to compose a minuet for the wedding of his daughter to a peasant. Haydn at first was inclined to refuse this offer, but later lie good naturedly consented to write tlie desired piece. The butcher was delighted with tho coveted piece, and in order to show lis appreciation presented Haydn 'with a- huge ox. This he is alleged to have brought to the composer's door with great ceremony. The ox was decked with ribbons and brandished gilded horns. Haydn is said to have been greatly pleased with the gift.—"The Etude." Music In Prison. Sing Sing, New York's State prison, has a new warden (says t!he New York "Musical Courier") who believes in giving the convicts a chance at ethical betterment and education while they are detained guests of the institution on tho Hudson River. Tlie latest of Warden. Osborne's schemes is to establish a prison school at Sing Sing where music is to be taught. It is a great idea. To see a "lifer" struggling ambitiously with the early studies in a late Czerny opus,_ a bank embezzler innocently warbling Concone vocalises, and a blackjacker gently guiding the violin bow through a Fiorillo problem in an easy position, should he an impressive and uplifting spectacle for the people of this Stats who pay the taxes that support prisons. However, pickj>ockets i should all study the piano, for it limbers the fingers, and footpads ought to pedal the organ in order to improve their feet. Grainger Works Ranked High. To Percy Grainger, the Australian pianist and composer, there is tribute in the following excerpt from an article which appeared in the Glasgow (Scotland) "Herald" of February 4: —"As a result of the voting for Saturday's Plebiscite concert at tho Glasgow choral and orchestral concerts (suites, ballet airs and dance musio), Grainger's 'Mock Morris' was chosen and ranks third favourite. Grieg's 'Peer Gynt,' German's 'Henry Eighth Dances,' and Grainger's 'Mock Morris' secured the highest number of votes. Tschaikowsky's fifth, Schubert's 'Unfinished,' and Beethoven's C minor rank highest among the symphonies chosen; Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries,' Elgar's 'Pompand Circumstance.' and Handel's largo in C were the three highest voted for among the miscellaneous works; and Wagner's 'Tannhauser,' and his 'Meistersinger' and Beethoven's 'Leonore' were highest among the overtures chosen." The Demands of Artistry. Discussing tho lack of enthusiasm on the part of musical people in Christcliurch, Mr. W. H. Thorley, the England organist, who has had control of tie Christchurch Orchestral Society, said that the true artist must possess something of saint or devil or both in his composition. He must be able to feel himself keenly, to lift himself out pf himself. He must approach tie great works of the masters with reverence, with an overwhelming desire to •reach the loftiest height attainable in executing tliem. He must be prepared to labour unsparingly to attain the ideal, to attain that perfection of detail which goes to make an artistic triumph. And in all those particulars, though Mr. Thorley did not say so in so many words, the colonial musician fails.

"They have ideals," he said, "but each player lias his own. I show them tho European ideal for the performance of a work by a European master, and their attitudo is, 'Why worry? This is New Zealand, not Europe.' I think they rather resent having my ideal impressed upon them. They consider me too meticulous; think that I am sotting too high a standard." Tho colonial, however, had but little patience for that kind of rehearsal. His besetting sin was self-satisfaction. "You are all so happy and prosperous here," said Mr. Tiiorloy, "your home lives aro happy, and you are all perfectly Yoti have not what Ca.rl.yle called 'divine discontent!' "

Christchurcli, especially, lacked musical leaders, lie leading citizens were not munificent patrons of the arts. The Christchurch Orchestral Society gave twelve tickets for a. subscription of 215., and patronage of orchestral music by the elite of Canterbury - solved itself into attending a concert at a cost of Is. 9d. "Music cannot flourish in a democracy such a 6 this," added Mr. Thorley. "You need an aristocracy combining both wealth and intellect to foster music. The Americans aro prepared to pay for good music, and they get it, but their finest orchestral ventures are run at a- loss." Notes. The death was recently recorded of Lieut. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, of the 9th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, and a Berlin banker. He was a lineal descended of tho great Mendelssohn-Barth-oldy, whose name will ever be revered whilst niusio exists on tho earth. It has been cabled that since tho Lusitania horror all German and Austrian music has been barred in London. Such action was threatened at the outset of the war, which many condemned as ridiculous, in tho light that art was universal. One may as well condemn all tho wonderful things which have been invented by Germans as banish her music, which is intrinsically great. It would be almost as senseless to condemn the use of chloroform, which was discovered by Soubeiran and Liobig in 1832,' as to bar the works of AVagner, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, Handel, Brahms, Bach, Mozart, who were all inhabitants of the silent land long before the Kaiser lost his regal head and Germany her reputation for sanity. What is true neutrality? An Italian organ grinder playing "Die Wacht am Rhein" in front of a French restaurant ■run by a Swiss.

The spy play, "The Man Who Stayed at Home," - lias scored a, success in Sydney. Among the ladies, Miss Violet Paget (Mrs. Hugh Buckler) achieved honours as Miriam Leo, of tho Sccret jsMyjcft,

RUGBY « THIS 'AFTERNOON'S ATTRACTIONS. 'Although the attendance at Rugby matches thus far has not l>eott up to tho standard of previous years, there is evidence that with the advance of tho season and the sizing up of tho teams, interest will increase. With tho teams in the senior contest tho games ought to bo very ovonly contested. Tho threo teams from Trontham are all to be reckoned with, while Ponoke. Selwyn, and Athletic havo strong teams well up to the standard of past club teams. Keen interest is being taken in the meeting at tho Park this afternoon between Poneke and Trentliam "A," both teams having shown oxcellent form and good football this season. Another game likely to bo keenly contested is that between Selwyn and Petono, at Petone. Tho former has heralded its rise to senior rank by soundly defeating Oriental and Trentliam "A," and as the latter defeated Pet-one additional interest attaches to this afternoon's game. The union call attention to the fact that games will start at 2.45 instead of at 3 o'clock as formerly. THE GSME IN WAR TIME. Rugby is on a strange footing these days. The flower of its players have become soldiers, and many of those who enlisted early are already at the Dardanelles, in Egypt, and in Samoa. 'They aro proud days lor tho followers of the old game when they read the Rugby men's response to the country's call. The Rugby clubs have literally poured out men of the finest stamp to be trained and sent to the front. In the present camp at Trentliam there are so many Rugby players that tho camp has threo senior teams in the Wellington competition. Among these Trentliam players aro many of the best New Zealand footballers. A Very Open Question. The senior competition in the city promises to be particularly interesting this year. The khaki element adds a welcome shade to the picture, but apart from that the result of the competition is very open. Athletic are making the best showing so far, but the Trentham teams may upset calculations. So may Selwyn or Poneke. It is not highly probable that Poneke will beat the sound Athletio combination when they meet again, and one would hardly like to select Selwyn as their vanquishers, but Poneke thoroughly extended Athletio a fortnight ago, and Selwyn have already' obliterated Oriental and defeated Trentham A. The result, without doubt, is very open. Out of His Element. The jovial All-Block, J. Graham, is amongst t'he number to whom retirement from the game is a difficult undertaking. The following, from 'an i Otago paper, illustrates Graham's poor showing the role of spectator:—"Another retired player who must have felt it nerve-wracking to see his team fighting out a strenuous game as he paced up and down the touch-line with no more formidable weapon that a touchflag in his hand, was J. Graham, the Southern, Otago, and New Zealand for-! ward who for the nonce has decided to retire from the game. Most of us know, or imagined wo did," remarks the writer above mentioned, "that the first opportunity—and no opportunity would be soon enough—would see Graham back in the for.vard line. It came shortly before half-time at Carisbrook on vSaturday,• and Graham's delight at the early chance of casting behind him the role of spectator and getting back to the game again could not be concealed when he heard the call to fill the gap caused by the retirement of Moix, who had the misfortune to be injured." In eulogising the manner in which Rugby footballers throughout the Empire had responded to the call in the present crisis, Mr. 11.I 1 . T. Evans, president of the Canterbury Rugby Tlnion, at the presentation last week to the late president, Mr. G. H. Mason, 6aid that no ether sport had done so much for volunteering as Rugby football. Mr. Mason should be proud of the fact that he had been so long associated with such a sport. Some people regarded Rugby football as a game that no decent man would take but after the present crisis was over he felt sure there would be a radical change in their opinion. One thing Rugby did was to make men of the players, and bring out those best qualities which they must put in practice on the field of battle. Athletics were the saving of the nation. Had the^British nation not beon so athletic ho did not know where tltey would be. As an example, Lord Kitchener had been able to place an army of trained athletes in the field within a few months. Tho Germans had to bo trained from their boyhood. The Cloud in the Sky. An English sporting journalist writes: "It is almost as much as flesh can bear to turn to the casualty list in the daily papers just now, and as the portents are all in favour of repetitions of the 6ame length during tho coming weeks, the outlook is distinctly gloomy. Perhaps the best-known all-rounder in last week's list was Capt.' K. G. Macleod, of the Gordon Highlanders. He is the Scottish Rugby International old Fettes boy and triple Cambridge Blue, who, had lie tried, might have got Ins blue for golf, racquets, and hockey, in addition to Rughy football, crickot, and the 100 yards at Queen's. Fortunately, he was only wounded in the left arm, and it must have been no small consolation to him to find himself attended, at the first hospital he arrived at, by Capt. E. D. Caddell, R.A.M.0., who was scrumhalf of the Irish XV's of 1806, 1907 and 1908, against which Macleod played three-quarter for Scotland." Dunedin 'Varsity Men's Patriotism. There are many Otago Old Boys in this part of the North Island whom the fo'lowing will interest:— "There were those who said at tho beginning of the season there would be no Dunedin 'Varsity senior team. However, not only has 'Varsity sent out 54 of its best to the front, 14 of whom were senior players last year, but it has got together a senior team the backs of which at least aro little inferior to the division of last year. Some are in truth last year's .men—notably Harris, Blundell, and Wilson, and then, of course, Black, late if Pirates, has more than filled a gap. A clever and an ornamental player, he is a bright star in a team which threatens to ,play the game as well and as attractively as t'he Royal Blue teams of the past. 'Varsity's showing on Saturday,: tho weak "Union team notwithstanding, was decidedly convincing and promising for the future." Trentham Teams In Demand. Trentham teams are in demand outsido Wellington. The following letter, which appeared in a Christchurch paper this week, contains a suggestion which will probably be pressed further: — "Sir, —So far has come of 'Enthusiast's' suggestion' in last week's issue that the Canterbury Rugby Union bring down a team from Trentham to play a Canterbury representative team as a benefit fo one of the various patriotic funds. I notice, though, that tho Auckland Union is endeavouring to get a Trentham team to play a match up thore —Auckland invariably gots in ahead of Canterbury in nearly every branch of sport. Of course, everybody is aware that Canterbury has contributed its full quota of footballers to tho Expeditionary .JTorses, but just take. a. at

casualty lists. Many of our soldiers will oome home maimed for 'ifo. and the sum t'hey will receive ag compensation is infinitesimal. So wake up, C.R.U., and seize an opportunity of adding a hundred pounds or bo to a fund for your comrades! Tickets for a match of the above nature would surely soil like 'hot cakes' in both town and country."