MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2652, 24 December 1915, Page 9

MUSIC.

j! TBr Tbiiu Cmf.l J A Noisy. "Dumb Cirl." s When in America Mrs. 'Arthur Mead, - tho Christcliurch soprano, saw>Madame t I'avlova and Miss Felice Lyne in Auber's ; old opera, "The Dumb Girl of Portici." r She states ps her personal opinion that 3 Pavlova is a wonderful dancer and a ■very beautiful woman, but Mrs. Mead was . nevertheless "bored" to death. "Did she talk too miicli as tho Dumb 1 Girl?",;r asked quizzically. : • ; "That's exactly it—she talked'-too fc much with her. arms and legs. At r times they screamed at you! ' She was j so. posy the whole time," ■ said Mrs. i Mead. t The returned New Zealanderwas exfc tremely disappointed with Felice Lyne ; the' night shd heard her, and does not - consider her one of the elect. Mrs. Mead saw Paul Dufaiilt in New - York, and was assured by him. that ho j intended to visit Australia and New - Zealand next year. . 1 ■ • 1 Now We Know. Arthur' Hartmann is out with some s new musical definitions that read like i this: , 1 ' "The Big Tone: A criminal phase of 1 violin playing caused by critics who cry for 'more, more,'. and:cannot forgive a ■ violinist for ,being : -.- unable to put a double bass under his chin." . s ' "The G string: A string on which v one is never expected to play less than d fit." "Conductor 1 : A silhouette of cuffs, _ a j little finger, affectations, a tuft of hair, j and hesitations." , "Critic: Like.the fly, ..a thing to be y squashed. The epitome of impotency." ! "Sincerity in, art: The; grab which 3 the soloist makes for the,'_ conductor's _ thumb immediately after finishing a con- , certo." j "Dedicating compositions: ' Usually j tho surest way of . killing a friendship j of years' duration." , "Musical audiences:. An imaginary _ condition, the reflex of an artist's minq, j admitted as existing or not, according c to the amount of applause bestowed on s the performer." . _ . s "Ideal performances: Those which the r public never hears." e Elman Playing Again. , Since Mischa Elman returned to America from Australia and New ZeaX land, he has been living in retirement 0 in New York —that is to say, he'has not h been' playing professionally. He in- . formed the writer when in Wellington , eighteen months ago that he intended s to take a rest and devote some time to' 1 composition. Ho reappeared on the con- - cert, platform at the Carnegie Hall, New - York, early in November. Of his playt ing, the "Musical Leader" said:—"The s usual excitement prevailed when, Mischa :- Elman, the brilliant Russian violinist, 0 returned to the-recital platform after e an entire absence from the' concert a world for over a year. There was a very large audience in. Carnegie Hall, one . which did not break in with applause r at the wrong moment, but one which 1 showered thunderous demonstrations of - appreciation upon him. Although Elman 1 had been'heard, earlier in the week as soloist with the New York Symphony Orchestra,-it was not until he held tho platform alone that the true measurement of his strides might be taken. Here was Elman with all the buoyancy of 1 youth, all the' impetuousness and fire of a great Inusical ■ genius, full of dramatic'force, full of picturesque fancy, 1 overflowing with the, joy of living, all of which he put under the mastery of a " splendid poise and dignity which is the g latest characteristic which the artist _ has brought into his playing—into himself. There were moments of absoluto " exaltation, when tho subtleties, the spiritual side and the poetic,-feeling " Beemed to eliminate the more material r and personal element. Elman's person- ' ality is very strong. From the/time of j his earliest childhood it was the tiling , which dominated to such a degree that [. he was tho subject of much criticism, , much of which lie did not deserve. Still ' younger than most men_ when. they j- begin a- career, he has gained the poise of manhood, ho has controlled the pe'rsonal side of his nature, and he apt proaches his work with a reverence t which is deeply felt. So, he played the 3 Vivaldi concerto in G minor, and with' it he made a contrast which was well- . liigh sensational in its efTect, when he followed it -by "Ernst's concerto in F ' sharp minor, in which the technical difficulties bar it almost entirely from f the repertory of most violinists. This he . played with such astonishing virtuosity, with such a mastery of technique that „ there was no inkling of the difficulties that lay within its measures." - Notes. ' . ' A week or so ago I suggested ; that it might:be wise to give "The Messiah" a rest for a few years. Afterhearing the last two performances in r Wellington of the work, my idea should ' hardly lack,'supporters Emmy Destinn, the Gorman prima donna and reputed to be the very best Clio Clio San (in '-'Madame Butterfly") living, has been touring the United States with her concert party. She waa to have commenced an engagement with the Chicago Opera Company on Novembor 15. / Percy Grainger, the most brilliant pianist Australia has produced is giving recitals in America—the Mecca of all prominent musicians during the war the only possible touring I firnund as long as the guns roar in Europe.