ACTIVITIES IN MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2666, 11 January 1916, Page 9

ACTIVITIES IN MUSIC

A YEAR OF MARKING TIME j (By "Sylvius.") Musically the past year has not been fraught with moment in Wellington. Owing to a very great extent to the w r ar the number of attractions offered to the public from 'professional managements have been few and far between.' The risk of importing high-priced artist's from England or America for a necessarily limited number of concerts in Australia and New Zealand has not appealed to tlio commercial sense of tho impresarios we usually depend upon, and there is no doubt whatever that they have acted wisely in their generation. _ Then, again, the plethora of patriotic concerts has naturally choked professional enterprise in these parts, and it is not conceivable that even the best singers would have drawn the big money of normal times had any management cared to take tho risk of exploiting them in those days of war. Tho one., professional company that did tour the Dominion, most successfully from a box office viewpoint was the Cberniavsky Trio, It is not my business to say that there was other and more momenj tous work for young unmarried Russian men to do, but 1 it was said iu many ways by many people at the time of their visit. Similar criticism in Australia of the Belgian Baud (introduced by Messrs. -J. and N. Tait) brought about a curtailment of their engagement', by cutting New Zealand out of their itinerary altogether, though their coming had been heraldecl through tho publicity department of the Australian firm concerned. Tho visit of the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company was referred to in a theatrical review of the year. Referring still to professional enterprise, one can look bacic with unalloyed pleasure to the singing hero of Mr. Peter Dawson, tho tiiiest baritone ballad singer we have heard for many a long day—an artist to his fingertips, gifted abnormally with the rare faculty of lending dislinct colour and character to every song he sang. His comprehensive art was a lesson to all vocal aspirants. As to the company, suffice it to say that Mr. Dawson was not well supported. An illuminating artist in the domain of _ instrumental music whom we were privileged to hoar during tho year was that gifted young New Zealander, Mr. Arthur Alexander, a pianist with a superb technical and temperamental equipment, who, I feel certain, will with a shade of luck, bo heard of in the bigger world ill the brighter days to come. Not only is Mr. Alexander a deeply gifted pianist, but I have been given to understand that his compositions for orchestra aro. exceedingly meritorious. So far the public here have not been afforded an opportunity of .hearing them, but that may com'o during tlio present year, if Mr. Alexander's duties as a Matthav teacher at the lloyal Academy of Music do not recall him to London. Mr. Bernard l'ago has given a series of organ recitals which have appealed only to audiences severely restricted in size. Mr. Page is an idealist as far as organ music is concerned. Though there has been a good deal of controversy from time to time as to the advisability of reducing his standard so as to include music of a_ moj-o popular ' order, tho City Organist has considered it due to his art and standing to adhere to such music as lu considers best. From a purely 'artistic point of view, few will care to arguo that Mr. Page is not right, whilst some might venture to think that his admirable )vork at the console would be more widely , appreciated. were he to concede a little to popular tasto.

Choral Music, As to clioral music .there have been several changes during the year in the control of our leading societies. Owing s ), all d to the weakening of tho male voice sections, occasioned by tlie higher call to arms, the standard in choral work in Wellington is not what it has been—not what it was ten or even twenty years ago. Tho Royal Wellington Choral Society suffered another change,of conductors during tho .Year, Mr. Herbert Bloy's retirement being succeeded by the appointment of • -Bernard Pago, tho City Organist. IJie society gave a very presentable reading of Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana," early in the year, under Mr. ISloy, and under Mr. Page's long wbito Iv i u !m& a, I 0 P assa blo performances or Elijah" and "Tho Messiah." Mendelssohn's work was mado interesting by the telling singing of the role of the 1 rophet by Mr. John Prouse, the veteran baritone, who still has no superior in oratorio in New Zealand. It is not nocessary to go into details here over the shortcomings of tho society's "Messiah" in December last. The Wellington Musical Union was revived during the year under the conductorship "of Mr. Herbert Claughton. During the period under review the society sang two parts of Taylor's "Hiawatha," "The Revenge" (Stanford), and "Joan of Arc" (Gaul), and in December last "The Messiah." The latter performance, conducted by the doyen of choral conductors in New Zealand, Mr. Robert Parker (with Mr. Claughton at the organ), was marred by the principals. . The best choral singing heard during the year was that of the AVellington Harmonic Socicty, a newlyfounded body, which is doing really admirable work under the baton of Mr. Temple White. The Wellington Clioral Club, under Madame Mueller, also gave concerts during tho year.

A Change of Name, The Wellington Liedertafel has patriotically changed its name to the Wellington Male Voice Choir during 1915. It continues to give concerts under Mr. Parker's baton, though the war has made demands on its membership. It is useless saying over and over again that this society's greatest need is an infusion of young voices. As matters now staiul it simply cannot expect to get them—their owners are too urgently needed in our far-flung battle line. Refugees. Two r.efugees in the vocal world have sought sanctuary in New Zealand during the year. The first to claim public attention was Madame Lina Nyberg, a Belgian singer, who was at the dawn of an operatic career when she had to flee from Antwerp to tho Holland border beforo tho approach of tho ruthless Huns. Madame has a small sweet voice of singular purity, and it was evident that she had been well trained. It could not be said that she was at homo on the concert platform, and she was not sufficiently experienced in tho iviles of tho business to make the most of her personal, attractions. Secondly, there was Mr.' Sigurd Lestrup, a Danish baritone, with a Wagnerian training, who sang in the Clioral Society's "Messiah." He was playing in opera at Kiel when tho war broke out, and went from Germany to Copenhagen, and later came to New Zealand until the clouds of war have passed away. Personally I like Mr. Lestrup much better in the ballads I liavo heard him sing than in oratorio.

The orchestral Problem. We are not much nearer the solution of the orchestral problem than ive were last .year. The problem mentioned is how best to form an orchestra that will bo a permanent institution in our midst with definite ideals During tho year the Professional Orchestra, under.Mr. Herbert Bloy, gave several interesting Sunday evening concerts. These represented tho best we have had during tho year, and naturally so. as most of its members arc solid, reliable players of ; proved oa.wcity, .whose services cannot

ho secured of a week night, as they are then mostly employed in a professional capacity. The old Wellington Orchestral Society lias been revived under the baton of Mr. Page, and in the one concert given showed fair promise, but since then—, some months ago—the society lias not been heard of. It is to be. sincorely hoped that it lias not gone out of action.* Mention should lave been made of tlio enjoyable pianoforto recitals of Mr. Baxter Bucldey, who has left for London to study under Signor Ferrucio Busoni.