MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2705, 26 February 1916, Page 9

MUSIC.

■ -9 rEv Tbeblb CLsr.l Fine Concert Arranged. Music in Wellington has been at a standstill for the past three months, and after tho epidemic of concerts, good, bad, and indifferent, last year the rest has not been unwelcome. There are ovidences now of a reawakening, and I am pleased to say that -.lie initial concert of the year promises to be one of outstanding interest. Iu this concert; to be given in the Concert. Chamber oil Monday, March 6, Mr. Bernard Page (piano), Mr. Sigurd Lestrup (baritone), and Mr. Haydn Beck (violin) will be associated —a real tour de force in music tliat really matters. Mr. Page, whom Wellington does rot know as a solo pianist, will, with Mr. Beck, play the Cesar Franck "Sonata in. A," a colossal work of great beauty and strength, the fifth "Sonata" of Bach, and possibly Grieg's "C Minor Sonata," whilst Mr. Beck will play two small groups of charming pieces. Mr. Lestrup is to show us what he really can do by singing the whole of Woman's farewell to Brunhilde, from "Die Walkiire" (Wagner), a notable excerpt from tho writings of the master. The Danish baritone will also sing Wolfram's songs from "Tannhauser," that is the "Tournament Song" and the "Evening Song" ("0 Star of Eve"), the prologue from "I Pagliacci,' and three Danish songs, in which he may accompany himself on the lute (which he has imported from his own country). Miss Hanify will play the accompaniments cxcopt for the _ "Walkure" music, vhich Mr. Page will play. Such a programme (should oommand an overflpwing audience. That Top Note. At Haydn Beck's concert in the Town Hall last Sunday weekj Mr. Abel Rowe, a tenor with a fine voice, sang that well-known ballad "I'll Sing Thee Songs of Araby," a song that is numbered among the best of its class for the tenor voice. Towards the end of the song Mr. Rowe took a top B flat that was never written by the composer, and which rather startled those used to the traditional reading. He sang the note to display his rather extraordinary range, and it was a very good note, but from a strictly artistic point of view Mr. Rowe erred in his innovation. Such liberties are taken all too frequently by singers, and the practice is not one to be encouraged. Mr. Rowe has certainly an uncommonly fine organj but his productions—for ke_ has a variety:—are not. impeccable. His presence in Wellington, where we are sadly in lack of tenors, should be of value, for he has sung much in oratorio, comic opera, and concert in Australia and Auckland. The Trend in Opera. A- revival of old-fashioned operas is said to be imminent, as consequent upon the war, Wagnerian'music-drama is retiring somewhat into, the background. But, apart from this reason, there has often been predicted a revival of the favourites of the. days of our grandmothers. To many the idea of opera still remains as m the palmy days of the Italian vogue—as the medium of beautiful singing, and not the vehicle of declamation the music-drama exacts. But, after all, there is no need to quarrel upon the subject; the practical point is that the old operas and the modern music-dramas do not seek the same end; tho former is concerned with the glorification of the human voice, the latter with the preservation of the dramatic necessities, even at the expense of subordinating the singer. In some of tho latter-day operas, especially, the burden of the work falls entirely on tho orchestra, the singers being merely the pantomimic people, who illustrate with gesture,the plot or story of. the music-drama. This particular development of opera has its claims and its public and a growing public at that. But there is no valid reason to suppose that they would not turn with pleasure to the old tinie operas, and especially to the beauties of Mozart, Gluck, and others. The difficulty of tho anticipated revival is to bo found in the fact that there is, not yet a successor to Melba, Nordica, 'Albani, Tetrazzini, and others of tho "Queen of Song" genre.

"Music begins whore words end." says a popular definition of the tonal art. It is different with criticism. There words begin as soon as the music ends.