MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2758, 29 April 1916, Page 9

MUSIC.

n?x Tbeble CIM.I i Kreisler Drinks to Peace. On March 13 the New York Musicians' Club entertained Johauna-Gadski unci Fritz Kreisler, the one a famous Wagnerian artist, the latter, an Austrian, and perhaps the finest violinist of the day. In responding to the toast of his health, Mr. Kreisler, m scholarly English: ■ "Air. President, figurehead, Ladies nnd Gentlemen—l. am indeed very, happy to-night, proud of this occasion, overwhelmed with gratitude for the kind things said' of me and mine. Where in this world could such a heterogeneous assemblage take place? Here are all nations gathered, with one impulse, their hearts warm, bound by tho common tie of our art, with good wishes for one another. Indeed, the outside world could well learn from this happy company the fulfillment of duty and patriotism to his own country. We are the only remaining link connecting humanity in peace, representative of the warring nations gathered in lovely harmony. (Cries of "Hear, hear.") May I- say we are veritable ambassadors of peace?- Indeed, what greater ambassadors of peace could be found than Caruso, Gadski, Rudolph Gaurz? (Cries of approval.) Friends, I drink to peace." Enrico' Caruso, who was present, also spoke. This is what lie said, and how he said it: "Ladees.and Gem'men —Ah! (Tremendous applause.) Nobuddy else are glad like ine to be hern t'nig'ht. Very beeg chance. Nobody likes Mme. Gadski, - Mees-ter Kreis' like-a me do, doos, does: Seem twelve year ago, first time with, Gadski, I was inspired her art, and Ms p'aying, Mcester Kreisl'. Conseederation my poor English, nobody else in world love music so, drink to Godsk' and Kreis'." Riohard Strauss's New Opera. ".Die Frau ohne Schatten" ("The Woman without a Shadow") is the,title of the new opera on which Richard Strauss is now at work. It has a strange, fantastic libretto,'' one that offers ample opportunity for .magical stago effects. The action is briefly as follows:— The Emperor of the Seven Islands, an imaginary empire of the Far East, whi'o on a hunting expedition, comes across ■ t white gazelle, which he chases and , catches with tho help of his falcon.. , As' the gazelle dies, a lovely maiden emanates from its body—a fantastical • fairy-like hems; in human form, and yet > not human, although filled with longing to become a real woman. Tho light '. shines through this strange being as > tiirougb. glass. She has no shadow..She '. is the daughter of the magician Keiko--1 tad, who had conferred upon her by ; means of a talisman the power to assume . whatever form slie desires. In.the arms i of the Emperor she becomes a woman, t but loses thereby her talisman. Now > there is a curse connected with that talisman. He who should loosen.tho s girdle of Keikobad's daughter is doom- . Ed to turn to stoxie, unless he succeeds d in giving her' a shadow within one year, e- In the East the shadow of human beings is the symbol of fruitfulness.. Keilrobad is aware of his daughter's longings to become a diumau being, and he does not stay the process. The F.mf' perorjs a very ordinary type of man's a hunter and a lover, nothing .. more, j In strong contrast to him is a.spooky .. nurse, who has charge of the woman witho\it a shadow, who has now become '. the Empress. This nurse is a- sort of female Mephistp./ The. Empress begs her nurse to provide her with a shadow, ■c and the nurse promises her-help. In search of a.shadow the two women go out among the poor people, where they j have some fantastic experiences, and z where the Empress learns to know what „ pity is. ; Meanwhile the Emperor has already been turned nearly to stone, but when the Empress returns to him she has. acquired : a shadow earned, through tho human experiences which she had among the people. She comes back" in tim'e to save her husband from changing entirely into stone, and transforms him into a human being again.

Peter Dawson. It is understood that Mr. Peter Dawson, the finest baritone balladist heard in New Zealand for decades, will accompany the Tivoli Follies ■on their. , oomhig New Zealand tour. Mr. Dawson is really a great singer, and a splendid interpreter. His vocal method is -without a flaw, and when audiences, have insisted.on him singing anything from twenty to thirty songs in an evening he has always finished up as fresh.vocal- . ly as -when he started. Such, 6ingers are rare birds. Cerman Opera In Captured French Town. The New York "Musical Courier's" ■ Berlin correspondent reports /that the operatic performances which occurred at the new theatre, begun by the French and recently convpleted-by the Germans at Lille, proved to be very successful'. "Der Freischutz" and "The Barber of Seville" have been given. 1 The singers are recruited chiefly from the two Berlin stages. Curiously enough, the French had planned to open their new. theatre -with a performance of the 'ifiarber of Seville," and they had already prepared- part of the scenery and decorations,'which were wtilised in the German performances. The ,mise-en-scene for the "Freischutz," 'however, had to be newly created, and the -way this was accomplished within the space of three days leflects great credit on the' personnel of the Lille ensemble, which consisted in large parts of soldiers and officers. Many of the musicians in the orchestra were recruited from the officers, and also the rank and file of the army now stationed at Lille. This orchestra/ which numbered fortyeight, members, after a few rehearsals under the leadership of Dr. Stidry, was able to play the Weber and Rossini scores in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. Kirchner as Max, Meta Bamberger as iigalho, ■ Heinrich Schultz as Doctor Bartolo, Irene Eden as Kosine, and Curt Frederich as Count Almaviva, were given rousing receptions. The performances were all sold out, audi were, as a matter of course, largely:attended by officers and men of the German army, although there, was also a goodly sprinkling of E«d .Cross sisters and war correspondents. The enthusiasm was boundless. , . A Violinist with One Hand. An interesting oxperimont was' ro/ cently mado at Koenigsberg, .when ah officer, Dr. Hoeftmann by name, Who had lost his right hand in the war, demonstrated at a-public concert that it ■ was possible to play the violin with only one hand. The frog of/the bow \ la held bv a clamp, fastened to his wrist, and he is enabled to guide it with the help of a parallelogram, which he has cleverly made by means of a stick fastened with a strap to his olbow. The stick runs, in a little groove, and he is thus enabled to keep the bow in any fixed position. Staccato, spic- ! cato, etc., are out of, the question, but of course he played cantabile very well. "The Theatre," of Sydney, is offering a splendid scholarship for singers— ' £50 a year for three years, covering ' tlio cost of ■free tuition at the New. South Wales Conservatoiium. As . the ' voico has to ho one serviceable on the stage rather than the concert platform, ' appearanco and personality are also to ; be taken into consideration. Candidates • must not to younger than 16 or more I than 20. The test is to be held at the ' Conservatorium on May o, with. Mr. 1 Vcrbriigghan as adjudicator. ) ', '