MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2793, 10 June 1916, Page 9

MUSIC.

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Encouraging Composers, Australian-composers are to have opportunities provided for them on a fairly comprehensive plan at tho . Conservatonuni. Mr. Henri Verbruggheri, with his characteristic energy, is contemplating one Australian concert in each term, providing there aro enough works of tufticient musical itnerest ,to meet such a scheme. Though"the thought has taken shape mainly lor the encouragement of the local composers, (says tho Sydney "Telegraph"), the compliment will also l>a extended to. tha othor. Statets..' This wider outlook, it is obvious, will be for the benefit of all concerned, and will more rapidly foster the development •-!' ail Australian school of inusic from Hie undoubtedly promising nucleus in each State. Sonata by Debussy. . Modern works for piano and 'cello are not too plentiful, and a new sonata for these instruments by Debussy has been hailed with music delight. - One critic says The term"suite' would perhaps describe this work for violincello v and piano more accurately than sonata. .It consists of three' movements—a prologue, serenade, and finale.. The first has an exceedingly appealing principal theme for the violincello, which is developed as far as it is possible for Debussy to develop anything. For. he seeras determined never 7 to commit himself to .a positive statement, or to let his music go beyond tho realm of tentative suggestion. One must be very quick to- take a hint if one is to follow his thought through all its phases. The serenade, with its curious inutterings of pizzicato violincello and detached bass notes on the piano is tho most elusive ' movement of the thvee; compared with it the finale, with its moments of gay energy, seems almost straightforward. The restraint of Do-, bussy's stylo-sets the players a very delicate problem in interpretation." "Home, Sweet Home." \ "The finest of all songs," says Mr. Jack Cannot, of tho.Tivoli Follies, "is 'Home, Sweet Home,' especially to the fellow who doesn't happen to have one. Being a householder myself in these expensivo times, I'm waiting to bestow my undying affection on the master of .melodious thought, who writes some comforting glad song about cheap sausages or Satisfactory Humanised Milk. Those are the sort of songs to go right home to the heart of the parent and householder." And Jack Cannot is now both, .and has the impudence to boast about it. Most actors seek to hide their matrimonial entanglements from the rude world. Notes. In the San Francisco of April--11 appears the story that 'Mmo., Oalve was singing a Frenoh song tho.ro tho day before in vaudeville.when some of the audience misunderstood its pathos and laughed. The diva's shock Was so 'great that she stopped singing, sank into a chair and had the curtain rung down. Moral: Sing in English. "Already," writes Robin H. legge in the London "Telegraph," "some changes have come upon tho musical life through the war. Where nowadays can a German band bo heard in London?" Lobar, composer of "The Merry Widow," has written a symphonic poem called "Fever." <■ ' A compendious biography of the late African-English composer, Samuel Cole-ridge-Taylor, has recently been published by Casscll and Co., Ltd., of London and New York. Tho, auHior of the liook is W. C. Berwick Sayers. who has done his work well and thoroughly, giving not only a. inas.s of facts and figures, but a readablo and pleasant story' of this halfAfrican. .half-English musician, who rose suddenly to fame, and died at the early age of thirty-seven. Tho book has a lumber of excellent illustrations.