MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2818, 8 July 1916, Page 6

MUSIC

(Uy "Treble-Clef.") Orchestral Concert. The most,artistic musical body Wellington possesses is probablv the' Professional Orchestra. Though' handicapped by having to piny after a minimum number oi rehearsals, this cxccllent orgaitisfttion invariably makes a. highly creditable and always interesting ■ showinif l;or to-morrow evening's concert a dotigntiiii programme has been prepared—nue, indeed, that should induce every patron to drop a shilling in tho plates at the doors, instead of the smallest silver coin. Judged by somo performances that the public pay to hear, those of the Professional Orohestra are wo>-tli ss. a seat in any part ot' tho house. Tomorrow evening's programme will inelude the "Jlignon" (Thomas) and Zampa (Herold) overtures, both' Wight, melodious, and familiar; the hizarre and nerve-quickening "Casso Noisetto" suite of Tschaikovskv (four movements), a fantasia on Verdi's opera ' Otello"; Rubinstein's ever beautiful "Melody in F," and the prcludo from Giordano's opera, "Siberia." New Grand Opera Company. a popular success is unlimited at th» first iiib'Jit in ALuibourjio to ilia Gonzalez upera Company, wnicji opened at .the Princess's 'j/iicaire with "it Trovatore." fly cununon content the star of tin- evening seems to have been Siguor Cappolli, wno made a handsome ligure as Alanrico, and exhibited a beautitul tenor voice, variously referred to as "lyric" and "robust." IliiS ' singer was overwhelmingly applauded. .-Signor Cacialli-with a hue bass voice ai ierrando,'Signor.(icamuzzi, as the • Count di. Luna, a graceful actor and good baritone, Sigiiorhia liuss as a tragic Azuccna,, and, Signorina do Rovers as a competent lionora with a vibrato, completed the cast. Sig-nor Giovanui Gonzalez is the new conductor, and there were souio initial deficiencies'in orchestra and chorus, which repetitions may remove. The second cast was brought forward on Tuesday, when "La Traviata" was produced with Siguorina. Gonzalez as Violetta, Signor Dagiadi as Alfredo, and Signor Filippini as Gormont. I'lr this work.whicn was evidently Jess well interpreted, tile baritone is chiefly chosen for ,praise. On Thuj'sday and Friday "C'nvalleria ltusticana" and "I | Pagliucci" were put up,' whilst to-night will bo devoted to "Lucia," Tuesday to "Un Hallo in Al'aschcra," and Friday to "Itigoletto." Music as Nerve Tonic.

"Music I havo repeatedly noticed," ealil Mr. Henri Verbrugghen, principal of tJie N.S.W. State, Conservatoire, "acts on most jieople ivs a nerve tonic. At «ny rate this is the conclusion of those who hftvc given attention and study to the subject.- In my own easo often have X started a rehearsal or a concert with ft xory sovere headache, when,. were it possible, I should have much preferred to go to bed rather thaii eiigago in prolesslonal work. .But on these occasions I found that after half an hour of playing my headache h'atl disappeared. There inuy, ot course,' liavo been a physical reason lor this, but wo must admit' that the amount'of concentration, nccdssary in order loi perform music .properly brings the nervous system,into a slato'of ! great activity, <\nd ,;.th is,, bo.. ,doubt,. causes, flic, ■nerves to recover . their -/ tonicity; as" tho .say,'

"Before we can hope -for'' any', marked and definite results in the inlluence of music in health ,and disease, it will be necessary to evolve a suitable system for the more adequate teaching of, music in every school than is the case at the j ie. sent time,* for it is, in .the school that the character is chiefly formed. 'Just now I am engaged in testing a scheme whereby children may have, without nn undue waste of their school time, an adequate musical education." New York Opera Season., Tho New York "Metropolitan Opera House" represents for tho highest operatic standard in the world. Covent Garden, the Paris Opera House, La Scala (Milan), and the .Royal Opera (Berlin), are all of secondary importance to the New iork season, tor tho simple reason that the New York people can afford to import and pay the big salaries of a veritable army of grand opera artists of the very test quality. During ,tho season to commence on November 13, Zundonai's new opera, "'Francesca da Rimini," and De Konen's "The Canterbury Pilgrims" (book by Percy M'lvaye), are to be given their premieres, whilst other novelties will be btrauss's new arrangement of Gluck's "Iphigenia in Taurie," Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers," and revivals of "Thais," "Lakine," "Tho Marriage of Figaro,", and "L'Elisir d'Ainore." 'i'ho artists who will figure in the casts during the season, are as follow:—

Sopranos—Prances Alda, Maria Barrientos, Lucrezia Bori, Anna Case, Vera Curtis, Emmy Destiun, Minnie Egeuer, Geraldine Farrar, Rita Fornia, Johanna Gadski, Mabel / Garrison, Frieda Hempel, Melaine Kurt, 13dith Mason, Alico Niolsen, Marie Rappold, Lenora Sparkes and Rosina van Dyck.

Contraltos—Mariska. Aldrich, Emma Borniggia, Sophie Braslau, Raymondo Dclaunois, Louise Homer, Marie Mattfeld, Margarete Mntzenauer, Florence Mitiford, Margarete Ober, Flora Perini, Lila Roborson, and-Ernestine SchumannHeink.

Tenors.—Paul Althouse, Pietro Audisio, Angelo Bada, Julius Bayer, Max Bloch, Luca Bfctta, Enrico Caruso, Riccardo Martin, Giovanni Martinelli, Albert Reiss, Johannes Sembach and 'Jacques Tlrlus. . Baritone?.—Pasqunle Amato, Bernard Begue, Giuseppe de.Luca, Otto Goritz, Mario Laurenti, Robert Leonhardt, Vincenze Reschiglian, Carl Schlegel, Antonio Scotti, Riccardo Tegani, Hermann Weil and Clarence Wliitehill. Bassos.—Carl Braun, 'Adanio Didui', Pompilio Malatesta, Arthur Middletou, Giulio Rossi, Leon Rothier Basil Ruysdael, Andrea do Segurola, Henri Scott. Conductors.'—Artur Bodanzky, Giorgio Polacco. Notes. Art is the perfection, tip ease with which one does things, .whether it is wurting a girl or leading a band, and sincerity is essential to success.—John Philip Kousa. Tlie "Musical Courier," of New York, chronicles the death of Clara Louiso Kcllog-Strakosch, a onc-timo famous grand opera artist. She made her debut iw Marguerite in "Faust" in London, in 1867. Twenty years later she married Carl Strakosch, who had been her manager, and who for years afterwards, was tho head and front of the Mark Strakosch Opera Company in America.