MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2848, 12 August 1916, Page 6

MUSIC

(By "Treble-Clef,") Hit Idea of Heaven. .umu uiiici- ui'tisis, Liszt piaytu u/oii ueUer jui; xiis menus in u Uia l'CUlu tuna iur uiu iiuonc in cornet muls. couui i/icciiy »nceii ou clus point i.l JliS uiH'JuOllc, tullCirl'UlAlg ail uvtuuiri uc iiid oiVii noiii£; xmszt "arose iloiu iUiu IVlllbt laun', oIIUUIt UIS IVIIUU UlillK-, uiuvoil wiiir fc]it'lll u't'uu 10 luu piuuu. i-iiu liiitniui jjocsenaoner received uit caress 01 111s iniguty nana wiui suuduw. joy. Ad iur Lilt; rtjsi ol lib, tnu woruo uuout lo no bi>L>keii uieu. upon our ii|« iinu Drcutnicssiy ivo slued apoui, waning tor Winn was 10 coma, 'lne maestro upuite ol tuc rliytnm of tuo mazurKU ami accunipauieil ilia words witu gestures, uiaismg wun ins tnin hanus imaginary wavy iinej in UlO air. Tflen 11c sat uoivn to 1110 instrument and pressed all ten lingers upon tne Keys. He began to play a wondoriul piece, a niaaurka oy Uiopin. VV'himsicaliy there lloated by a beautiful young inaiuen, and at her side tile sighing, passionate lover, in a tender cmbrace they swear eternal love to each other, and immediately afterwards they quarrel and defiantly separate, we soe tho glow of a blazing flame, now it is magic moonlight Mowing over a dreamy lake ... . and all tho time I am roolining in any easy arm-chair, enjoying the aroma of a fine Havana. Probably 110 one, not even a king, heai-d our claviator luiiximus play in this way. Hero an ideal was realised. It was my idea of Heaven." A 'Great Chanse in War Music. Saint-Saens does not refer to tho great chango wliicli lias come, over the practice of music in the battlefields. .Leonora Haines writes ou this point from Paris to "Musical America":—"All other wars, according to tradition, have carried music as a part of the fitting out, not only tho fife and drum, but bands complete being considered almost indispensable to armies, At tho beginning of the-! present;conflict bands of music left with the regiments, but soon found there was little use for them, except to. tell the enemy their position. Marching' along miles a day, music was in oldeu times thought a spur to victory, but not so in these days of modern methods, when soldiers dig holes in the ground and build their 'pens' like rabbit warrens. There are concerts, yes, almost nightly, in all the 'trenches, but tho men who sing aro amateurs mostly, and a band of .music would be heard with the greatest distrust from one trench to another. The enemy would at once know that 'something was up/ and that in this way the other was trying to distract his" attention. I have not heard any military music except at the Trocadero. Many regiments have I_ noticed in tho street, and many companies taking leave at the Gare du Nord, and no doubt there are musical instruments along. But you'd never know it. On a Sunday or fete ! day, miles back from the firing-line, where there are thousands of soldiers, an open-air concert has been gotten up— an afTair lasting several hours, when men oould come or go just as they liked. But these afternoons are the only times the fighters hear music, and such affairs, I understand, "are few and far between." Professional Orchestra. "There is ono thing certain," said an Australain visitor after the Professional Orchestra's concert on Sunday evening last, "you could not heaT such a concert 011 a Sunday evening in any other town in Australasia, and I very mu'ih doubt if you could hear a much better orchestra on a week day." This tribute to Wellington's fine orchestra is, I hopn, well deserved. At any Tate, the concept given on Sunday evening was to mo « rare treat, and, judged in comparison with its performaneas of last year, shows a steady advancement towards an ideol. The leads are all strong, aire musicians, and if one may particularise, the work of Messrs. Moschini (clarinet), A. P. Trud.i (flute), and P. Johnstone ('cello) was of a highly-finished character. There is hardly the volume froni the big body of strings that one would expect, but tboro is a fine unanimity of . action, and tho .quality-of tone was excellent.. The pro'gramme opened with the overture to

"DciyFriescliutz" (Weber),.the opera that, deals; .with the sharpshooter -who used to fire magic bullets in the format, and otherwise imitate the Horace Goldins of hw time. This old opera was extremely popular in its day, and its melodies ire still delightful to hoar, whilst Wel)er's orchestratiou is Tery beautiful. Tho orchestra charmed overyone with the delightful delicacy that was lent Luigini's "Egyptian Ballet" music, a suite that should bo lie.Tixl aijd in the fan-, tswia from "Cavalleria linsticana" buil'; up in the mild pictures of Mascagni's vitally-dramatic work with fine artistry. Tho playing of lolo's song by tke fiutfl and obeo, with a pizzicato accompaniment a la guitar, and the interpretation of the highlyjramatic music that follows, wej'e features an this number. In lighter mood were Drdla's "Serenade," and "In the Spring," by Greig. two, little gemß, both exquisitely played. Finally the orchestra played Liszt's rhapsody, "Hongroise" (Np. 2), which was most admirably expressed. Such concerts are the finest musical treats within the reach of the Wellington public, and it is a peat pity for t.hoso who abjure Sunday concert-going that thoy cannot be nrranged -now end o„<;aia for a Week night, or even of an afternoon. Matinee orchestral concerts are common in England, America, and on tho Copt mint. Why not in Wellington?

Messrs. Alfred Miroitch (pianist) and Kichard Piastro (violinist), two excellent Russian musicians, who are at present creating something in the nature of a furore in musical circles in Australia, will shortly be heard in New Zealand. Mr. Scott Colville is at present arranging a tour which is expected to open in Wellington towards the end of the present month. .It is stated that at their first appearance in Sydney recently they roused au audience of 3000 people "to the utmost enthusiasm, both' artists creating the greatest sensation known in musical circles for some considerable time.