MUSIC
-* (By "Treble-Clefs")
Sound and Tone. A writer in tho "Musical Courier" cleverly dofines the difference botween merely vocal sound and tone, thusly: "Consciously or unconsciously—and mostly unconsciously—a singer exhibits the harmonics of his own individuality. And in this alone are the invested forces giving what we term tonality. An intelligent application of those two forces then is the true measure of singing and singors, Here is the great difference between physical sound and tonality. Here is tho great dividing line between mere sound and tonality. Here alone aro wo to find tho great line of demarcation between physical sound and forces invested within the human organisation giving tonality. Further, the only real determinative of this distinction is physical,' spiritual, and psychical health." , What is British Music? Robin H. Loggo, London correspondent of the "Musical Courier" and critic of the London "Daily' Telegraph," asks, in the latter paper :—"Which •is the more specifically English or British —Cyril Scott with his latest violin sonata, or Edward German with his "Henry VIII" dances; Josef Holbrooke with his quintet, oriPorcy Grainger with his "Mock Morris" dance; Eoger Quilter with his "Now, Sleeps the Crimson Petal" and the music to his Christmas play, or Sir Hubert Parry with the revised version of his "Te Deum"? Where, and oh, where, is the common denominator What is that thing, that quality inherent in tho music, which makes it specifically "British"? "It must bo' clear to tho eyo of all musicians that thero is not much in common betweon the musical expression of Delius and Parry, Stanford and Scott, German and Holbrooke, Grainger and Sir J. P. Bridge, Caleb Simper and Elgar, A. R. Gaul and Arnold Bax, the composer (whoever ho may bo) of the 'latest' British ragtime and of the most' solemn eight-part double fugue written for one of those functions we Britons so dearly love, the university examinations. If'l am wrong, where am I wrong? Mix these composers I havo mentioned, place them in any order you pleaso, and tell me whore and what is the common denominator of any two or ten of them, or of any other'two or ten of ten times ten of those who aro so perpetually described as 'British' composers whom you' may call to mind. I am searching for the truth, as, indeed, I have been searching for it for many a long day, but tho days pass, the years fly away, and never appears tho particular truth I am hunting for." ( Orchestral Music In London. Orchestral 'concerts have not. been ■Humorous here in the last few weeks, the season being a little, late, and the military authorities having laid hands upon the perfectly willing orchestral players. Albert Sammons, tho best violinist we own, has gone for military service into tho band of the Brigade of Guards as clarinet player, and William Murdoch, the'most excellent Australian pianist, plays the euphonium in the same band. Beside these there are many other musicians who have taken it upon themselves to do their duty by their King and country; and the scrimshauker is quite unknown here among the musicians who have stuck to their country when they might have been required for the really strenuous work •of contemporary ,life. Norman Wilks, tho pianist, was ;decoratcd the other day by the King for his work at the front, and I could relate many a yarn of other musicians who have done what •they.icouldto help. It. must not beunderstood from the above remarks that the' lifo of tho military bandsman is a scrimshanker's job. ' It entails frequent visits to tho front, and in any case our musicians over here have proved themselves to he men first— there I will leave the subject for tho moment. —Robert Legge, of tho "Daily Telegraph." From the Shoulder. Somo little souls in this country are aghast when they find a critic here and there who gets somewhere near tho truth. As an indication of the. mercy that supersedes justice in tho New Zealand Press, I reproduce a little bit of criticism from tho New York "Musical Courier," which may (or may not) rouse in tho local artist a sense of gratitude for tho kind things that are, as a rule, said of their efforts to entertain:— "Last Thursday'evening, at the Candler Theatre, a film version of Leoncavallo's ."La Roginetta dolla Rose" was presented. The. films themselves were poor in quality, though not so poor as the actors who played.them. Tho story is stupid to the point of inanity.' Selections from Leoncavallo's score were played by an orchestra of about thirty. It is commonplace, uninspired operetta music of very ordinary class. Ono did not wonder that Andreas Dippel, who owns the Ameriacn rights to the work, neVer has ventured to produce it here. The critio of the 'Sun,' by'tho way, is not correct'in referring to the 'Queen of Roses' as 'Leoncavallo's only comic opera.' There is another one, 'La Candidata,' even worse than this." Notes. Giuseppe Angelini, conductor of tho San Carb Opera Company, died last month while the organisation was on a Middle Western tour under Chautauqua auspices. Ho was thirty-six years old. If I remember aright Signor Angelini was the conductor of tho Melba Opera Company that performed in Sydney and Melbourne five yeare aao. That typical American composer and conductor, John Philip Sousa, has offered his services to Major-General Wood as a military band leader at the Mexican front. His popularity in the army is immeasurable. In all parts of tho oountry recently the mobilised troops marched to tho trains to the tunes of the best-known airs by John Philip Sousa. A New Zealand, syndicate is negotiating with Miss Rosina Buckman for a. concert tour of Australasia. I hope that the next time we hear the. New Zealand soprano it will be in grand opera.
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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2854, 19 August 1916, Page 6
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970MUSIC Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2854, 19 August 1916, Page 6
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