MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2866, 2 September 1916, Page 6

MUSIC

(Bj "Treble-Clef.")

Paul Dufault's Success. Tlio extraordinary success of tho Paul Dufault tour in New Zealand and Australia reached its climax during the Brisbane season just finished. Brisbane is a musical city, and good business was expected for the Canadian, tonor, but even the optimism of Manager Sliipman hardly anticipated suoh unparalleled enthusiasm as was displayed over the return of Paul Dufauit. On tho opening day of the seat Bale a queue, extending away up they main street, was formed in tho early morning, several hours before the. opening of the box office, and lasted throughout tlio day, the sale of seats, it is stated, constituting a record for any attraction in Brisbano.. Four concerts were originally scheduled, but as after the opeuing day of tho sale the theatre 'was practicallv sold out for tho whole four, the Ipswich concert was cancelled so that an extra Brisbane concert could be arranged. At. this final concert, His! Majesty's Theatre, which has seated audiences for some twenty years, held the record audience for that period. Orchestral Concert. Those who delight in good orchestral music should visit Hiß Majesty's TlieRti'e to-morrow evening. Lovers, of the ever-beautiful in music will be glad to learn that the programme includes Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony," which for orchestral colouring and pure melody, ranks among the next- best works of its exalted class. Besides the "Unfiinishcd" there will be the overture to "Rienw" (one.of Wagner's earliest operas, composed before he had developed , the strongly individual stylo so pronounced in his later operas), the preludo to the third act of "Lohengrin" (Wagner); an orchestral suite by Leoncavallo, entitled • the "Spanish Suite," Matt's idyll "Dawn," and the lively overture to "Pique Dame" (Von Suppe). Quite a night with the Germans! My Lady Bountiful. Mme. Melba has presented a Singing Scholarship of the value of 75 guineas, tenable for: two years in Melbourne, but singers in New South Wales as woll as in Victoria. Candidates will Have to, submit themselves to a preliminary examination by a nominee of . Madamo Melba's, and tho iiumber of competitors will finally be reduced to twenty. From among these ■Madamo Melba will select tho winner of. the scholarship. No speoial work is prescribed for the , competition'; the scholarship will be awarded to the candidate who offers tho most promise for a successful career, as a public singer. The tuition will comprise sinking, harmony, English diction, French, Italian, operatic class, choral class, deportment, lectures, and personal instruction; in the art of singing, by Madame Melba. Music in London. A London correspondent . writes:— "The chief outstanding musical events of the month of May have been recitals; three by Adela Verne, who-has just returned from an extended tour in South America, where she met ■ with-. sensational success ; one by Mine. D'Alvarez and one b.y Albert Sammons and Wm. Murdoch. The uusal platitudes, that Elgar's two latest orchestral works, "For tho Fallen" and "To' Women;" are tho best , things t'liat lie' has given in rccent years', have been written. In musical/, value they dp not .compare for a moment. with lit-,. music to Blackwood's play, "The Starlight Express," which was produced at Christmas, This, of course, is-music of a different type, but of a simplicity, beauty, and spontaneity . whose ■charm grows the- more xis heard. , / ' Hamish Maccunn, The death of Mr. Hamish' Maecunn, the. well-known composer and conductor, is reported. in a cable message from London. Deceased, who was only 48 years of. age, was the son. of a Greenock shipowner, who wrote verses, which the son set to music. Sir Hubert Pnrry, of the Bo.Vdl College of Music, was responsible for ills musical education. Mr. Maccunn gained eminence as a conductor with t-ho Carl Eosa Company, ].898-99; "the Moody-Manners Company, 1900-1901; at tlio Savoy, 1902-1904, and at the Lyric, 1904-1906. He was the composer of several musical comedies, including "The Earl and the Girl," "Tho Talk of the Town," and "The Waltz Dream." His brother, Mr; Andrew Maccunn, is well known in Australia. as a conductor and composer. •Notes. Tho Italian Grand Opera Company, now in Sydney, played ten weeks in Melbourne, and gave 70 performances (including Wednesday/.and Saturday matinees). Hie company has added "La Bolieme" and "La Giacondo" to its repertoire. Its final performance in Melbourne was ,>'Les Huguenots. The Sydliey season commenced on Monday last. _ It is understood that J. C. 'Williamsin, Ltd.,' may have control of the Italian Opera Company, now 111 Sydney, for its tour of Now Zealand. jjVHE LATEST' BOOKS. . LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS. \V. C Scully, Is. posted. General Botha s . Army is operating in tho i neighbourhood of tho great waterless desert dealt with in this book. It forms the greatest problem of tho campaign. THE WOULD :OF LABOUR. O. D. Cole 3s. Cel., posted. A discussion of the present and future of Trade Unionism. m T __ THE SIMPLIFICATION OF LIFE. .s. !)d. misled. Selections from tho writings of Edward Carpenter. STORIES OF RUSSIAN LIFE, Anton .- Tchekolf. 6s. 6(1., posted. Twentyfour stories by the most popular and widely-read author in Russia. FORTY YEARS IN CONbIANHNOI'LE. Sir Edwin 'Pears, lis,, posted. -The inner'' and unwritten . history of Turkey and the Near East. JACK'S SELF EDUCATOR. Edited "by H C. O'Neill. ss. fid., posted. 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