MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3042, 31 March 1917, Page 17

MUSIC

CBj- "Twuie-Clef.") The Mueioal Outlooh. \ ". S 6 . mußical outlook, in New Zealand; is the reverse of encouraging, but it is ; ' hardly to be expected to be othor tha* what it is in these grim war days. Th« war overshadows everything. The thunder of tho -guns has dwarfed the arts. and Bhrivellod to trilling insignificance events that formerly .wore matters of moment. Gcrmsnv has murdered tho world's respect, and hying folk will jover be ablo to regard the Germanic peoples as anything but "outside ,tho pale." Naturally tho call to arms has had* a disastrous effect ori music—singers and players have departed from these shores to take part in; a grander symphony than was evor .contemplated by the miud of genius, and'until the balance is settled there is not.likely to he any improvement. The Choral Union, which has never been strong on the male side, musfc be sadly affeoted. Its honours hoard tolls that story. Still, next month will see the rehearsals commenced for "Mantana."One cannot write.with any pleasurable glow i about the choice of work, which was done horo only some three years ago, but the committee, I understand, favoured an operatic work as a degree lighter than tho less hoavy oratorios, and the choice of such works are limited owing to the difficulty in procuring music. So far the Amateur Operatic Society has not declared its intentions, but they will probably get busy in the next three months. As to, visits from professionals, there'is no extended vista. The Chefuiavskys are due in Auckland next week, and later Mirovitch and Piastro are to. return from the Orient to give another series of concerts.

There are rumours of a visit to New Zealand by Miss Rosina Buckman (who has achieved fame in-, grand opera in London), find letters are anxiously awaited now as to that lady's acceptance of the ternts offered her. I am in a position to state that if Miss Buckman ■ visits us during the winter she will he exceptionally well supportod. At latest she was playing Mimi in "La Boheino" and Clio Cho San m "Butterfly" at the Aldwych Theatre under Sir Thomas Beecham. Referring to a. broader field, it is understood that Melba. ;s toarrange for the coining of another grand opera company next year. The operas are to be sung in English.' She was responsible for Williamson's last venture, which gave the people of Melbourne and Sydney an immense treat. Massenet's Way. v. \ Speaking of his method of working, Massenet, the famous French composer, tells Us: "1 work very strangely. To bogin with', I never touch a piano. I: sometimes spend two years thinking out an opera, and during that time I do not write down a single note. 1 carry it all in my head, and I compose at all limes, even when speaking or dining, at the, theatre, in a carriage, on. a train,'. everywhere. . But my best work, is done Whilo.l am walking up aiid\ down ray bedroom, which'is iuy favourite study., Then when the opeia is already in my, head,, I rush off to the country, and there I do write. I write from twelvd to fifteen hours a day straight off, without corrections of any kind/'. ,-■'.,-' Ideas on teaohlng. ~-,■. ■ Referring to tho teaching : of- the pianoforte,' Professor ; Leschslizky says: "Hqw many times have I been obliged to repudiate that inevitable ' word method I Every teacher has a method,' but tho good ones have a method fpr each pupil. Of course, the very habit of thoughts, habits of discipline, habits of thoroughness, etc., might bo said to make a method, but these are things which mtist. bb dovelopdd in tho man himself. The . teachers who preparo pupils for my classes have a certain routine which serves to givo the pupils, a technical foundation. This is a kind of preparatory method, but can represent but a fraction of the'number of ideas which any teaoher-with'a.largo circlo of pupils must employ. ' A good foundation is, however,' of the very greatest; importance. l , Early in my work as 1 a teachor 'my- attention _ was drawn to tho marvellous Roman bridges that are still in; u'so after one ;or cvon two thousand years of existence.' 'Indeed,'- it his happened that the, very stream the'bridge was to have spanned has turned its course.so 'that it no, longer, oxists,- but leaves as. amontiment tho wonderful art of the-Roman builders. The Roman bridges are all curved; but the modern bridges ar» for the most part straight in construe'tion. It,-is necessary to renew them very frequently, but, the Roman bridges with their arches' endure through. the ages. Experimenting With the hand 1 found that nndor most of the conditions which govern piano playing, the fingers can move with much greater, freedom. At the samo time tho arch construction gives the hand a kind of strength it could not otherwise possess. It seenls obvious from this that the high-arched position of tho hand is tho most desirable." ■ .-'.-''.•': ;

Leschetizky an Modern Composers, Tho late Professor Lcschetizky's opiiiions upon tho works of _ some of the modern composers afo interesting, as ttioy are thoso of a man who was thoroughly abreast with tho times, but one who has had fourscore years of cxporienco. In speaking of some modorn works in one- of his latest interviews, ho said:— '■Opinions upon all contemporary works must, of course, bo personal, and no ono should abide by tho opinions of ouo man. I caai only say how. they; seem to mo. The Strauss 'RosenkavHer,' for instanco, always reminds me of tho old Trench proverb, 'Much noise about an omelette.' When it riscß to its best it reaches tho high comic opera standard set by Johann Strauss, but oertainly goes no higher. Debussy's 'Pelleas and Melisande' has muoh poetic ardour, but is not unmarred by monotony and tediousness. Bccauso a creator has produced ono beautiful thing does not by any means indicate that his other things will bo beautiful. Rostand's 'Cyrano do Bergera'o' was extremely delightful, but I fail to soo great interest in 'Chanticlcr.' Max Bruch seems to me a very great composer —greater than the present generation realises. Indeed, he seems greater to me than Richard Strauss, Huber, Roger, and others about whom a greao deal is written in thoso daya."-