MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3053, 14 April 1917, Page 13

MUSIC

fßyi "Treble-Clef.")

Musio in New York. There was a great assemblage of the world's best musical talent in New York when the last mail left. During the last week in February Fritz Kreisler and Percy Grainger were to play with the Philharmonic. The former was underlined to play Tschaikowsky's Concerto in D Major, and' Mr. Grainger was to play his new suite "(for the .first'time in public), entitled "In a Nutshell." Eugen Ysaye, the famous Belgian violinist, now in his fifty-eighth year, was giving recitals at the Carnegie Hall, and the opera season Mvas in full swing at the Metropolitan Opera House, with "Lucia," "Madame Sanes Gene," "Die Meistorsinger," "Aida," and "Martha," as the week's offerings.

The musical plays running in New York when the last'mail left were: "The Show of Wonders," "Love o' Mike," "Oh, Boy," "Her Soldier Boy," "You're in Love," "Have a Heart," "The Century Girl," and "Miss Springtime." The Schuhcrts had arranged to produce Oscar Strauss's new operetta, "The Beautiful Unknown." "Canary Cottage." With no foundation to mention, "Canary Cottage" (says the "Australasian"), has a lot of architectural frills and filigree which might make it tiresome as a dwelling-place, but very pleasant as a house of call. It has songs of the plaintive, soppy, swaying sort which coax the ear, choruses which storm it to the point of an unconscious Impulse •to join in the fun, colour whioh in some respects is wholly original, and a luiack of making the most of ordinary material for which Williamson's rather than the American gentlemen .who figuro as architects on the programme are entitled to thanks. Mr. Hugh Ward had collected some very nice furniture .for the cottage, and possibly improved a good deal upon the original design. "That Syncopated Harp" is one of the best fittings. It is a tuneful, well-dressed chorus, which is ever upon the point,; of breaking into, a St. Patrick's Day procession before the composer can suppress it back to ragtime. The "One Horse Town" and the Cat and Canary ballet are two other good examples. As to the personnel, all do their best; yet without Miss Dorothy Brunton, Miss Maud Fane, and Mr. William Greene, "Canary Cottage" would soon have a site in Queer Street. The two dainty little ladies are at their best, ; and their best is always satisfying. Miss Brunton has the wider range, tho better opportunity, but Miss Fane's talent for. comedy is unmistakable. One regrets that Mr. Morosco and Mr. Harris have not offered her more opportunity.

About "La Tosoa," "Jf'anchette." —If it . is Puccini's opera ''La Tosca" you mean, the work baa beca performed both in Australia and New Zealand. It was first produced in Sydney by the Melba Opera Company, with Madame Wayda as Tosca, John M'Cormack as Cavaradossi, and Scandiaui as Baron Scarpia. It was also played subsequently by the Quinlan Opera Company. Only one performance of the opera! has been given in New Zealaud, and that was in Auckland quite recently by the Gonzales Company. It was so coolly reoeiyed that Sigudr Gonzales would not risk- another performance of what is a notably fine work. Sardou's drama, oh which the opera is based, has been produced here during two seasons, the first when Mrs. Brown-Potter was Tosca, the late Kyrle Bellew Baron Scarpia, and Cyril Keightley made a tall, handsome Cavaradossi. The second production was by the Nance O'Neil Company, with Miss O'Neil in the name part, the late Thomas Kingston as Scarpia, and Mr. Harry Plimmer as Cavaradossi. Since then we have seen it in picture form,, the mere shadow of the action of the play without its chief essential, the language of Sardon. '

Professional orchestra. At its concert to-morrow evening at His Majesty's Theatre, the orchestra is, to play the overture to "Maritana," an "Aide" fantasia, Tschaikowsky's "March Slav," Benyon's pretty "Flower Suite," Dvorak's "Humoreske," Mendelssohn's "Spring Song," and Suppo's dashing "Pique Dame" overture—as good and popular a programme as anyone could desire. Mr. Herbert Bloy will conduct.