A WIT IN MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 285, 28 August 1919, Page 5

A WIT IN MUSIC

"He studied in England with one of the more orthodox English professors, as a result of which'he entered the JJipwimatio Service." , • This- is from a friend a account of tHe musical career of Lord Berners, diplomat and rfiturist composer, whose latest work is being played at the Alhambra. Lord Bernors is thirty-six years of age; and is Attacheat tho British Embassy at llome. "lie is a thorough Englishman in.appearance, ind Stravinsky says he detects English traits in his music," says one of his friends. ■ "Hi? faco is roundish, and he wears a monocle, but that, of course, does not prevent his frieuds of tho Cubist persuasion from portraying him all kinks and angles. . "He is a disciple of Stravinsky, of whom he tuiinks the world; and Stravinsky on his . part declares him the most talented of his pupils. ■•Personally I should call Lord Berners an eminently witty anan, and hiy wit comes out in his music. You easily understand that he is ocean 6 removed from the_ typical, heavy sentiment of German music. Schonberg's is probably the only German music ho cares anything about. "His nearest approach to sentiment is his 'Funeral March for a Canary,lts tiro companion pieces are less emotional. ■One is called 'For a Statesman' and the other l''or a Rich Aunt.' The former, according to the composer, illustrates a coiicoutso of wet umbrellas and frockcoats smelling of benzine. The latter has for motto. 'At last! Now wo Shall be able to afford p» car!' When a French critic rated him for the flippancy of these works, I rsgret to say that Lord Berners was delighted. "Another work of my friend is tho set of piano pieces. 'Hatred,' 'Laughter.' and 'A Sigh.' A London critic called tho second of these a musioal convulsion. On the othor hand, so distinguished a composer as M. Flo Tent Schmidtt lias praised this music as 'extremely picturesque and alive, revealing extraordinary virtuosity of teoliniqua.' . . . "Lord Berners is a very brilliant pianist. as. indeed, anyone must be who would play his works, Somo forthcoming pieces of his (including one. called Tlio_ Goldfish') will have this advantage—if one doesn't like tho music, one can have it framed, for the- title-pieces and so forth have beejudesigned by Larionov and one or two other brilliant painters—Futuristic, of course."—"K.," in the "Daily Mail."