MUSICAL ENGLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1924, Page 4

MUSICAL ENGLAND.

ROWER OK Till: RIMISF.. W KI.LINGTON. August 13. I !k‘ miisital position in .England, iiv.s Dr. .1. Wariiuer, is most interc.stng. The Old Country now is passing hrougli a lime of transition. This it ms in common with the rest et the world. Hut it is n hopeful time, a , criod from wliieh almost any may .'liiiv. and in which it is good to he iliv e. A( I ' inted examiner in New /calami or the Royal Academy of .Music. Dr. Wiiiriner arrived in Wellington hy the liner Ruahine. do a "limes iei reselltal ivc he (!ovele;:ed ideas ol the musical position. * I.ll’K NO EASIER. lies; ite the reiiai.ssonce <d' inil'ic, the passing ( ,f the post-Mendelssohn j.0ri,.l in England, he said, lile is < easier lor her com]' 'oxers. Elgar was just as big a man twenty years ago as he is to-day. Hut he was fml known. Coming from a family stiploi led then and even now hy a music shop, a lir~t violin in the Worcester Theatre, an organist in the local church, lie was lar fu.ni being the world-famed com] user. tin* holder ot the Older of .Merit, the man whom llis Maiestv was g: nciously (leased to honour with a knighthood, and the adored of ehora! si eietir«. IllK I'OWI'It OK TilE IWIt.SK.. And tlie <lilferenee was due to what ? The fmt that his wile inherited money. The fact that he wa- suddenly freed from i lie ms e.s'ity of making a living and that he (ould devote all his time an I ii.spiraiion to his work. Walloi d Davies, now principal of the Wels’i Academy, was given an upI nilit Hunt as at a mini:: moment ol liis career. This lii s know n gift for (cniposition hrought him, and now lie is an established man. And with other modern men it is the same.

IN DK.I’K.N i)KNT. Ouslav 1 foist derives an income from Ids three schools, and from his connection witli the "Ohl N if. " Arthur Bliss has ] rivale means, Rutland Bought >;■ was t ided fur years le{ what of old was called ‘‘patron. lint mayhap there are oliter men equally .•Is go :.I who a e yet unknown l:e----cause of their tinnlir.ini troilhles. And this is liy.no means new. One remeniher.s the symphony which l’.erlioz never wrote because in* tell that lie could not afford the expense ol |>erfnrimuice. once lie put dow n liis teeming ihouglits <m (laper: or the (loverly <d' St Imhcrt. To | uldisii a work, to have it pci formed r e c\|ensivc things. l>n;K.hV KINA NCI AT;. in tiie last analysis every question is a limit.iial one. said Dr. Warriner. quoting Rcucnii.sf'icld. The press it re <:•! the liunncial side is felt in Kng.himl no less ilian in New South Wales. And the cry of the is for i- >tr.e sort of Slate assistance or endow'incut. There are not enough organists' positions to .supply till our Iki I four Garliiuors and lloughti.us. .Mnnieipal orchestras and an endowed opera could help, says the doctor, hut no more. WI!Ki! K, THE REMEDY LdKS. Kltiimitely the proldem is one ol eiliieation. like so maiiv toilers in this world. It takes an educated mind to appreciate music, a musically educated mind. And at this cdm-nn.i'ti Kite lioyal Academy aims. "Clive us the pupiis young enough, anti we will do it." i.s their war try. (luce the mind of a. child i* mus.it ally devcioj ed it will iki longer 1.0 salisiied with cheap mit-ic. DEVELOPING ROM KKS. It will have dhriiminal ion. an apple. iatiuu <1 form, the hegiiyiing ol heiug a eounoi'-ciir. it will no linger he a i.’ielYl lot the fetvaitl who ( relets tiie "Family 11. ■ raid" to lb” treason's of literal’ re. With its annua! li.-t of ti.I.I.'CH tantlalal s tiie to ailcmy hives mi. '! I.MK AND Til)!:. Yt t mu*n a! ta-te is < Imngiug. 11-

taming. iy- Dr. W.ll rim .-. Kiom t!:r days o, t!:" l.i-l uniluiy. wl-eu ,b” public's idea t,l mu i - was Hall.' a'.t! Wallace, it has g nt” ahead. One i:tstnire of it i- in Hie f;mt l!:;*t gramapli,me t tunj'auit s devote en eve ' larger |, : ti. n if t I.e-I >• 011, put to Mamlartl ami to modern works. Hut there is yet a long road to traverse even in oyeta. ill,' (ail Rosa Coiii.-aiH a!v. ays .made money in the I.unif y hut lost il in l.ontlon. And lit. fail Reva was i In* training ground far many line singers. KATE I'NKNOWN. To-day the fate el the I’rilish National Opera Cum; any L a vety tincerlaiu mil'. It has done gttid wink, hut give, no on” a serve of* its seen: ity. Y l tiie position may be exaggerated easily tmitigh. When | eople talk i f l”,' Intense mu-iral nature of the Continental pe »,•!•."< limy h s.e sight of the fat t tlia! the receipts !rom ,be I” .'liic cm',l lilt I o.silit.v lay t'or many of tlm works perfonm d. Kvott in (irrmtinv this i, tlm cat'. What is needed in KngTiud. oqmilly as e'sewhere. i. money. It i- a ,;•-<■ for a millionaire. MEN UK TO-ii.t Y‘. On cur modern composers Dr. Warriuer t,e.s reticent. •‘T he | osition i., peculiar; much of the work done is ex- | iniiiiiUitiil,'’ he said. “We have had 1' all before as far hack" ns In Monteverdi.''. time. He was a great man. but the world was not ready for him. and lie was voted a madman, liis ideas anti bis harm,ll.ies were equally condemned. It seems incredible now. And otic must not lo.se sight of the l'a‘ t that even Robert Ki'lmmnnii, in liis rapacity of 111 its it :■ I critic, declared

Wagner's ■■'Pniridiniisc.; ” overture, which in-day is blared by every seaside band, to lie tliaotic, unplayable and absurd. HOI.ST THE MAN. "In the face of this I should md like to declare that anyone. Arthur Tiliss or anyone 01-e. was not potentially ti really great, man." Our ideas of music evolve, thinks tiie doctor, and one cannot tell what the future will appi'et iate. Therefore he wa.s not to be drawn into making comparisons. Hut as a personal o-.in-ini in lie delivered the .statement that llidst i.s | robalily our best man." linLt, the composer of "The I’erfect Kool." "The I’lanets," and "Savitri.”

the employer of Kastei 11 scales and the master of orchestrali m and lover of good melodies. Dr Warriner has chosen.