CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 12

CONSERVATORI UM OF MUSIC.

(Faou Our Own Cokrispondint.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 4. The president of the Canterbury Society of Professional Musicians (Herr Max Hirschburg), at the annual meeting of the society dealt at length with the proposed establishment of a Conservatorium of Mueio in the Dominion. After stating that none of the piofgssionals would say a conservatorium did not carry with it any benefits, he declared, that opinions among European authorities were very divided regarding the benefits and drawbacks of such an institution. He expressed the opinion that the present conditions of this country were mot such as to warrant the establishment of a. conservatorium, the population being neither large enough nor sufficiently educated musically. The great masses of the populace could acquire the taste and love for, the better class of music only through the medium of first-class orchestral, musical, choral, and operatic performances, but not by establishing a conservatorium, which at best could benefit a small minority only. In regard to "musical atmosphere/ Herr Hirschburg asserted that a conservatorium was the outcome of such an atmosphere, and not the originator of it. By rights only those who intended to take up music as a, profession could be expected to attend the canservatorium, and of those few who did tajce up music seriously every one would try to go to Europe for a few years. Very few had availed themselves of the Conservatoriums of Melbourne and Adelaide, both comparatively near New Zealand. The musically-gifted student intending to take up music as a profession must after a certain stage be sent to Europe in order to complete his studies under conditions not obtainable elsewhere. The theory of the piano, violin, 'cello, organ, singing, etc., could now be learnt here just as well as in Europe, and to establish a conservatorium for that purpose would be unnecessary and extravagant. A conservatorium established by. a richly-endowed university subsidised by the State would be a competitor of suoh gigantic proportions that it could not help interfering vastly with private musio teachers. In regard to the £2500 sent out of the Dominion in examination fees yearly, and which it was argued the conservatcrium would obtain, the speaker said that this sum represented a great number of candidates, and to obtain these the Senate would have to rely on tha support of private teachers, and hey asked if the Senate supposed that a private teacher whose income had been reduced by the establishment of a eonser-ra-torium would prepare any of his or her pupils for the conservatorium examinations.