STUDY OF MUSIC.

Shannon News, 19 June 1928, Page 3

STUDY OF MUSIC.

VOICE PRODUCTION AND INSTRUMENTAL APPRECIATION. The music lecture course under the auspices of the Levin branch of the W.E.A. was continued on Tuesday evening, in tiie De Luxe Hall, by the tutor, Mr Edwin Dennis, A.R.C.M. Further instruction in the cultivation of resonance was given, Mr Dennis giving the class several phrases to practise with a view to correctly developing the vocal muscles. He stated that, in the production of the oratorio "Elijah" in Wellington last Saturday, the vocal work of Mr Eraser Gauge in the name-part afforded an example of the extreme value of resonance. Although his role was a heavy one, he finished perfectly fresh, and this in spite of the fact that he had been giving six concerts a week on his New Zealand tour. If he were not an adept in the art of resonance, his voice could not have endured such a burden. The lecturer quoted Charles Tann, an eminent authority in the United States, as saying that the nose should sing with every note. Mr Dennis asked the class to hum a note, with the lips closed, then to repeat the sound with the prefixes "n" and "m" and with the lips in the forward position, the latter exer. cise demonstrating the vibration of the sound through the nose. Dealing with" consonants, the tutor said that their value was somewhat different from that of vowels in spoken language. Vowels depended upon purity of expression, consonants on the use of the lips, teeth and tongue. There were voiced conspants and breath consonants, and they were associated in pairs. The first were the labials B and P, B being voiced and P breath'd. V; and F were almost in the same position.' There were the dentals—D and T, 1 and S, L and R, Ch and J—the palatals—Gh and K—and the other labial; —W, M N and Ng. The last three were described by Dr. Hulbert as nasal vowels. Factors' in the correct production of consonants weji-e contact of the'right organs, firmness of contact, rapidity of release, and ease of movement from one articulation to another. .Some exercises were given to the class in th:s connection, and the lecturer explained the movements of the mouth in producing various common words. Several records were put on the gramophone, and Mr Dennis commented on their outstanding features. One was an orchestral rendering of <r The Death of Ase" from the "Peer Gynt' suite of Grieg. The lecturer explained, that the opening, was in fugual form; the subject was given out m ' eight bars, then was repeated a fifth above for eight bars, after which it was played an octave above the original pas sage. The story was that of a dymj. peasant woman lamenting the absence of her son; the return of the boy tc cheer her last hours with the recollec tion of incidents of his childhood; an< the ultimate passing .of the mother with the return of the music to tin first movement. A record was playcc. of the famous "Casse Noisette" (Nut cracker) suite, and Mr Dennis explainec that Tchaikovsky was inspired to writi a portion of it after reading Hoffmann',

,orv about the nutcracker and tin mouse. Later he made three or foui additions which brought it up to i suite, "in"- the overture, it would )>■ noticed, he had nothing written below the stave, and there was practically m use of the 'cellos and double basse: there. Instead the composer had divid cd the violins and violas, into abou' six parts. A pleasant feature of tin orchestration was the plucking of the strings, giving the effect of an accom paninicrit. "' The rendering was by tlit Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Strokowski; and the lecturei remarked that this orchestra's recordings were probably the finest to be had. Another interesting record was one in which the instrument, a very sweet one, was not familiar to the class. The piece was "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies," played on the celesta, a piano containing metal plates instead of wires. After Tchaikovsky had heard this instruments for the first time, in Paris, he decided to write something for it, and this piece was the result. A complementary part was taken in the rendering by a bass clarinet. The last of the records played was "Siegfried's Funeral March," from "Gotterdammerung" (The Twilight of the Gods), one of Wagner's operas. The wailing effects were realistically produced, and were no less striking than the original methods of introducing the brass instruments to secure clashing emphasis. The gramophone and records were lent by His Master's Voice Co., for which Mr K. Aitken is the local agent. The next lecture will be given on Monday, at 6,45 p.m., in the De Luxe Hall.