MUSIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 234, 22 December 1927, Page 16

MUSIC

(By F.1.R.)

of the last wishes of the late Joseph Schwarz, baritone, was that nis body be interred above ground. The singer, who appeared in a winter season in San Francisco about a year before he died, left £6,000 for scholarships at the Berlin College of Music.

M. Vidal, an eminent French tenor, appearing at the Nantes Opera House, France, made elaborate preparations for an operatic death. He committed suicide in a room which was made to represent the last act of Massenet’s tragic opera, “Werther.”

The audience at the Royal Albert Hall, London for the Chaliapin concert last month, was estimated at 8,000. A London writer says: “If Chaliapin’s voice is not what it was in 1914, it remains a wonderful instrument for dramatic expression.’*

Mr. Adrian Holland, of Prahran Victoria, a well-known Australian pianist has secured engagement as accompanist to Dame Clara Butt on her provincial tour through England, Scotland, and Ireland. He will probably go to Zealand ‘ and Australia with Dame Clara Butt and Mr. Kennerly Rumford on conclusion of the English tour.

Information has been received by Mr. Bert Royle, New Zealand representa°,1 J ; H: aad J. and N. .alt, that the visit of the world-famous singer Dame Nellie Melba has been postponed. It was the original Intention to commence a farewell tour of Zealand in January, but this has been found impossible, so the dates already arranged have been cancelled cided° ther flxtures are now being de-

More than £1,500 was lost by Count and Countess Filippinl on the grand opera season at the Princess Theatre. The sum would have been considerably more, but for the complimentary opera performance tendered to them by members of the Italo-Australian Grand Opera Company at the Princess last night. This was a unique compliment, for everybody concerned, including the orchestra formed in Melbourne, took part in the performance, while the theatre was lent by Sir Benjamin and Mr. John Fuller.

‘There is far too much music in Germany: too many composers, too many works published, too many orchestras, too many concerts. In England, we are in the habit of complaining of the lack of material facilities for building up a national musical culture like that of the Germans; we do not realise that it is better to have too few than too many . . . There can be little hope for German music in the immediate future unless the financial difficulties of the country bring about some restriction and diminution in the supply, and put an end to this reckless process of spiritual inflation and destruction of true values.” While making “A Survey of Contemporary Music,” Cecil Gray conducts “a frenzied search for genuine composers.”

To meet the wishes of lovers of "good” music, the Sydney broadcasting station, 2FC, has initiated a system of giving at least an hour of its programme each Wednesday evening to the classics. While every broadcaster seeks to make up a programme that will cover a wide range of taste, there is a constant argument as to whether one class of music is not given more than a fair hearing.

A well-known pianist recently returned from London and remarked to the manager of 2FC: “You give listeners 12 minutes of the gems of the masters of music, and the next item is a ukelele solo —the lowest form of harmony. I am not so selfish as the jazz lover who calls for jazz all the time. Give us an hour of the masters each week and we will be content.”

A request recently made by the Queen of Spain that M. Zaporojetz, the Russian bass, be released from London performances in order to appear at a command performance in Madrid was refused by Mr. Lionel Powell. It then became known that the request was made on a cablegram from the Queen

of Spain to the Ambassador in London, pointing out that M. Zaporojetz was wanted to sing the bass part in the opera “Kitege” (Rimsky-Korsakov), as he was the only bass that could reach the bottom E which the music demanded. Despite this explanation, it was felt that in view of the singer’s future appearances it was impossible to release him.

The Royal Philharmonic Society began its 116th season at the Queen’s Hall, London, last month, giving the 860th concert since the foundation of the society. Sir Henry Wood directed a programme of varied works, including a new suite by Dohanni. English music was represented by Vaughan Williams’s “Flos Campi” suite for viola solo, choruses, and small orchestra. Based upon quotations form the “Song of Songs,” its music has that mystical quality which characterises much of the composer’s later work. Lionel Tertis was the solo violist, and the singer of the evening was Madame Marie Olczewska, who gave Wagner’s “Tristan” studies.

A boy of 10 years took the Queen’s Hall by storm one evening last month at the first of the Payling subscription concerts. First a dais was placed on the platform, and on this • footstool. Then in walked Master Albert Lampe, carrying a ’cello rather bigger than himself. Seating himself with the air a matured musician, he began to Popper’s extremely difficult rihapsodie Hongroise.” The boy is a V*n? V , ery ° £ Van Leer, himself a cellist, who attributes his precocious success to a phenomenal memory and u keen musical ear.

COST OF GRAND OPERA £IOO,OOO FOR 16 WEEKS FORTHCOMING TOUR "We certainly can’t encourage the public to expect cheap prices. The best goods are always worth what is charged for them. This applies to every line of business.” Thus Mr. E. J. Tait recently regarding the grand opera season to be played in Australia in the near future. One of the operas to be presented is Puccini’s “Turandot.” A replica of the scenery in the original production at Milan is to be brought to Australia. Similarly from abroad will be the scenery for some of the other operas. “The cost of the European scenery,” explains Mr. Tait, “will be £2,506. Australian-produced scenery will 'easily total £20,000. Wardrobe, £25,000. Steamships will get £IO,OOO. Altogether we know that the expenses for the 16 weeks’ Australian season will total over £IOO.OOO. “It is a tremendous risk.

“We cannot state definitely what our admission prices will be until we know the total liability we are under. We. are not out to make huge profits. But we naturally Expect a fair return on our investment. “Further, we know by experience that the public are ever prepared to show their appreciation where the quality justifies it.” World-Famous Artists Sir George Tallis and Mr. Nevin Tait have been negotiating for artists for the past 12 months. Engagements include Toti Dal Monte, Hina Spani, Lombardi, and Scavazzi (sopranos), Cattaneo and De Cristoff (mezzo-sopranos), Merli, Minghetti. Lamonto, and Cesabianchi (tenors), Brownlee, Granforte, Beuf, and Morelli (baritones), and Autori, Di Lelio, and Azzolini (basses), with Gaetano, Bavagnoli and Antonia Fugazzola as conductors. The company is practically formed from singers from La Scala, Milan. Melba Opera Prices

Prices: for the opening nights of the last Melba grand opera season in the various cities ranged up to £2 2s. Later for first nights when a change of opera was made, £ 1 Is. For the Gonsalez Grand Opera Co. Sir Benjamin Fuller is charging 12s 6d for the first night in each city, with 10s, 6s, and 3s the fixed rate throughout the remainder of the season. Nor will there be any booking fee with any of these prices. “Before leaving for Italy,” stated Sir Benjamin, “Mr. Gonsalez assured me that, whatever the financial result of the tour, it would certainly be an artistic success. He pledged his word that he was bringing the best available artists in Italy—in name and independent of name. All we hope is for a fair return, with a satisfactory profit for the company, if only to encourage visits by the Gonsalez and other operatic managers.”

“I was the first conductor in England :o introduce women into my orchestra,” said Sir Henry Wood at the Royal Academy of Music, London. “Although :hey may not be as suited to play the trombone and such instruments, they ire as good as men at the violin, viola and ’cello.”