MUSIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 530, 6 December 1928, Page 14

MUSIC

(By

F.1.R.)

Tlie Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra has an endowment fund of. £400,000. The Handel renaissance in Germany is on the wane, reports the “London Musical Times.” Siegfried Wagner, Richard Wagner’s son, recently concluded a new opera, “MahnopferX’ the fourth he has written since the war. A report from *Moscow says the Soviet censors will permit “though not recommend” presentation 1 of the following operas in Moscow next season: “Traviata,” “Manon,” “Romeo et Juliette,” “Lohengrin,” “Faust,” and Rimsky-Korsakoff’s “Legend of the City of Kitesh.” The qualification is probably due to the lack of Soviet interest in the plots of these oldfashioned works. German opera companies have lately shown a disposition to engage American artists, as witness the case of Dusolina Giannini, Eleanor Painter and her husband, the Americanised Louis Graveure. Now Paul Althouse, tenor, is announced to sing in Hamburg opera this season, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has chosen Richard Crooks, also tenor, one of its soloists.

A programme by pupils of Mr. Walter Impett, to be given in the Lewis Eady Hall, should attract a good attendance to-morrow evening. A programme of pleasing variety will also be contributed to by the Minster Quartet. Once one of the world’s greatest operatic singers, Dame Emma Albani, recently celebrated her 76th birthday at her home in Kensington. It was spent very quietly with only her son and a few relatives and intimate friends. Dame Albani, who is now an invalid, is the daughter of a FrenchCanadian organist and harpist. studying in Milan she made her debut when IS in opera at Messina. Her success was meteoric. She sang in every big _opera house in the world, charmed Queen Victoria, received the Orders of Merit of Denmark and Germany, and was created a Da / 3 of the British Empire in 1925. ! Mr. Henri Verbrugghen, who toured the Dominion in 1920-22 as the conductor with the New South Wales j Orchestra, is making a great success j of his Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Sixteen concerts are to be given this winter in Alipndbpolis and St. Paul, and among the assisting artists will be Kathryn Meisle (contralto), Laurence Tibbett (baritone), Luella Meulins (coloratura soprano), Ernest Hutcheson (pianist), Albert Spalding t% iolinist), Richard Crooks (tenor) Moriz Rosenthal (pianist), Jascha Heifetz (violinist), Florence Austral (dramatic soprano) and Renee Chemet. A further reminder of the approach of the 1: uletide is given- in the pro- ! gramme to be submitted by the Municipal Choir on Saturday evening. It ■ will be a complete carol concert, the ' following iteimj being given: “While j Shepherds Watched.” “A Child This ! Day,” “Welcome, Yule,” “Sleep, Holy j Babe,” “Howe Far Is It To Bethle- j hem?” “A Virgin Most Pure,” “The j Manger at Bethlehem.” “The First j Nowell,” and "The Holly and the Ivy'.” ] The vocalist will be Miss Mina Cal- | dow. and organ solos will also be con- j tributed by Mr. Maughan Barnett.

M. Herriot, Minister of Education, and former Premier of France, recently visited Berlin, where he carried on research work for a study of Beethoven, which he is writing. Besides being an able politician, the leader of the Radical-Socialist Party is a keen musician and a graceful writer.

The New Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo recently gave a gala concert in observance of the Franz Schubert centenary celebrations. The programme was made up of Lieder arranged by Hildemaro Konoye, who also conducted the performance.