Organisations That Will Assist to Make “Music Week"’ a Memorable Musical Festival

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

Organisations That Will Assist to Make “Music Week"’ a Memorable Musical Festival

KUBELIK’S OPINION

NECESSITY FOR MUSICAL EDUCATION In my opinion musical education is of the greatest importance to the youth of every country, in the development of tho soul, and therefore every large city should have its great musical institutions, just as it has its schools and universities, says Jan i Kubelik. Now, I include in the i musical institutions good schools de- j voted to music, a first-class orchestra, ! and combinations for the presentation ! of chamber music. The orchestra'should pay visits to 1 the smaller towns, so that everybody in the country might have the opportunity to listen occasionally, even if but one in a lifetime, to the miracle of good ufusic. Money, you say? Well, of course it ! must cost money, but so do the uni- ! versifies and the schools, and it should 1 be the duty of the State or the muni- '< cipalities to see to that side of the : problem. They should not think less 1 of music than of any other branch of l education. There is no orchestra in the world < that could live without, a deficit if it t depended solely upon itself. If the j 1 country cannot provide money for a j first-class permanent orchestra and for : opera by private means, then the j f State and the municipalities must t help. * You know music is a wonderful t spirit that has taken possession of the i

? human race. It would be impossible I for us to banish it, and, of course, we would not wish to do so, because music is our best friend. ’ You cannot find any more powerful influence in Nature except that of religion. Music and religion come from pure inspiration, without any materialistic help, and therefore they are closely allied for the uplifting of the human soul. Music is indeed one of the tangible forms of expression of *lll6 spark of divinity that is within us all. And now I come to a very important phase of this subject. Music can be | either divine or human. The divine ! music expresses absolute oeauty; the ] human music expresses the feelings of i humanity, from the poetic and ro i mantic to the lowest vulgarity. And | in our own times, we, unfortunately, j have to hear certain music which is j concerned with denoting the purely vulgar side of human nature. This is a danger, not only to what is beau tiful, intellectual, and lofty in music, but to the child who is brought under its influence at an early age. Thai is really the greater danger, which should be faced and fought. For if a child hears what is ugly and vulgar—and there is a good deal of it—and gets accustomed to it, the child’s soul may be deeply affected, just as a beautiful picture might be defaced by mud being fluug upon it. Then surely it is due to the child that it be brought under the ennobling influence of what is best in musical art. The people of Australia and New Zealand must begin to tight the devil, for in ruv opinion the devil has tried to destroy everything that is beautiful and pacific in our souls, and in our time he appears in the costume of King Jazz—the King of ugly music.

GIGLI BUYS A CASTLE

SIXTY BEDROOMS On buying a castle in the grand manner, as related by Signor Gigli, the Italian tenor, when on his first visit to England; “My castle Is a pleasant spot. I bought a little mountain, and on it I built my txistle—just 60 bedrooms, each with a smok-

ing room, drawingroom and bathroom. When my friends stay I make them comfortable. “It costs money, but money—what is it? It is no use to keep it, and, besides, Recanata, near Montarice, on the Adriatic coast.

where the oastle is built, is so beautiful. I live there all the time I am not at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, or on my other engagements. “Every stone and every brick in that castle represents literally a note of music, for it was built out of my earnings as a singer.” Then, dismissing the subject of his castle. Signor Gigli confided that lie thinks London the most attractive city he has ever visited. He will never, never sing jazz. The singer travels with two secretaries, to valets, and 11 other attendants for himself, his wife, and his