THE PHILHARMONIO CONCERT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 101, 14 May 1901, Page 2

THE PHILHARMONIO CONCERT.

TO THE EDITOK, Sii:,—ln your isnte of the 9th T made a vary gentle al.tack upon, the performance of " The Revenge" ar.d other works, and on the following day ■\ storm clcud broke upon me, in the >'o< mof three letters in reply. I was aecuspd of ignorance and other faults, including cowardice and a yearning after fireworks ar.d the big drum. In answer to these I had written a very nasty rep'y, hut having at'ended on Sunday evening a nue'ing of the Salvation Army, with lively muiic and the big drum to boot, I feel mora charitably dispesed towards the conductor and leader of the Philharmonic. lam no*; fo will disposed towards Mr. D. McKinnon Baiti, who was notciiticised, and I would invito attention to his lett?r in your issuo of the 10th. From the tenor of that epis'le it cm b.? wsily ee?u th it, the writer was in a stato of g'at excitsment. I know the writer's ability as a musician, and hope to sea him preside at a flute or othf-r much-nreded instrument nt the n- 'X 1 ; conceit. With " San Toy " I have no quarrel, but would remark that he is one of those owatdly, detes'ahle, anonymous writers like myself. If he will loik at my fi>at letter he will see that he is defending tha leader frrm a charge levilled by m? tgainst the conductor. It happens that I heard the crches'ra at tbe Duncdin Exhibi'i"n, know who were t!"6 principal players, and I krow a hawk from a hearnshaw or handsaw. A'so, I have read the jadge'%notes on the band con f est at Waoganui. Now I turn to Mr, Fletcher's loiter, and am gkd that ht approves of fai- and intelligent eriti■•i«m by the Press. Lrt us bopa y</ui evening contemporary willjMte th ; s Concerts are given in thiiTtown, anc " Hark ! the Herald angi U sing!" the same old song whether the music i' ?,ood,or vil". This practice demoralise! conductors and performers alike. Mr Fletcher nvs'akes the objective of mj " supposed " criticism. He pretends t« he too s'upid to see tint I criticised noi the Society but himself as the profes -ional adviser avd conductor. In mj ligcorance I s'ill thii.k that " Th' Revenge'' was ill-chosen, because it i:

difficult to sing and, secondly, because it depends so much upon orchestral colouring, which appears to nave been uuobtainab' f, ) thstl am sure a musician of gold judgment would laugh at the idea of alt its performance wi' h voic?s and strings only; I repeat that the " San Toy " sdoction was too slow, and say either the metromone times were not adhered to, or they were no'. those of the composer. In an earlier performance of the " Poet and Peisint" overture the same fault was very :potice*ble, and in addiion the 'cello ', -was shaky, cornet, clariinet, and !iombone badly oub of time. Of course not a riofa but of prjise was sung by the angeh. I have no wish to injure Mr. Fletcher, for"there are indications that, like the fair Portia, he is not ye*; so , old, bub he may learn; happier in this, he h nob bred to dull but he can . learn. I will conclude, in words sug- \ gested by h ; s own, that when a con- . duclor has gained a wider theoretic.l { and practical knowledge of operatic and •. instrumental music ; when he devot' s ~. attention for a time to dance rhythms ; and othrr lively measures, and despise-h not even the big drum ; then ar.d only , than may be hope to conduit a seculir ■ roncort wish success—l am, e'e, ! Clabios.