MUSICAL TASTE

Observer, Volume 6, Issue 152, 11 August 1883, Page 4

MUSICAL TASTE

A correspondent writes complaining of the uninteresting and, as he phrases it, " newfangled " kinds of music performed by the Choral and Orchestral Societies. Now, while admitting that there is much that is difficult of comprehension, even to a highly trained musical mind, in the works of Schumann, Wagner, Eubenstein, Grade, and other writers of the very modern school, there is also much that is very beautiful, ranking as standard classical music in Europe, and which everybody can appreciate if they only hear it often enough. The test of good music, like that of a good wife, is not its power of immediate and electrical fascination, but its power of growing on the affections by frequent association. Nearly all music which char ma and can be thoroughly understood on first hearing grows insipid and contemptible with, frequent repetition. There are a few exceptions, such as the classical operas of Weber and Mozart, and certain bits of the meretricious works of Rossini, Meyerbeer, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Vincent- Wallace, and Bulfe. These bits of flowers of lighter opera shine amid the flummery in which they are encased, and preserve it. The frequent hearing of such works is merely the stepping stone to the appreciation of better ones. At present Auckland has got to the point of appreciating Handel's " Messiah," Rossini's " Moses," and Vincent Wallace's " Maritana," and there the high-water mark of Auckland's musical culture sticks. Of Bach's fugues ; of Beethoven's symphonies, sonatas, and masses ; of Schubert's sonatas, and transcend ently beautiful songs ; of Mendelssohn's superb oratories, concertos, and symphonies ; of Weber's concertos and operas ; of Wagner's operas'; and of the various instrumental and vocal gems of snch composers as Schumann, G-ade, Gliick, Spohr, Kiicken, Abt, Rubenstein, and Chopin, Auckland knows little or nothing. It does not yet realize that these composers ever lived and wrote. Indeed, Auckland does not know much, that is beautiful in the works of Handel, Mozart, Haydn, and Weber ; it does not realize the unfathomable wealth of good music, and what a surface smattering of pleasure it gets to what it might really enjoy. As a conclusion, and to show that we are not peculiar in Australasia in this opinion, we extract the following remarks, made by Alfred Plympton, in an article in the Victorian Review, entitled, " The Musical Public," which seem to indicate that Melbourne is suffering from the same obtuseness in musical matters as we are. He says : — " The constant hearing of trashy music and mediocre amateur performances, cither vocal or instrumental, vitiates the taste, and even prevents the mind from recognising the merit of of a higher class of music, or appreciating the refined interpretation of musical artists ; and it is a known fact, in places which are seldom visited by distinguished artists, those who do venture to appear usually find the audiences cold and unsympathetic, and on the other hand, the persons comprising the audience frequently experience disappointment in their ignorance, honestly preferring to hear music rendered in the. vicious manner to which they have been ac* eustomed."

"BniEr." March 1881.— The '• Royal Amethyst" Velveteen is one which will become a great favourite, the colour being excellent, being bine black, without possessing that extremely blue tint some velveteens have, and which renders them unfit for mixing with other black materials. The "Royal Amethyst" is distinguished by the peculiarity of Laving its name stamped upon the selvedge of the velveteen, vviifMv it cau be easily seen. The pile is perfectly fast, und is very close and firm, the fabric itself lining thinner ana lighter than velveteen usually is; it awVes a» much better, and is more like Lyons and Gono;i Velvet", in wear. We have a Salvation Army and a .Blue "Ribbon Army, -which have doubtlsss done some eood > but while these means are being organised iY>r zwc: purpt>p<> of promoting the spiritual welfare of the dwellers <■:) this earth, why does not some enligutcuod being deviso an army for doing away with the foul language that is constantly dinned into the ears of everyone ? Instead of taking the name of our Maker in vain, as many are apt to do whsn a safety-valve is required to let off an outburst of wrath, why not do as a certain person did the other morning when the Australia ran infco the wharf and caused the said persour.ga to damage a portion of his clothing. One of the crew, in his anxiety to get a rope, accidentally knocked our friend down, and, on. rising, he ruefully inspected his soiled garments, bespattered with mud, and thus gave expression to his ; feelings—" Whj r , you hypochondrical cold-»osed, teadrinking, Holloway's-piHs-takiug son of a sea-cook, look I what you've done ; and now I must go to Slunro and ! Milligan, in Hobson-streot, and get a fresh rig out. I j can get credit on the deferred payment system." Now, ; this waß better than cursing and swearing, and should j be a hint to some of our religious philaikthropbists. There's many a true word spoken, in jest, and that's jest r about it. "- '