MUSIC HISTORY IN MSS.
Letters Of Famous Composers
THE "SUNDAY TIMES" BOOK EXHIBITION
The music section of the "Sun- day Times" Book Exhibition at Grosvenor House is so well stock- ed with MISS., documents and valu- able editions that a perusal of its treasures must convey, even to the uninitiated, some notion of the de- velopment of musical art from the days of the Tudor composers' to our own time.
Letters, deeds and inscriptions will be read with interest by those to whom musical notation means little. Most of the letters give. some notion of their writers! characters.
It is impossible to glance at Wil liam Byrd's neat, distressingly an- gular hand-writting without being reminded of his lawsuits, his tena city, his quarrels. One whose letters are all straight lines was. not the man to compromise when hé conceived his right to be assail ed. Alessandro Scarlatti's writ- ing is as clear, but all curves, and he winds up a letter professing to be the recipient's "most humble, most devoted, and most obedient servant."
Elgar's Handwriting Only an expert, however, can re- concite certain anomalies, as, for instance, the spruce handwriting of Lulll's letters and the blots of his, music MSS.
Some men's handwriting alters with time. A late Elgar MS sug- strokes gests the jerky, nervous that were also evident when he earlier piece of conducted. An writing is as clear as Debussy's, whose meticulous neatness is of a piece with an art in which very note gives the impression of hav- ing been weighed on a most sen- sitive instrument.
Cellini."
مور
""
It took the American Navy to save the life of William A. Robinson on his last exploration trip, to lonely Galapagos Islands, but he is going to venture into the wilds again--near Tahiti. A fight of 1,000 miles, by Navy surgeons saved Robinson from succumbing To prevent a similar occurrence on to an appendicitis attack. this trip, Mrs. Robinson had her healthy appendix removed. The two are shown in New York with a pet which will accompany them.
Impertinences
Decor
CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2 1935
"Of
Anachronistic Views Of Mr. James Agate
THE ADJUNCTS TO DRAMA
(By Sydney W. Carroll)
FINEST HAMLET OF OUR TIME
JOHN GIELGUD'S DOUBLE FEAT
ACTOR AND PRODUCER
London.
Those who were at the New Theatre to witness the latest "Hamlet" saw theatrical history made. John Gielgud has played Hamlet in the West-end before,
and played it brilliantly; but since that time he has grown, both In conse- artistic stature and in quence,
Now he establishes himself as the first Hamlet of our time, and I make bold further to state my conviction that there can have been few to equal him in the whole long history of the English stag
This is not mere, idle bandying of superlatives. I do not claim that Mr. Gielgud. is a better actor than this or that great actor of the past. But I do say that he s an actor of the very highest class, and that no actor has possessed in greater measure the special quali ties that Hamlet requires.
He has youth, he has a roman- tie presence, he has, brains, he has a beautiful voice and the ability to use it beautifully in the speaking of verse. He has the melancholy and the philosophic quality of Hamlet and-most fortunate of all-the ability to suggest the man of ac- tion that Hamlet was before the play begins.
1 A Mind At Work
In every syllable that he speaks there is evidence of an understan- ding, mind at work, so that the lines come fresh to the minds of the audience as if the part had Small never been acted before. wonder that last night's audience gave him an ovation, and forgot entirely his own real fault a ten- dency to sink his volse at times.to an inaudible pitch.
His work as producer is almost as remarkable. They play has an
4
"I have never believed that any, any battlement, any palace scene, easy flow and a sense of effortless- The documents are very charac- teristic. Puccini, probably the play engaging the full attention of and fix up Gertrude's bedroom withiness which tell the same tale of a most richly rewarded of modern the mind can afford the impera pair of red curtains." He thinks mind at work, a comprehensive With this de-it an "odd notion" that a play is as grasp of detali, and an eye for composers, acknowledges receipt tinences of decor." of a vuat sum of money as coolly vastating sentence Mr. James Agate much the work of the scene painter beauty.
His company is worthy of a as if he were commenting on the set me wondering last Sunday whe-and the electrician as of the drama-
great occasion. Frank Vospera weather. Berlioz tells at length ther he looks, upon "decor" as antist and the actor.
Because according to him, there Claudius, Jack Hawking's, Horatio; and with great pride how Paganini impertinence when It is Introduced came to him, and how deeply the into plays requiring complete con-were no "atmospheriats" before William Devlin's Ghost are all ex- latter was moved by "Benvenuto centration of the intelligence, or 1890 Mr. Agate belleves that Shake cellent. Jessica Tands's gentle was intending to indicate his re-speare would have had nothing to and, pathetic Ophelia is very mov- Handel, who lived in other daye, sentiment at extravagant or fantas-do with stylising and that his choice ing
Better still is George Howe's had to attend to trifles, and the tical features in stage scenery by of modern setting would have been
original playing, of Polonius as a exhibits include an "Indenture" styling. them "impertinences." In strictly representational. which will not be read without a either event his observation is pro Mr. Agate may or may not be little old dried-up apple of a man. correct in this interesing specula- And best is Laura Cowle's magni- amile. The indenture is between vocative.
So many other dieta by the same tion, but the modern playgoer is not ficently stupid, good-natured, self- the composer, and no less a per- sonage than the Duke of Argyle, authority in the same article con- so much concerned with the pro satisfied Gertrude a wonderful Master General of his Majesty's veyed his contempt and disregard blematical Shakespearean attitude example of what cay, be done with Ordnance, and concerns the lead-for a proper scenic equipment in as he is with the suitable and a part that can be purely dull
The ladies who call themselves ing of kettledrums, for the purpose any serious play' that I am tempted acceptable adjustment of antique
plays to modern "Motley" deserve very high praise of oratorio at the King's Theatre. today to challenge his opinions Shakespearean
Kettledrums "to best before upon this mast important and de tastes and tendencies in the theatre for the settings and dresses, which
and in art.
convey the atmosphere of 17th- train of artillery with heads com-batable subject of "decor."
century Europe and combine rich- pleat" must have been a very au- Contempt For Scenery.
I believe that an actor or actress ness of fancy with simplicity. perior article, but what a pother He holds, for instance, that "the about kettle and drum-sticks!
proper way to stage" "dipus of gentus can after the fashion of Score Of "Tannhauser" Rex" Ls to "tell the stage carpenter Buth Draper, dispense entirely with Not a few of the scores shown to throw a couple of pillars and a scenery and create an atmosphere tains," at least one lover of the are of very considerable, interest; staircase together," while the right exclusively relying upon individual theatre will be extremely annoyed two, however, stand above the way with "Hamlet" is to "fish out dramatic talent. But to refuse any with him.
There must always be balance be rest. The first is the full score of
able assistance of appropriate and tween decor and play. Each scene "Tannhauser," lithographed from Wagner's own manuscript. It is ments before completing the first harmonious "decor" is a negation in every serious play should be de common-sensa and common signed in such a way that it will not clearer than anything the printer-even in his mind.. Had he not of
and cannot be forgotten. It must can give us to-day, and had to be done so we should probably have justice.
80 produced, since no firm of mu-at least one full movement, for
Proper Settings
play, ancient or modern, the invalu-
Mr. Agate thinks, and there are be unforgettable, and yet it must sic publishers could be induced to the sketches of the first (including many who are of the same mida, not obtrude itself upon the players print it at its own risk The se-the orchestration) were well-ad-that the best scenery makes itself or the action of the play. It must forgotten as soon as seen. But in have that "rightness that all art cond is a fragment from Elgar's vanced when he died. Unfinished Third Symphony. Now of the whole symphony arguing for this form of evanescent calls for, that selected and inevita
It is an infinite pity that Elgar nothing is left us but a few dumb impression he merely expresses able fitness to the script that re- began his second and third move-Isheets. F. B.
York Building Chater Road.
KOMOR
KOMOR
HONG KONG
preference for that kind of art futes all criticism. And why dis jatudy which centres its pains upon miss the modern supplementary ad- a particular figure or feature, leavvantages of electric light and bril
ing & surround of unfinished and llant designs on the ground that they should only be applied to the indecisive shadows or blurs.
modern? Every play is entitled to its pro frivolous or the per setting. Backgrounds may be Lighting And Designs realistic impressionistle, stylistic, With lighting, as with decor, fantastic, positive or negative, but there is a subtle and peculiar justice. they must be chosen with Esthetic which only the true director of the regret care, a consideration of tone, tem-stage can apply. It per and note, appropriate to the table habit amongst trivial literary any at- time, the period and the dramatic people to spurn or igno pace of the playwright's creation, tempt to supplem
Gielgud's "Hamlet" _____ by illustrative That there are many "impertin: marriage of words and musle ences" in modarn decor no one too often an impediment familiar with the stage can deny, many Similarly the perfe
efforts
The
har
SUITABLE PRESENTS but to consign the grandeur, the between decor and place is difficult
FOR
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TAI
But the conscientious, and talent
oducer will alwa
Bubilmi
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would shriek to the
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