MUSICAL JOTTINGS,
Local Musle-Taste in Records
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,
posed of such a curious assort but at 7:30 there was no sign of ment of Instruments should be him and the audience was bocom- reserved for jazz. If they desire ing very impatient, clapping and to supply better-class misle for stamping feet, until someone.. their patrons, let them excludo not eventually announced from the only the cornet, but the saxaphone Platform: Mr. Pachmann is In and banjo, and if it is impossible Manchester and is still coming." to engage a 'cellist, let the pianist This "restored the good-humour. and violinist carry on alone. The Soon after 7.30 he put in an violinist is all right, really. Prob appearance and insisted that all ably he wouldn't get out of tune, the platform lights be turned out. audible only to a few front rowa, He then delivered a long address,
Paderewski & Pachmann.", Ďuring the fortnight, we have had two local concerts. One was on Aug. 6th at the Volunteer Paride ground, which would have been better attended but for the if he could hear what he was uncertainty of the weather. playing. Apart from Mr. Gardiner's solos
and Miss Jefford's dancing, theIn the last issue of these notes, programme was sustained by the East Surreys' Band. The Preas
I remarked that the task of try
as to why he was late, and com
plained of the discomfort of his have been surprised had he dis shirt and cuffs. Nobody would
effect that there was too much records for criticism purposes 13 through all the paraphernalia of criticism of the concart was to the ing over dozens of indifferent carded them. As usual, he went i of the "all too familiar popular which my colleague, "Marcato,"
altogether. too
drivelling, for having his piano-stool adjusted, marches, and selections from praids me in a local conter gleefully patting the assistant on comic opera.". But I suspect that.
the back as he altered the height. had there been fewer of them (porary. "It is no longer true to to humour him. In the next ten accuse the present-day gramo- minutes ho made several false there would have been complaints phone of being tinny or drivelling" on that score. As it was, it was says he, and he proceeds to starts, getting up to dust the apparently not "popular" enough eulogise the wonders of the latest plano, to look at:hle list of ploces for some of those present. There instruments, emphasizing their and to recall the long-suffering satisfied with any programme musical life of the people. With towards 8 o'clock the concert are always some who are never important contribution to the assistant to alter the stool back to its original position. However, unless avery piece it contains is this I am in agreement and my really commenced. In the middia familiar to them. Their very friend has limited list of known pieces is the
remarks. I did not describe of Chopin's Fantasia he took only musical fure they are ever the gramophone ag
exception to a door being open and a drivelling shouted instructions to close it. likely to desire, and they feel
Instrument. I referred to the peeved if any unfamiliar: works character of a large number of the During the Nocturne in B (in the are served up to them. Such records which are included in the place where, as mentioned above, folk have their spirited pro new lists, each month.
talking is heard on the record), tagonists who, in the event of their Wagner excerpt, Chaliaping solo, he seemed to be spotting bogies being "rubbed up the wrong way." Schubert quartet or instrumental in various parts of the hall. dub their opponents "highbrows." work, you get ten "Popular Songs did a sort of jig, first on one foot, After a mazurka; he got up and
Prince of Wales," "I hear you of Yesterday," "God Bless the
calling me." "Floral Dance," "If
It would certainly be nice to
have another orchestral concert
misunderstood my
For one
every item was interspersed with
then on the other, Naturally.
of fairly good music, such as the could only make you care," comments, to the effect that he.
was hot and tired and that nobody
Band gave us once before, but the Blue Belle of Scotland" and could play as well as he: The Parade Grgand would not be the Rones of Picardy, It is drivelsensation of the evening was place for it. There are many ling to listen to some of these new immediately after the interval, who hope that before the depar, records of pieces that ought to which was supposed to be for ture of the regiment, the Band have been buried long ago. With will once more be heard in the dance music, it is us bad. Theatre Royal in such a pro-
one catchy fox-trot there are gramme. The BUCCUBS of the
dozens of indifferent ones. It previous performance proves how stands to reason that if "Valencia much it can be appreciated is held to be the beat of recent
We have had another successful following are extracts from the local press comments:
concert at the K C. C. The
Mrs. F. E. Lawrence captivated the audience as usual with her fing soprano voice."
....
The outstanding successes of the evening were Mrs. F. E. Law- rence, whose rich contralto was
For
Afteen minutes. Pachmann re- turned after five minutes, so that the hall was half-empty. When he had played a prelude, an inter- minable string of people fled up the gangways. After watching dance records, the other produc- tions must be pretty bad. Even them for some time he got up and the best of gramophones, would
jokingly ushered them in, clapping not make it worth while to listens hands and waying his arms, to hackneyed ballads or all the Finally, when the procession up commonplace fox-trots that are
the aisle" had dwindled and only turned out by the score and have their places, he ran to the piano two walked furtively forward to an average life of three weeks.
and played a few bars of Mendels- * *
sohn's Wedding March. This brought the house down. There
1
祷
A discussion arose the other
doubly attractive in such sur-day as to who is the world's greatest pianist at the present roundings," atc., etc.
time. It is not so difficult to place
Another referred to her voice na
a "sweet soprano."
Better split the difference and call her a "mezzo," next time,
-Lot me add that the Telegraph was correct in describing the singer as a contralto.
Mr. Enger contributed comic songs from a repertoire which, according to one. paper, is "remarkable for its clean and antisfying humour." I don't know Mr. Eager very well, but fail to see why the fact of his humour "being "clean and satisfying" should strike anyone as remark
able,
is only one artist who could carry on like that. and "get away with it. The musical world will lose
a small number of virtuosos an outstanding figure and extra- among the greatest artists, but ordinary genius when Pachmann opinions will always differ as to really does retire. It is impos- who should be placed on the sible for him to carry on much highest pedestal. I think opinion longer. We are left with
THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1926.
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The
the French pianist, at the head of will recur and conjure up com- the list, with Godowsky, parisons whenever and wherever Rachmaninoff and Hofmann' any of Chopin's works are being among the first half-dozen.
performed. old names that occur to one, such as Paderewski and Pachmann, are those of pianists who have had their day, but in their prime these two have probably roused more enthusiasm than any pianist since Rubenstein."
'Great as was Pachmann's opinion of himself, there was one Chopin player for whom he ex- pressed the profoundest admira-
He
tion, and that was Godowsky. Paderewski very seldom appears would never lose an opportunity The other day I visited a locul "restaurant at tiffin-time and had in public now and his perform- of hearing him, and a friend of not got more than half way ances are but a shadow of his mine was present on one occasion through my soup before a terrible former" triumphs. People will when Pachmann was sitting in the fanfare caused me to leap from always flock to hear him, not front row of the stalls at a my seat. Looking in the direction because they expect a great per- Godowsky recital. Carriod away whence this noise umanated, Iformance, but because they hope with his enthusiasm for the music, discovered an orchestra had start- that at some moment or other he not only kept up an audible ep operations. Now this criticism there will be a suggestion of the running comment for the benefit is meant kindly.
Even though of his nearest neighbours, but The manage-old Paderewski. ment are to be congratulated on disappointed, they will go yet continually rose from his seat, their attempt to provide a musical again with the same hope in their faced about and addressed the audience on how much greater programme, but if they are out hearts..
pianist Godowsky was than himself, until he was forcibly It placed in "his seat again.
a
or
must have been very annoying to Godowsky, but later, in the "green room," they were found to be the best of friends.
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Ae for Pachmann, who has been might effect an improvement on the lines indicated below. Prob. giving his positively last farewell ably the orchestra excels at dance recitals for thirteen years music of that I cannot judge, more, he is getting very old and though I have heard it praised frall, and cannot tackle the big The H.M.V. highly--but a more appalling col-works any longer. lection of instruments for inter-recently started to make a new preting overtures and such pieces series of Pachipann records by cannot be conceived. There was the latest process, in order to get thebeat reproductions of his a pianist, of course, and violinist, but the rest was made playing for historical interest. up of a tornet, saxaphone, banjo After the issue of three or four, and árum. The two latter were we have heard nothing further, quite harmless since they were and one suspects that it has been absolutely inaudible, owing to the impossible to induce Mr. Pack- predominance of the saxaphone mann to make any more," although
London, Aug. 18. and cornet. It was, the cornet he is very pleased with the results
The death is announced of Lady indeed that did most of the obtained. It was a difficult matter damage, and it would be far better to persuade him to make any at Strathcona. She will be succeed- if the management would excuse all, and a large audience had to ed to the title by her son, the Hon. him during the daytime and utilise be provided to make him.think he Donald S., P. Howard, MP., and his services only at dance hours. was in a concert hall. He talked there will thus be a parliamentary GROWING AMSTERDAM. circles, while the plan of making
A PARLIAMENTARY BY-
ELECTION:
I had a friend with me who has an to this audience, as he has always vacancy created for the Division, exceptionally sensitive ear-drum, done; and the words are of course of North Cumberland, which he and towards the end of the band's distinguishable on the records. has represented since 1922, struggles with Rossini's "Italians One of the series is Chopin's Reuter.
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Cables “JOSSTREE" Hongkong.
à seperate canal for passing boats, thus minimising the traffic on the river along the town, has had to be dropped on account of the ex- popse, d
in Algeria he had become quite Nocturne in B, in which he con-
[The late Lady Strathcona was "If that is how Italians tinually plays the left hand before pale. behave in Algeria, I don't wonder the right and makes several Baroness in her own right and. the tribes revolt," said he, wincing remarks towards the close of the was only child of Lord Strathcona, as a particularly blatant note froma plece. On the other side is the the Canadian pioneer. "Her Heir is the cornet caused the boy to start impromptu in sharp, from Parliamentary Secretary to Defind a way of linking up the old and passengers. The plan sub- violently and upset the lemon-which he omits several bars to partment of Overseas Trade,] squash. Even the violinist was wards the end; probably not as an submerged by the weird tiddley-intentional cut but through bits which blared forth from the lapso of memory. brass instruments, but seeing that
Passengers lanving by the Em presa of Asia to-day included Mr he was frequently out of tune this. I last heard old Pachnunn at and Mrs. K. M. Fetterley, Profes- did not matter quite so much.the Free Trade Hall in Mansor J. Anderson, MraB. Montague I bog, respectfully to suggest to chester, in 1919. The concert Ede, Mr. D. McMurray and Mr. F. the management that a band com was timed to commence at 7 p.m. Hobbs.
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blem of linking up the banks of For many years the Amsterdam the river can only be solved by n Council has been endeavouring to tunnel for trams, motor traffic, mitted, however, did not find town with the quickly growing general approval, as it would de Guburb north of the river If It viate a good deal and thus was first believed that a regular very long in comparison with the ferryboat service would be sui distance between the banks and clent, but events have proved the would be adjoining Central Sta to be reconsidered. It is esti fallacy of that calculation. The tion. The scheme fs, accordingly, idea of building bridge meets mated that the tunnel will cost a strong opposition in shipping million and a quarter sterling,
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