ROYAL OPERA, COVENT GARDEN.

'CONCHITA.'

There is a good deal that is suggestive of the coster wooing in the plot' of the latest new opera produced by the Royal Opera Syndicate at Covent Garden. It is styled 'Conchita,' but in spite of its Spanish colouring the theme is identical in spirit with that of the wooers of the lower classes in England, who regard violence as a proof of affection. This makes the second 'new' opera that has as its basis some theme dealing with the lowest phase of humanity. What must in politeness be termed the leading 'idea' of 'Conchita' has been taken from the novel La Femme et le Pantin,' by Pierre Louys, whose story, however, is a very different thing from the highly-imaginative plot evolved by the Italian librettists, MM. Vaucaire and Zangarini. They in their unwisdom present a psychological problem to be solved on the stage. They show Conchita, a cigarmaker, wooed by Mateo, who seems to be a prosperous individual. The conventionalities are observed. Conchita introduces her lover to her mother. The lover gives the mother some money; the daughter finds it out, and will have nothing to do with her too kindly lover. She goes off, and, like the child who threatened to go out and catch the measles to spite his parents, earns her living by dancing in a café. Advance report said this dance was something very wonderful. It is not. However, Mateo finds her at the café, and induces her to go away and take up her abode in one of his residences. But when he gets there he finds the door barred against him, and Conchita all smiles for somebody else. In time she makes her way to her kind but broken hearted lover, who receives her in the way she possibly expected all along, and knocks her about to an extent that would have resulted in a heavy police-court fine in England. Conchita is satisfied, and the curtain falls upon billing and

cooing.

air.

The composer has set himself a hard task to illustrate such a psychological situation. He has done it well in a way, for his score is one of the most thoughtful and original that has come from Italy. The design is that of Charpentier, and is seen in the representation of things invisible, mysterious voices of the night, and sights and sounds that are in the The execution is in the free-speaking style of Richard Strauss. The whole is welded together with skill, not to say genius, all the more remarkable since the composer has not yet reached his third decade. But, like Debussy, he has forgotten that the interest in opera must be on the stage and not in the orchestra. Great as that is, especially in the symphonic interludes, it cannot sustain interest without there is action on the stage. Failing that, the thing becomes an illustrated symphonic-poem. This, clever and wonderful though it be, is not opera. Signor Zandonai must try again, and develop the sense of the theatre which he, as an Italian, ought to possess. Moreover, he must write more gratefully for the voices. These were used as orchestral instruments, and in the case of the tenor, Signor Schiavazzi, who took the part of the lover, it was a remarkably disagreeable instrument. Signorina Tarquini had more pleasant quality and acted well. The mounting was magnificent. It is to be hoped that the Syndicate received their reward for their unusual enterprise in producing a work in London within a year of its initial hearing on the Continent; but the only question that remains is whether it was worth while.

For the rest of the season, which closed at the end of July, there have been repetitions and extracts from the répertoire. It is only necessary to record the revival of Puccini's Girl of the Golden West,' which has very soon found its level; the farewell of Madame Tetrazziní a fortnight before the end of the season; and the success of M. Paul Franz and Signor Cellini and of Madame Donalda-the last two appearing in 'I Pagliacci' with good results. In the same opera M. Seveilhac sang. He was known to Covent Garden for many years as a baritone, but has added a top story to his voice, which enables him to assume tenor parts. The Russian Ballet a certain draw at all times-has added Narcisse,' with music by M. Tcherepnine, a very charming and artistic illustration of the legend.

Dr. Thomas Keighley has been appointed conductor of the Stockport Vocal Union.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.

The twenty-ninth annual general meeting of the Corporation was held on July 9. In the absence of the President, H.R.H. Prince Christian, the chair was taken by the Earl of Plymouth.

The report of the Council, which was read by Mr. Charles Morley, the hon. secretary, stated that the number of pupils at the beginning of the College year, May, 1911, was 401. At the close of the year the total was 425, while the number of pupils whose names were on the register in the course of the year was 521. Fifteen free open scholarships became available for distribution in March last, and preliminary examinations were held at sixty centres throughout the United Kingdom. The total number of candidates was 430, of whom 139 attended the final competition at the College.

The following awards were presented by the chairman : The Challen Gold Medal for pianoforte-playing, Douglas G. A. Fox; the John Hopkinson medals for pianoforteplaying, gold Miss Jennie Wilson, silver Miss Bertha Nottingham. The gold medal given by Rajah Sir Surendro Mohun Tagore, in commemoration of the marriage of The King and Queen, for the most generally deserving pupil of the year, was won by Miss Emmie Gregory.

ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC.

The annual prize-giving took place at Queen's Hall on July 19, when Mrs. Threlfall distributed the awards. The Principal, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, delivered an address, in which he described the foregoing academic year as probably the most important and certainly the most strenuous and busy in the history of the Academy. After referring to the recent opening ceremony of the new building, and to the loss the Academy had sustained by the death of Mr. Alberto Randegger and Mr. Henry Rose, Sir Alexander pointed out that a special course for teachers, with an elaborately-devised series of lecture-lessons given by eminent experts, had been initiated and was then in full operation. It could not be said, he continued, that at the present moment the education of children was being neglected. The elaborate plans now laid in many places to perfect the system of their training sometimes filled him with apprehension, not so much for the children as for the teachers of the future, who would seem to be expected to develop into something little short of a separate species of supermen and superwomen.

So much was being done for the young that the greatly augmented demands made upon the teacher, and what ought to be an equivalent remuneration, were being lost to view. Sir Alexander then referred to the prosperity of the Academy. He mentioned the new prize of ten guineas presented by Mr. Edward T. Nicholls for lady pianists, to be competed for at the next annual examination, and the similar sum for violoncellists presented by Mrs. Huth.

The proceedings were opened with a short chamber concert given by students.

Rube prize (ensemble playing) to Edgar Hawke, Frank The prizes were distributed as follows: The Charles Howard, Willie Davies, and Ambrose Gauntlett; the Julia Leney prize (harp) to Hilda S. Colton; the ParepaRosa prize (sopranos) to Phoebe Cooke; the Mario prize (baritones) to Albert Brown; the Westlake Memorial prize (pianoforte) to Adela Hamaton, Francis Klein being highly commended.

The following scholarships and exhibitions will be open for competition about the middle of September: The Campbell Clarke Scholarship for a lady vocalist; the Stainer Exhibition of £20 for organ-playing, open to students entering the Academy; four Ada Lewis Scholarships for singing, pianoforte, organ, viola, and violoncello, not open to students of the Royal Academy of Music or the Royal College of Music; the Baume (Manx) Scholarship, for promise in any branch of music, open to candidates of Manx Particulars may be obtained from ancestry or residence. the Secretary, Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road. took place at the Criterion Restaurant on July 20, when The annual dinner of the Royal Academy of Music Club Dr. W. H. Cummings proposed the toast of the Royal Academy of Music and its Principal.'

We give a photograph of the recent opening ceremony on the opposite page.

Air, Inflammatus' ('Stabat Mater')

Miss Ella Caspers. Suite for orchestra, 'The wasps (Aristophanes)

G. von Holst. York Bowen. Dvorák.

R. Vaughan Williams. The Phantastes' of Mr. von Holst well repaid the performing. Of late he has shown a distinct leaning towards characteristic atmosphere in his orchestral compositions, and he has shown an exceptional individuality in the achievement of it. This Suite is a strong case in point. Each number works out, in a manner that is at once interesting, entertaining and musically attractive, a 'programme' the illustration of which is not a task to be entered upon lightly. We have no space to mention more than one-a March labelled with two quotations :

6

'The Jabberwock with eyes of flame

of the rest.

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as he came';

and, We strongly advise the student to use only natural horns.' The 'Lewis-Carrolism' of the poem could be recognised in the music, and a good-humoured jibe at the professorial dictum was made by giving prominence to a theme of open notes on the horn that would not fit the tonality Dr. Vaughan Williams's Suite suffered from its position at the end of a long programme and from its own length, as well as from its transplantation from the theatre to the concert-hall, but succeeded in making a definite impression in its favour. Some of its musical characterization is cunningly devised, and interesting points of design and thematic invention were continuous. Mr. Balfour Gardiner's Overture made an excellent beginning. The soloists and their music all received, and thoroughly deserved, a good reception. At the end of Mr. Sammons's technically brilliant performance of M. Saint-Saëns's music the composer, who was seated in the circle, was called upon to acknowledge a warm greeting

from the audience.

We think we are safe in saying that apart from the Handel Festival Choir, which is exceptionally recruited, no better large choir than that of the Nonconformist Choir Union has ever appeared on the Crystal Palace orchestra. The execution of every one of the choral numbers was clear and finished, and there was often-as in the Elliott part-song and the charming folk-song In silent night,' as arranged by Brahms a wonderful delicacy of expression. The anthem, 'A song of joy,' was effective because of its breadth and quietly vocal character. The composer, Mr. John E. West, had a great

reception when he came forward to receive acknowledgments from choir and audience. Miss Manson, the soprano soloist, has just the sort of voice and style for the huge auditorium, and she was a popular success. The credit for the general excellence of the choral and orchestral performance is due to and showed that he had contrived to gain complete control Mr. Frank Idle, who conducted with commendable decision, of the army of executants he had to face. The organist was Mr. J. A. Meale. He played his solo brilliantly and earned an insistent encore.

We suggest that various incidents and delays were allowed unduly to lengthen the proceedings. The last few pieces would have been even more enjoyable than they were if the audience had not been somewhat fatigued.

LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. The dates and conductors of the twelve Monday evening concerts to be given during the 1912-1913 season by this Orchestra are as follows: October 28 and November 11. Herr Fritz Steinbach ; November 25 and December 9, Sir Edward Elgar; January 27, Herr Steinbach; February 10, Mr. Hamilton Harty; March 10, M. Wassili Safonoff; May 26 and June 2, Herr Mengelberg; June 9, 16, and 23. Herr Nikisch. The concerts commence at 8 p.m.

London Concerts.

A Students' Orchestral Concert of the Royal College of Music took place under Sir C. Stanford's direction on June 20, and was as usual a surprising exhibition of technical ability and resourcefulness. The inclusion and performance of Dukas's 'L'Apprenti sorcier' showed how far ambitions and attainments have been extended in recent years. The chief work played was a new set of Variations on a Chinese melody,' by Mr. E. Goossens (exhibitioner), who conducted it. The orchestration was the best among its many good features. Mr. Antonio Piedra played Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole,' Miss Rosalie Stokes played Liszt's 'Hungarian Fantasia,' and Miss Mary Congreve Pridgeon sang.A further orchestral concert was given on June 19, when Mr. J. Alan Taffs, the new Mendelssohn scholar, played the solo part of Dr. A. Somervell's Symphonic Variations for pianoforte and orchestra, ‘Normandy,' with great fluency and expressiveness.

A further 'Hamlet' concert was given at Earl's Court on June 22, when Symphonic-poems by Tchaikovsky and Edward German, an Overture by Joachim, and an Overture. Dirge, and Danish dance by Mr. Norman O'Neill were given under Sir Henry Wood's direction.

Madame Mysz-Gmeiner and Mr. Huberman, both artists with a command of style, gave a concert at Queen's Hall on June 28. The interest of the occasion was heightened by the performance of three Bach Arias with violin obbligato. These were 'Erbarme dich,' from the 'St. Matthew' Passion, 'Mein Jesus macht mich geistlich reich,' and 'Mein gläubiches Herz.' Madame Mysz-Gmeiner also sang Brahms's Zigeunerlieder,' and Mr. Huberman played Brahms's Sonata in D minor.

Mr. Frank Lambert was assisted by well-known artists in giving a concert of his songs at Steinway Hall on July 1. The programme included many old favourites of the balladloving public. Signorina Calosso also brought forward a number of her compositions at Æolian Hall on July 3.

Many new songs by Madame Poldowski (Lady Dean Paul) were heard in the course of her concert at Eolian Hall on July 4. She is one of the most imaginative and delicately fanciful of our lady composers, and her settings of Verlaine's poems were in many cases perfect reproductions of their sentiments in music. In spirit and style Madame Poldowski's music belongs to the modern French school. The programme included a Violin sonata, played by Mr. Tivadar Nachez. The vocalists were Miss Maggie Teyte and Mr. Gervase Elwes.