Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-03-25


8. Merry Wives OF Windsor
Overture . .Nicolai 1s10-184C
Mrs. w. ID. Westervelt, Mrs. Ten
ney Peck, Mrs. Ray NJ. Allen,
= Mrs. Ketchum
Accompanies Mrs. Tenney Peel
and Miss Werthmueller
Two numbers which were originally
Included, by Mr.. Frank Moss, pianist
and by Mrs. Alexander Lindsay, vocal
80, were omitted on account OF pre-
venting circumstances.
Mrs. Atherton's paper was as fol
Nws: l..
SHAKESPEARE IN MUSIC.
BY MRS. FRANK c. ATHERToN.
tThe following authorities have
been consulted and freely quoted in
The preparation of this paper: Madge
anderson, Richard Aldrich, Henry
Finck and Louis c. Elson.)
This year of 1916 is the 300th an
iIiversary Of Shakespeare's death, and
his admirers all over the world have
Manned to do honor to his memory.
Lawyers will emphasize his legal
Mferences; physicians his medical
knowledge; theologians marvel at his
eFident study of their polemics, but
We believe that the musician has
more reason than any Of these to join
q the chorus of homage
Shakespeare loved our art. He I'M
obrstood It. He possessed a marvel
iIps grasp Of music as il was then de-
Neloped, for his lines are full of qulps
md turns referring to various instrtl-
A. g. M.
l'ons, and 70 the effect and value of
music.
Moreover, his knowledge was cor
ret. Few poets venture deeply into
unsical metaphor in their works and
hen they do there is great chance
Of their coming TO grief. Coleridge.
s. his "Ancient Mariner" causes the
|edding guest to hear the loud bas-
.oon.p In spite of the fact that the
L1ssoon is neither loud nor apt to
be prominent at a wedding feast. Ten
.Teon invites Maud to come into the
arden to hear the violin, flute and
.4ssoon," a combination which she
|ould not greatly care for IL her mu-
(. cal tastes were at all developed.
.1akespeare's musical metaphors,
|pWeYer, are almost invariably cor
Let.
Performances In Afternoon.
ID the Shakespeareen theater the
ItriOrmances generally began at 3
o'clock In the afternoon The must
ans sat in balcony and not in. front
. the stage, as is the present Gus
I'M Many of the ultra-fashionables
nd or reclined upon the stage itself,
ID which privilege they paid extra.
The band consisted Of eight or ten
|.rformers on hautboys. lutes. record
IS. comets, viols and portable or
ms. The "haut-boysr were wind in
ruments very like the oboes OF the
resent day. The recorder" was
.rhight flute with flageolet mouth
..1ce. From this instrument Shakes
|&are draws one Of his finest meta
Iors. In Hamlet" the players en-
||I with recorders. Hamlet says to
.IIldenstern:
will you play upon this pipe?"
My Lord, ! cannot"
~ pray you.r
Believe me, I cannot"
~ do beseech you.
n know no touch OF II, my Lord
It's as easy as lying: govern these
.Itaees with your finger and thumb.
Give 4 breath with your mouth and
Will discourse most eloquent mu-
. Look you. these are the stops.
But these ] cannot command to
1tlerance Of harmony. ! have
Ia TIE skill
why. look you now, how unworthy
hing you make OF me; you would
~ upon me: you would seem to
.W my stops: you would pluck out
heart OF my mystery; you would
.1d me from my lowest note to the
Is o[ my compass. and there is much
.Ic. excellent voice, In this little
|1n. yet you cannot make 1t speak.
.'oo6, do you think am easier to
played on than pine? Call me
nat instrument you will. though you
rs fret me. you cannot play upon
.lS Of Guitar Family.
The lutte was OF the guitar family.
.||1ough Il had several strings with
obi frets. These open strings caused
.|tat trouble In timing and returning
.|en the key changed One writer
..rs that If a lutte player reached
Ne age of so, he had probably spent
bout so years in tuning his instru-
M6nf. How much Shakespeare I'M
.orstood Of the lutte may be gathered
81 glance at the music teaching
Gene m aThe Tanning of the Shrew"
When Blanca says to Hortensio, "Oh
he. the treble jars" Lucentio adds,
spit In the hole, man, and tune
rain --here we have q glimpse OF
~ old musical custom. for when the
Pins slipped 1t was often the habit of
lie player to moisten them with sa-
IVA. which caused them TO swell
rifle and thus to hold better.
The ~cornet.s utterly unlike the one
81 the present, was curved instru-
.ent. usually OF wood, with finger
.I.n along its snrfaca Shakes aare,s