Incidental Music

THERE are signs that play-producers are becoming more

sensible and careful over the question of incidental music. Some...pi them are beginning to realize that music has the power of life and death in the theatre, and soon, maybe, we shall be able to drop the epithet "incidental," and adopt a

more significant word. For my part I am in favour of the single word "Music." Our programmes would then read :-

Wigs by Clarkson,

Carnations by Sylvester, Soda-Water. by .Schweppes, Music by Suppe.

Who has ever dared to announce that "the Incidental Dress worn by Mme. Delysia in the second act is by Robespierre ? "

Why, then ,should Music, of greater substance and import than any feminine robe, be thus slighted ?

The producing brotherhood in England is very unmusical, taken as a whole. It seems that an acute theatre-sense in an Englishman excludes the aural sense of beauty, just as the musical sense drives out histrionic feeling in most cases and prevents the development of English opera. Yet there are a few producers who take thought over the aptitude of the

music to be used in their plays, and even seek the advice of specialists in the matter.

INCIDENTAL MUSIC IN " MACBETH.",

I know nothing of Mr. Lewis Casson's musical intelligence. But his production of Macbeth at the Prince's Theatre reveals

that he is either a musician or, if not so, then a sensible man.

Re has elected to make use of Dr. Bantock's music, and not once during the whole play did I feel that the sound in the

air was assertive. It was relevant at every point —relevant without being didactic. The bagpipes wailed but once, and for that I was abundantly grateful ; for when I hear the pipes I am the kind of man whom Shylock had in mind in his speech on human idiosyncrasies. The score is entirely for wind and percussion, so that the range of expression is not very wide. Yet it is the more poignant on that account ; we are pierced by it in precisely the same way as we are pierced by the fierce lights and bleak perspectives of Mr. Ricketts' scenery. And when the grim festal music strikes up for the banquet at Porres we are as numb with terror as those staring humourless guests. At this point Dr. Bantock defines for us the very essence of what theatre-music should be : that is to say his music heightens the emotional stress .of tile action Without in any way calling attention to itself. Its quality is not incidental, but co* -incidental.

ACCIDENTAL MUSIC.

I confess that I expected to find a similar quality in the music played during the showing of the Faust film at the Albert Hall, especially as it was given out that Sir Landon Ronald was responsible for its arrangement. But in many ways the music was the least satisfactory part of the produc- tion. The playing of the Albert Hall orchestra was remark- ably unified, seeing that circumstances required the players to read their parts in a deeper than Celtic twilight. The choice of music, however, was not wisely, but too lavishly, made. It was accidental music, full of mental sharps and flats, and disturb- ing enharmonic changes of spirit. Continually it checked the development of the production, and as efficiently as a four- wheel brake. At one moment we accommodated ourselves to Gounod, to be suddenly made aware that Schumann had taken his place, and then Berlioz and afterwards Saint-Saens, and just as we had decided to be thoroughly uncomfortable, Gounod suavely entered again and invited us to sink back and be at ease. What a medley ! Yet a suitable medley in one way, for the film-producer himself could not decide which of the Faust-stories to employ, and so gave us a curiously quilted version which put the mind's eye terribly out of focus. And all the time I wondered and wondered why Busoni's music was left out of account. Failing that, why did not Sir Landon Ronald write the music himself.? He has proved before now that he can rise to occasions. BASIL MAINE.