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THE : MARSH ALL-H ALL INTER
VIEW.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE AGE.
, Sir, — I have hitherto refrained from paying
any attention to innuendo or attack of
the kind, 'but' I cannot allow Professor
Marshall-Hall's attempt to mislead the pub
lic mind and to impugn the honor of my
school in the' University to pass unchal
lenged. ' Nothing the University under
takes is undertaken for the private gain of
any individual or individuals, and every
penny exacted in fees is administered by
the council. The balance sheets of the
Conservatorium and of its examination
scheme, 'properly audited and adopted by
the council, are published every year in
the "University Calendar," and the public
knows that it is the national institution
itself, its students and promising young
musicians in every part of the State who
are the beneficiaries under the highly suc
cessful scheme. The claims of these young
Victorians are investigated by the oniy pos
sible machinery, viz., examination, and
many 'of tbem, already artists and teachers
of music, have cause to bless the scheme
which enabled tlicm to equip themselves
for their profession. Mr. D. J. Coutts,
Miss Bella Whitley, Mr. Harold Elvins,
Mr. William Murdoch are only a few of
those whose names are now well known,
and who have benefited by the exhibitions
awarded at the University Conservatorium
after .examination.
Mr. Laver has corrected two glaring mis
statements in the interview about the liis-
: tory of the University Gonscrvatoriuni, and
' the effect upon it of the establishment of
tlie East Melbourne Conservatorium in
1901.- Professor Maraliall-Hal himself now
explains bow lie did not mean what he
said about single subjects, and about all
'his' students being musicians, and not
merely singers or pianists, and has shown
what he really intended to mean when he
explained what lie docs now, instead of
what lie used to do in the days when he
had no competition from other private in
stitutions.
I beg to supply, one further - cor
rection, after which I think the remainder
of the interview may be. allowed to stand
on what merits it lias left. Examinations
have many dangers and many unsatisfac
tory features which all educationists
deeply deplore, but no means has ever been
devised as a substitute for the universal
system. Professor Marshall-Hall's students
are subjected to examination from time
to time, and in due course some of them
at least receive their diploma. lie awards
exhibitions by the same method, and he
invites even non-students of the Conserva
torium to present themselves for a teach
er's certificate, which lie is prepared to
give after examination. In these examina
tions lie call have the assistance of Mr.
Scliarf's experience, gained at the Uni
versity examinations, also that guined by
Mr. Iiartiing, who examines for the Regis
tration Board, under the regulations which
I drafted for the Education department
some years ago, and which stand almost
verbatim in the East Melbourne prospec
tus'. Madame Wiedcrmann, to whose ser
vices to music, in Melbourne Mr. Marshall-
Hall pays so well-deserved a tribute, is a
laureate of the Vienna .Conservatorium;
that high honor was not conferred without
the most searching examination of her
qualifications. Mr. Scharf is described as
the bolder of the Moscheles prize for
pianoforte playing in the Leipzig Conserva
torium— won at an examination. M;
Paderewski, Herr Rosenthal, Professor
Popper, Mr. Borwick and many other very
distinguished artists have Bpokeh to me of
their interesting experiences as 'examiners
for the great prizes offered to artistic stu
dents in the old world — the gold medals
and valuable exhibitions at the various
European conservatoriums. "he Prix de
Rome itself, the blue ribbon of the most
complete, the most magnificent conserva
toire in. the world, is awarded after ex
amination. In short, this tirade against
all examinations and the vcrv crude asser
tion that the work and . achievement of
musical: students is. something beyond and
above all possibility of being tested by
mwrUl- are nlikff dunnffMiumui and ful.ilp —
/Yours, Ac., FRANKLIN PETERSON.
I University, 7th September.- .: - .
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