AMATEUR OPERA CLUB.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 261, 4 November 1890, Page 8

AMATEUR OPERA CLUB.

♦•THE SORCERER."

A BRILLIANT SUCCESS.

There is no doubt that Auckland is a musical place. It is equally certain that ifca inhabitants are devoted to light and comic opera. Whenever any of the Australian Operatic Companies come over they are sure of good bouses. Done by strangers, everyone flocks to see the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, Planquette or Cellier; but when by friends and relations, there is a regular rush to the Opera House. Everyone must see it then. And it is natural and right that it should be so. It is aboub the moat enjoyable thing in life to see somebody we like scoring big honours in front of the public. Private theatricals have al we ys been, and always will be popular, and if this is true about theatricals it is fifty times more so of comic opera. It affords much greater chances for pretty dressing and diaplay generally. More can take part in it, and it is therefore more interesting. There must have been many and many a proud mother and sister, not to mention sister and brother, and who knows perhapslorer.inthe audience last night. For " The Sorcerer" was a great and undeniable success. It may, of course, be said that "all critics are liars." Yet the fact remains to be recorded that the Amateur Opera Club have added another triumph to their already rery respectable list. The success which they hava and undoubtedly will achieve is due to persevering efforts on the part of everyone from Herr Schmitu and Mr Tayler to the tiny page Hercules. Everyone worked well and the result) was eminently satisfactory. "The Sorcerer" is an old favourite and well known. The arduous task of explaining the plot is therefore and most happily needless. We can proceed directly to the way in which the opera was played. And first of all of course we must take the music. To Herr Carl Schrnitt are due not only the laudations of the public, which were freely bestowed, but the thanks of everyone concerned.' Moat certainly no better conductor could have been wished. He had most admirable hold of his orchestra, and his management of the chorus bespoke geuius as well as infinitepaine. To conductwelllooks so easy. Few people know what a fearful amount of labour has to be endured before the conductor can sit serene on his perch, and when the bell is rung guide a large company and orchestra through a long and complicated score. The professor is, however, a past master in the art. He had not the bosli of materials to work on so far as instrumentalists were concerned perhaps, but he is a good workman and has turned out good honest work. Hβ never let them get uproarious, as is the tendency with amateur orchestras.

Mr Tayler, who has done all the incalculable work connected with stage management, as well aa his long and arduous parfe y deserves a good deal more praise than we can give him and keep ourselves free from the charge of "over-doing it." Of his performance of the parb of the Sorcerer we shall have to speak later; ib waa a simply "great" impersonation. His stage management must have entailed great worry and wear and tear. The result, however, justifies the most supreme of hie efforts. It has been our lot to see many choruses (amateur ones), and without flattery or adulation it may be Baicl we have never seen more effective grouping, finer trained movement, or bettor manoeuvring. All the heme of •' stage business" were thoughtful and good, and the way in which the dances were arranged capital. Only those who have tried to stage manage have the slightest conception of how difficult, ib is to keep the stage in such a condition thafc the people whom the author meant to prove the centre of attraction at a certain moment shall, indeed, be so. A single chorus girl out of place would spoil a whole picture eomefcimes, and so on right through. Ib is all a question of detail. Mr Tayler accomplished everything with most surprising success. Hβ is to be naoet warmly congratulated. Hie efforts were thoroughly appreciated.. ' Of course the principal lady is Aline, Miss Buckland. She ie an old favourite, and we all knew would do well. She exceeded, however, our expectations. She has improved immensely. Her voice is not over strong.. One wishes she had more power sometimes, but she has sweetness and wonderful expression, and is a capital actress. Her conception of the role of Aline was good, and her interpretation consistent. She deserved all the applause she got (it was immense), and all the floral tributes. "Happy Young Heart" was indeed excellently sung, and well deserved the encore which was demanded, Her singing of the aria " Let us Fly to the Far - off Land!' too, waa perfect, and in the duet with Alexia and in the quintette she sang with rare taste and feeling. To say that she looked pretty were weak. No wonder Alexis was in love with her. The white drees with the garden hat waa specially becoming and effective. She 1 wore ib in the first act.

Mise Clara Steele wa3 one of the new lights in the Club. Her performance of the part of Lady Sangazure was a very creditable one." She was especially good in the minuet dueb with tho patter interlude, "Welcome Joy." She looked very well too. Mr Wella'e hardness of heart was hard to underatand. She ought, hewever, to study the minuet more. ■ Misa Warren was good as Constance. She has a very good idea of acting, and her voifce is a pure and strong soprano, if nob entirely sympathetic. Her enunciation is clear, every'word is distinguishable ; sometimes, in facb, she. sacrificed expression to this, but on the whole she made a decided hjt. She is undoubtedly-an acquisition to the company. Her acting is, as we have eaid, good. She knows of herself what to do—haa the acting inatincfc, in fact, and will therefore remain in the front rank always. -. She was heard to .advantage in the arias, " When He ie Near " and " Dear Friends, Take Pity." Her by-play with the very plain old man—who was, by the way, excellent—deserves praise and special notice. ■ ■ Mrs all • thsb could be desired. Mrs Clutsam saw every point she bad, and made most of them score their full value. Her make-up was very good. Her singing in the quintette was highly creditable, as was her acting. And now for the men. ; ' -The whole opera centres rouncLand in the Sorcerer himself. .It is an opera which somehow reminds one of the nursery rhyme about

The very little girV.the pretty little girl. ' "Who had a little curl on her forehead, And when she was good, Bhe was rery very good, . . '' ~. Aad -when she was bad she was horrid.

With a bad actor for John Wellington Wells the "Sorcerer" would-indeed be " horrid," bub with Mr Tayler it is V very very good." Hie performance certainly cpuld not be; better. He has a thorough appreciation of the'great opportunities offered by the part, and he is able to take the fullest), advantage of them. .It is generally very'unwise to compare professionals and amateurs,- but Mr Tayler could certainly act alongside Mr Grossmith, at the . Savoy, and nob feel abashed, and he would,'to use a vulgar expression, make the provincial "Sorcerers" look extremely foolish. His singing of tho great patter song was indeed excellent. in fact, hie rendition of the part was not only adequate, but masterly. Mr Jackeon, as Alexis, delighted everyone. He was in perfect voice, and sang— as an Australian ■prima donna in the dress circle remarked^sweebly. His rendering of the ballad, /.'i'br Love Alone," was exqwjsifce, and so" was "/It is Not Love." I.tia long, .in fact, since we have heard a more i beautiful air better sung. Mr Jackeon/e

acting is immensely improved. His stiffness now ie nob due to etageness, but his accident. He has learnt to infuse a vast amount more feeling and expression into his voice than heretofore. His singing in the duet " Oh Love, True Love," was excellent. His improvement in recitative was also very marked. Mr Dufaur, as Dr. Daly, was in great form. He has a fine voice and knows bow to use it. He was heard to great advantage in the solo, "Time was When Love and I," and the quintette, " She will Tend Him," but it was in the song " Engage to So-and-So " that he scored his greatest triumphs. His acting was quiet, dignified, but finished. Hβ might make a little more of the part in places perhaps, but quietness is better than over acting after all.

Mr Chambers, ag Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre, was good, as usual. He acquitted himself well throughout, and gave a very conscientious and consistent reading of the part. He is a trifle stiff in the minuet and takes rather a line of his own in the quintette, but he makes up for it) in other places. His make-up was capital, and he was dignified throughout. Altogether, as Dr. Daly would cay, he ia good, distinctly good. Mr P. C. Hamerton was an efficient notary, and a capital "very plain old man"— one was quite sorry he had not a better

part. Tha chorus was the best amateur chorus it has been our lot to see. They should, however, remember that the audience are looking at them all the time, and that the instructions in stage business given by Mr Tayler and admirably carried out are only hints for the whole-time acting. Last night they acted when they had been told to act and trained, and then sbared at the audience. This was noticeable in the Rcene where they are supposed to be in love. After the first raptures—admirable, thanks to Mr Tayler—they became indifferent. The acting and the amorousness must be kept up throughout. Had the chorus been one tithe less good than it was, the fault would not have been noticed. It was only grey, but it showed up against the bright white of trained excellence. Aa for the scenery and general staging, ib was excellent. The scenery reflects the highest credit on Mr Thornton, and the limelight effects were very satisfactory. Altogether, in fact, " The Sorcerer " is a thorough success. It will run to good houses several nights.