MISS AMY CASTLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 114, 15 May 1902, Page 2

MISS AMY CASTLES.

FAREWELL CONCERT.

The Amy Castle Concert Company gave their second and final concert of -the series last evening at- the Opera House. The audience was a large and enthusiastic one, and treated each executant as thcugn they had heen friends of longstanding. Miss Castles was again warmly welcomed, and received vociferous recalls after eacn of her efforts. as her Cist scena she chose Elvira's mad song,

'"Qui la voce," trom Bemm's "X Jfuritam,' a solo in wnieu is brought out not only that rare gift for expressing patnos in meiouy, tor wnich tlie composer is so famous, but tne sweetest of tnemes and most graceful of embedisninents. Tne sc.oist gave a successrul \rendering of it. Her lloriti runs were sung clearly and with freedom, tne Chromatic cadenza was fluently executed, and tne liead notes rang out with clearness and were tru_y intoned. No sooner naci tne waves of melody passed into silence . tlian tlie singer was most heartily applauued, and was the recipient of several floral emblems, ana in reply to a determined recall she favoured tne audience with Wiileby's nne oanad, ".The i?'our-leaved Clover." Her second solo was Gounod's line aria, "Jerusalem," which she gave a capital delivery of. Ax its ending she was twice summoned forward, whereupon she sang an Irish Folk song, by Foote; this resulted in the singer being again recalled, when she gave " Home Sweet Home." Sigoor Dani, the tenor, was in great demand, and won the honours of the evening- after he had sung Donizetti's beautiful romanza, " Una i'urtiva Lagrima," a som found in tne second act of Donizetti's " L'Eisir d'Amore." It was rendered with great charm of voice, the artist causing its enchanting melodies to rise and fall upon the delighted senses with the most thrilling effect, and that the enthusiasm of his hearers knew no bounds when he had finished was not to be wondered at. . It would "have said little for their musical education or taste hadt-ey acted otherwise. Encore after encore greeted the singer, which Anally enaed in the audience cheering him most lustily. He then came forward and sang in the most finished manner that fascinating air " La Donna c Mobile." At the end of thishewas thrice recalled, which ended in his giving a da. capo of the last verse. This once more excited his admirers to a pitch of wild enthusiasm, and they would not pert with him until he sang-again, which terminated in his giving the last half of tne same solo. This did not ouite please his audience, for they gave every sign thut a different selection would have been mere acceptable. The aria "La Gioeonda" —except for a slight break in his voice in one of the bars —was splendidly interpreted. It was splendidly phrased—every note wap made the most of, the marvellous way in which he managed his breath in tho long-drawn crescendos and finally dropped his voice on another interval of lower pitch at the close of the phrase v,as most artistic, and gratifying in the extreme. He made a great effect ip the finale, working it up from the softest of pia-tissimos to the most exciting of fortissimo.l. So replete with power, majesty and volume did the last tones vibrate, throughout the building, that it quite electrified those present, for it seamed almost impossible that any one voice could make so much sound. The greatest enthusiasm followed this gigantic feat, and a recall was insisted upon, which resulted in the tenor ; giving: Verdi's graceful and charming " Questa ! o Quelia," from Rigoletto. Miss Maud Dalrymple's performances of Kellie's " Douglas I GorQon " and Walthew's "Slumber Song" so pleased the audience that they called her forward after each contribution. Miss Nora McKay, the violinist, played pleasingly Vieuxtempt's " Ballade and Polonaise," and Musin's " Mazurka di Bravura," securing merited recalls at the termination of each solo. As an encore to a fairly successful rendering of Pinsuti's " Bedouin Love Song," Mr R. Needham sang " Loch Lomond."" His other solo was Mascheroni's " Thou Art: My Life, 1' which did not p'ea^e his listeners over much. Miss TJna Bourne and Herr Benno Scherek gave an excellent interpretation of the d'fficult and exacting " Concerto" for two pianos in D. Minor by Rubenstem. M'ss Bourne also achieved a marker! success In her performance of Leschetitzkv • pianoforte " T'arantelle." overcoming its many intricacies as-only a.very advanced pianist oould. An interesting -musical evening was brought to a close with t v. e singing of Verdi's duo from La Traviata," " Parigi o Cara." The piano accompaniments, which were nearly all of the most difficult kind, were careful y and expressively played by Herr Scherek. who also acted ably as musical director o' the concert. .The company have been very fortunate in having two splendid grand pianos for these performances. «\S^ Wt^otLr\n r 1» Kip? though not of such fine quality as the former piano, IS a very good instrument. Both. *aw»_*era .«£ d tv.r these performances by Mr Hegman,. rf the British and Continental Company • *£= atVana Arcade. Miss Castles and tralia, and after giving concerts there M?ss C&stles returns to London.