AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 206, 29 August 1905, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

WESTS PICTURES AND THE BRESCIANS. The Brescians, Orchestra and Singers, who are announced to commence their season in His Majesty's Theatre on Monday, September 4, in. connection with West's Pictures, consist of a sextet of ladies and gentlemen, each member of which is a soloist, both vocal and instrumental, the prima donna of the party being Miss Antonia Martinengo. who is gifted with a charming soprano voice, and also displays marked ability as a comedhftme. She is also a skilled organist and pianist. The prima contralto of the company is Miss Domencla Martinengo, of w horn the London "Daily Telegraph"' says: "She is possessed of a most beautiful contralto voice, which she uses with great artistic effect." Miss j Adclina Martinengo is a gifted violinist, j and has a cultured contralto voice. Miss j Sara Hendy is a charming mezzosoprano, and a brilliant pianist. Mr C. J Flavell Hayward, solo violinist and j musical director, is the composer of i many well-known songs. Mr Rudall j Hayward, the "cellist of the party, has a powerful basso-cantante voice. Mr T. | N. Lax is a fin. j solo pianist, and Mr j Fred Mills has the reputation of being i a refined and ideal comedian. I THE BLACK FAMILY. The clever Black Family of musical cv- j terraiuers gave a must int cresting per-j t'ormance in the Oddf-Hows' Hull. I'aruell. i last uijrhx to au audience which warmly | welcomed the reappearance of th.' popular i musicians. The "star" of the faniily is Miss Nellie Black, whose beautiful con- I trn.Ho voice was used with great artistic I advantage in "The Lust Dream.'" "The ; Fairy Cradle Sons" and Tostl'a "(l-ood-bye." As a violinist Miss Black is very capable, j anil her playing of Sara-Bale's difficult j "Jiiejfeuuetrweisen" indu<<-i] an encore. . which took the form of some well-executed i imitations on the violin. Mr Bert Black is I a versatile young man. who appears sev- 1 era) times in different capacities—in this programme he first played as a cornet solo "True Till Death." with orchestral accompaniment, then performed a creditable American dance in the picturesque costume of j "BmTak> Bill," then appeared with M.iis i Elsie in a quaint costumi- dance called "A J Japanese Courtship," and finally playtMl a I uumher of oUil musical instruments, ranging ! from the zylopboii" to a pair 0 f household j bellows. Each of these performances was warmly applauded, especially the last- | mentioned, aud the comet solo was en- l cored. Miss Elsie, who is seai-ci')y less versatile than her brother, played' with remarkable skill the flute .-solo. "Beneath Thy [ Window," sang a serio-comic song, and danced a pretty Persian pas setil. Mr .1. i Black (the father of rlic family) provided j the requisite comic strain in his amusing : sonii.s. "Inverarv Mary." t>»r Jock," "Has It Ever Occnrred to Yon." and he also ■ appeared lv two btimorous musical sketches : which concluded each half of the prosrrainme. The whole company played in th" ! orchestra, which in "The Bohemian Oirl" | numbered nine instruments, and they alsoplayed the "TrovaTore" overture. both of j whiAjib the audience seemed disposed to j encore The family also contributed a j rmind'olin-e quartette. The corniKtny appear-: j at Epsom to-iiipbt. and other dates are an- I nonnced elsewhere. ! :