CAPPELLI CONCERT COMPANY

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 167, 15 July 1918, Page 6

CAPPELLI CONCERT COMPANY

CAPPELLI CONCERT COMPANY »

' A MUSICAL TREAT. . .. After being surfeited for a long time with co much rubbish and inferior music by visiting companies and mediocre executants, it *was refreshing and a markedly restful to turn again to the ' serious side of music last Saturday evening in the concert chamber of the Town Ball, where Signor Tinto Cappelli, the! - distinguished tenor (who made such an impression when -he sang in His Majesty's Theatre with the Gonsalez _ Grand Opera Company), and his party gave their initial performance of the c teuson in the Dominion. There was an •"atmosphere" and feeling of sincerity f and reality about the concert which led t the mind to higher aspirations. The t artists put their best work into their T music, and provided a programme which r contained nothing; but musical gems, jo There was a large attendance of the ■public, and the artists feeeived warm manifestations of approval after every number, sometimes triple recalls. , Signor. Cappelli 6ings his scenas and ■ lyrics with a grace and quiet that make them need no other veil but the charm and .perfection of his singing. He is a binger having a voice strong; vibrating, and full quality of tone, exquisitely sustained in flowing and songful passages, and possesses the elegance ol iliftion and the little graces and zeal ol song which easily conform to the music of Puccini, Leoncavallo, and other moderns. :is well as the works of the older Italian authors. He gave witu intelligence and taste iMeyerbeer's **U Paradko!" —Vasco'a opening aria in the fourth act of the opera "L. Africana." The opening recitative. "Mi batte il cor,*"' was sweetly declaimed, and the subsequent exquisite melody was delivered with a sense of proportion, symmetry, repose, and phrasing which adequately expressed Vaseo's entrancing delight over the allurements of Seliko's island home. Canio's arioso "Vesti la Guioba," the last'seena in Act L of Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci," was graphically rendered, the artist investing its moods in :i manner which expressed eyery feature of the scene, whilst dramatically given was the recitative "'Eecitar! Mentre Preso." Verdi's Eoinanzn from the opera cr La Forza del Destino" served tv display the tenor's line nobility and sustaining powers in the highest register, delightful legato, and perfectly-mastered artistry as regards modulation of the voice and interpretation. Some chavrning vocal effects were secured in Buzzi Peccia's Spanish serenade '"Lolita." specially noticable ibeijig the echo singing and swelling and diminishing of the tone. After each appearance Cappelli was very warmly encored, his additional solos being "Ferdi's "Xa Donna c Mobile," Denza's **Viene," Leoncavallo's "Mattinata," and Capua's "O Sole Mio. ! - Signor Lucien Cesaroni has a fine fcass voice of good power and compass, which -was heard to •telling . effect 'in the "Prologue" from 'T Pagliaeei." He also gave an impressive and sonorous rendering of Verdi's **"Tti felice! c tuo credevi," from -\tmani," which is one of the most hcautiful of bass arias. Into the allegro ' 3ie threw power and intensity, and ' treated the charming '"Andante" with a richness and purity of tone admirably expressing the music. Considering .the •weight of his voice it is surprisingly enpple, this being evidenced by the agility shown in the singing of the cadenza. In response to hearty encores he sanjg Tosti's '""Ideale," and had to give two performances of '"la Marseillaise." With the exception of a little harshness in timbre, and an occasional tendency to err from the true pitch, the soprano, Miss V. Bedford, gave acceptable readings of her numbers. Puccini's prayer, '""Vissi d'arte," from '"Tosea,"' was tastefully given. The detached singing and cadenza were commendable features of the performance of "Carmena," whilst >an effective delivery was obtained of Gounod's "Serenade," to which was added a nicelyrendered flute obligato by Mr. Amadio. j The flautist, Mr. John Amadio, was ! •warmly welcomed and enthusiastically i encored after his artistic and highly I enjoyable playing of Schubert's "Cradle i Song," Chopin's popular Valse op. 64, iMoskowski's "Serenata/' and German's *"Gipsy Revels" The pianoforte accompaniments were , - stympathetieally 'plared by Mr. Harold "Whittle. To-morrow evening the second concert ■will be given, when a complete change of programme will be made,-and all interested in music should noi; miss this opportunity of hearing this concert jarty.