AMERICAN SINGERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 17 October 1922, Page 7

AMERICAN SINGERS.

i » TWO STARS IX AUCKLAND. : The two American star singrers who nre to give tliree concerts in Auckland this week arrived in tlio city to-day, and in Mr. I'aul Althouse local enthu-i-iasts will have the opportunity of hearing ihc tenor who is now bearing in America flic mantle of Cariieo, in that lie has sung, as leading tenor at the Metropolitan Opera House in Xew Y<»rk, in many of the- roles that Caruso tisetl to occupy. ills confrere, Mr. Arthur Middlcton, is also from the Metropolitan Opera House. Both singew come ivith high commendation from -Melba, and both are examples of talent that lia* been developed in America without foreign tuition. A re-presentative of tlie "Star" found them genial, companionable fellows, who take !a real intt-rest in their ivork and abhor the maniK'risms whic'.i many fanious ,artists a.leet. "As a matter of fact I I regard all this so-called temperament as a mild form of insanity," said Mr. Jliddlcton. "I hope J possess plenty of dramatic force, but I'll never own up to temperament/ Mr. Althouse, who lias k'on with the .Metropolitan Opera House longer than any other tenor, smiled appreciatively. "We're just two i ordinary American" he-men, who sing j for our suppers,"' he said pleasanths "and we live like the ordinary people :we arc. We don't have wonderful adIventures and striking incidents crowd;in;r into our days."' j "Xot even at tire Metropolitan? 7 ' he I was asked. Paul Althmise shook his hea<l reflectively. "Xot even there, j but an incident did occur there six years n?o which I shall remember all m y life. [ was sinking that night in •Caviilloria Rußttcana,' and the kin<r— that was Caruso, we always called him tiio king—was Kinging in 'PagKacci.' I was just o;oinn; en the stage. It wae fir&t time f liad sung that particular part and I was nervous, when th« ;kinjr stopped mc. 'I do not like that . cofitunre,' he said briefly. Neither did 1. but 1 had taken what they {rave mc, of course. Now I -will show you 'how hue !and generous Coruso could be. He made I them hold the curtain while he sent I his valet upstairs foT his own magnifiicent eoatume, and then he and the barijtone helped mc to dress again. When it was finished he turned mc round for j inspection. 'That is good,' he said aj>i proving:]}', 'My friend, I present you, I with the costume. Now you are wear- | injj Carueo's costuinc. no out on the stage and sing like Caruso,' and he gak-e the signal for the ct.rtain to go up. -Air. Middleton says Jlr. Althouse .is rocarded throughout America as j Canto's natural successor. He will ising Pinkortpn at the Metropolitan on |('hri?tm«s nig-lit to the Butterfly of jl-'lorence Ka.ston, the preat American soprano, and on Xew Year's Eve he will sin.ar .Mario in "Tosoa." "I am always nervous," Mr. Althouse confessed. "J do not see how it c-ould J lie otherwise, because the public expects |.-o much from one. In singing, as in I every other art or profession, on : e must jffo forward or back: there is no etanding still. I want to go forward," he !&aid simply. I Asked of the various schools of singling, both wore emphatic. I -".^ c arp !? el (-'into singers," they said. I Neither believes in violent gymnastic ,or faus for keepinc- fit. '•[ used to j exercise a 10t, ,, said Mr. Althouse, "but jl found that vio'onf physical culture ! tends to bring about a congestion of the I throat." Mr. Althouse i< above the ; middle height, and is well built, bi.t he in dwarfed beside flic massive proporI tlons of Mr. Middlcton, who has all the ! heroic equipment for the great Wagliorian roles in which he excels. .Mr. Althouse confesses to grand opera am-bi- ( tKins at six years of age. "But there ie i the great oratorio singer," he continued, [nodding- toward Mr. Middleton. "He ie i the finest Elijah I have heard for fifteen years, and I have heard them all. Look lat the phenomenal range of his voice, two and a half octaves. Xo wonder he (is our foremost concert recitalist as well jas grand opera baritone. , ' J "1 pang very deep bass when I was 13," Mr. Middlcton said, "X never I thought <,f singing at all before, and 1 didn't think much about it then. I went to college to study for a profession, but took up singing instead. 1 never wanted to go into' grand opera, however, but was content with my concert recitals. 1 was engaged to sing liass ami baritone in selections from I'.Vkla." with Madame Franeea Al.la, at n (performance at L'tica. New York State. She wired to her hu-baml, Catti Cassazzi. who is I he manager of the Metropolitan, that night, ami 1 got niv <-c>ntract in the morning." An inquiry was made concerning tic Minneapolis Orchestra, which Mr. VerI>rugi,rli4>n is to londuet for ton wcvU* from this month. 'i have sung thrre ripriu-r toms with the Minneapolis. Orchestra. , ' replied Mr. Middleton. "It is a superb body ( ,f players, and has made Minneapolis a great musical centre. The* tours of the orchestra.! always included a ,|imrtet of soloists, and allowed the orchestra to provide' not only the accompaniment, but c\- : perienccl ringer* for the big choral | works prepared by musical societies in the centres viriU'd by the orchestra." Tliv iiivt concert takes place at the Town Hall this evening.