SISTINE CHOIR SOLOISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 285, 2 December 1925, Page 12

SISTINE CHOIR SOLOISTS.

. AN. ENJOYABLE PERFORMANCE. After nearly three months touring the Dominion the famous Sistine Choir Soloists opened a two nights' session of J concerts in the Town Hall last night j before a moderate attendance of music lovers. i ~! The visitors were enthusiastically fl greeted and very warmly acclaimed at , the conclusion of .the evening. Each ' soloist secured hearty manifestations of 8 pleasure, and some in the audience enj deavoured to obtain more than one extra x item from the artist, which was wisely declined by the director. r The programme presented was not j quite so popular as the previous set- . tings, many of the old world song c writers were represented in the first-half j of the evening, and admirably rendered j were the items. The second part of the concert was devoted also to several less r known pieces, which received finished " interpretations. The most noteworthy I item was Don Lorenzo Perosis "Dies f Irae" from his Mcssa Da Requiem j arranged as a trio for first and second , tenors and basses, with organ- aecom- * paniment. This "Dies Irae" is one of f the most devotional and impressive setj tings in existence, and is one of the com- . poser's greatest triumphs. The music expressively depicts the varied changes , of the sequentia. and only specially I trained voices could hope to do anything , with the music. However the Sistine , Choir Soloists and Mr. Maughan Barnett, at the grand organ, gave a re- , markably impressive and musical read- , ing of this difficult work. The solo I parts were given with telling emphasis . and feeling by Sigg. Paganelli, Morgia, , Auchner, Burani and Belli. The initial ; concerted declamatary section was sung with firmness, and large body of tone. t The basses gave with richness of sound, . "Quantus tremor est futurus," and the ; solo "Mors Stupebit," to a nicely . sustained diapason accompaniment, was delivered expressively by one of the

basses. "Liber Scriptus" received an impressive performance by solo tenors, whilst "Judex ergqj' was firmly rendered and the Andantino was very expressively sung by the bass soloist. Distinctively sung was "Rex Tremendae," the voices in ensemble and soli, making a fine display of tone and declamatory , singing. There was nice harmonising in "Juste Judex," whilst the bass soloist ' sang with careful regard for nuance and phrasing "Ingemisco Tamquam." In the performance of "Confutatis" the j voices sounded like a choir of many 1 voices in the forissimo parts, whilst the Adagio, "Lacrymosa dies ilia," received a broad and deeply impressive performance. At the close the choralists were heartily encored. The richly adorned organ part was admirably played by Mr. Maughan Barnett. In the concerted pieces by Banchieri and Donate Veneziani, and "Soldiers' Chorus" from "Faust," the vocalists ! sang with distinction and received much ' praise from the listeners. Signor Belli ! was heard in cultured -renderings of Scarlatti's "Oeessate"' and Falconiere's ) Ochictti Amati, and won much applause

for his devotional and imploring delivery of Verdi's "A te l'estremo Addio." He also gained a triumph with' Signor Facchini in the powerful duet from Act IV., of Boito's "Mefistofcsle." ifalconiere's "0 Bellissimi Capelli," and Schumann's "Bei paesi sfcranieri" were so delicately expressed by Signor Paganelli that he had to return and contribute the "Aye Maria," which was expressively treated. The same artist also gained distinction in Lalo serenade "Le Roi aYs" and Verdi's "La Donna c Mobile." Mascagni's "Avai Xella Mia Mamma" was'graphically rendered with telling vocal emphasis by Signor Sarti, after which he was emphatically encored. Verdi's romanza "Urna Fatale" and aria "Eri Tv" were artistically presented by Signors Burani and Auchner respectively, and Signor Facchini scored a distinct success in l(is estatic unfolding, of Puccini's romanza "Donna Xon Yidi Mai" from "Manon Lescaut." The Maestro, Signor Emilio Casolari, ably directed the soloists in the ensemble numbers and artistically treated tlie accompaniments' orchestrally on the pianoforte. To-night the final concert of the season will be given in the same hall, when another attractive programme will be presented.