Infantino's Second Recital Causes Great Enthusiasm

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28413, 21 October 1957, Page 7

Infantino's Second Recital Causes Great Enthusiasm

—. cre was a full house at the .Aeftic Theatre on Saturday f° r Infantino’s e recital. He was in great g ice and, once a § ain ’ his pcrJflfflances were deservedly Leteii with tremendous enl!ie programme was similar in to the fi"st one. It began ith songs by Rosa. Scarlatti, and Handel. Tonally and in clarity (line the singing was in keepwith the style of the period. {A the Scarlatti and the Han•jwere sombre in character and sung with deeply-moving intensity of feeling. The phrasing i, immaculate and the changing shades of tone, all within a com--ratively small range of power, not only interesting techtjctlly but also most satisfyingly beautiful. fte operatic group must have caused all listeners to have a fervent wish to hear and to see Infantino on the operatic stage, just by voice and facial expresrion he created highly impressive atmosphere so that all the stage trappings seemed to be there and the stage filled with other people a$ well. In Mozart’s "Della Sua pace,’’ Infantino sang with an outpouring of glorious tone. Without using very great power he brought forth sparkling resonance. The runs and turns in Rossini's -Ecco Ridente in Cielo’’ were flexible and clear and the glowjug performance rose to a very powerful climax. "Nou Mi Ridejtar" by Massenet was also sung with great power and dramatic intensity, but the greatest thrill from this group—and. indeed of the whole evening, was "The Gelida Manina.” It would be hard to imagine a more lovely performance. The changing colours of voice, the flow of the melodic line, and the poetic inspiration behind ever}' aspect of this wonderful interpretation will long be remembered. Shouts of approval were given at the end. and there was plenty to shout about. The accompaniment was so beautifully played by Angelo Campori that Puccini's rich orchestral colouring seemed to be perfectly transmuted into pianoforte idiom. Bizets well-known Agnus Dei

- , was sung with warmth and i breadth of tone, and an aria from > Lucia di Lammermoor” was drat matic and very powerful. - "Vieni Bimbi.” by Lehar, made s P lendl d introduction to the ighter group in the programme, and well-contrasted and delighti ful songs followed like fountains I playing in sunshine. Infantino’s 1 ! arrangement of -La Flera de ' | Mastro Andrea,” by de Meglio was sung at break-neck speed . ( but with absolute clarity. In anJ ? tl J er .. of his own arrangements II infantino accompanied himself on ? I the piano and did it very accept- ? ably. He has a pleasant and ? sympathetic touch. He was again most generous , with encores. The audience would - gladly have had more and In-, fantino would obviously have liked to have gone on singing, but - —as he so rightly pointed out—i a singer must not do too much - on one evening or he will pay for ; • it on succeeding ones. Angelo Campori again imJ pressed the audience deeply with ? his most sensitive and accom--5 plished artistry. Every phrase in • the accompaniments was expresi sively shaded and had a height- • ened interest. As a solo item he t played Debussy’s "Dr. Gradus.” - More solo items from him will be • appreciated when these two artists 5 return early in November, but it ? would be as well to raise the lid ■ of the instrument. C.F.B.