MADAME BUTT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 94, 14 January 1908, Page 6

MADAME BUTT.

INTERVIEWED ,IN AUCKLAND:

: • THE. NEW SINGER. ' ; / IDT TBLEGBAPHr-SPieclAti 'conßEsroNxiiKT.)

; ' Auckland,' January: 13.. ' ■A represontatifo of the' ''Horald I '-"-inter-, viewed, Madamo ,'Clara Butt on her arrival Sydney on Sunday night, and gives an impressionist ; account of the interview.- Ho -says:— •' '

■ Of impbsirig prosen'co, ..tall" and'' orcct'"..of carriage, Clara Britt would'attract attontipn >$, gatbering . of \ people'.:,.'lt' .?' ns easy ,- enough to singlo ' '- frpm amongst tho . passengers ■ who ■ arrived -by .the Victoria from Sydney last night.::*A : pair pf eloquent tdarl^-..eyes,' shaded.'iieneatji ,;tbo tumed-ddivn' -_brirnj' of a flprally-trimmed straw, hat, lit up, a gonial, gpod-natured,;, and essentially' wdinanlj' ','faco. Beyond, a ' more .intimation as to the natfaro of'his, business mada. 'Mn ' Jionnorley 'Rumfordj Madame'-B'-was, in'close attenilance uponiher, •the journalist found tl:oro' was no nood of formal introdlictipn. '.;y The dark Pyes, 'may. :havewornra.tired-exp r eßsion:fo'r'tho'fractidn ■of. a.second-,/jndicating'a wish, that : iiitcrvicu's ana interviowprs -iniijht-cease lo be, one ot tho cares..of-"i^great"artiste,• but^^,'th.e^'vßxatibxi", if at ever 'sorio,uslj existed,swiftiyplissed. . away'-- and- 'Mada'iho ■ qnits' rei'dilyj and' fourteously cOhsented 'tp' coiivorgp." \ !;'; i . Both Giara - Butt and - Her .' husband; - Vfcre ,loud -in-.-ppir'- praijes . ful - .harbour'.'-. 'has' been deligbj-.fiil.' all day,"., said contralto.' ""■teally glorious scenery all down the coast. .Wo ai'o looking .«•vrfao'/o'tiisn,'',* she added,' expr.eesiyely, "to sc'ping New Zoalatid.- Wo .co.ulil .-not think of going, iavay •without vjiaiting .your.. wonderlands,; of wliich. wo have heard so much." . :

' l''urtliGr. : coiiver3ation, revealed 'the. .'.fict! that' both . had. a conscientious :aix r •iety aboiitv.tho, .condition. offth'eir "Voices; , "AVo snail liavd to work-'hafrSj 1 remarked 1 Air. Rumfprd,'.; an earnestness 'that isecms to-lbp characteristic with-hira;V"tp got ready night J''.'- v 'Si ... • ' '."■Vcs,";; jaid^hisVgifted -.wife/'St' has.'.becsn 'Nb'ijpiano'. on-vboard,' .you see;''; J'.lpow"—this- with . sudden .alacrity, as a ; merry twinkle iuvadp£. those'spiking eyes; of I Tiers',''.banishing forv'thci'mfjiperit' .all; signs ,q'%naturSl fatigue,'which'the tedious ending-. I .'dfv. tfie ■ trip': from : Sydney, had KnW/ wo. shall '.have,'to,,practise o.ib t !ion;"th'e. way'jtd ftl^-'-Kotoi."•' • This ;U.n(!iimo ;of: »• 'stor^.^gaiiisrnerself, .in, tKat'.ifriiintted' ;ihat;" herjsingiiig; on.' orip'.i, occasion,''at,'.least failed to. Nevertheless, sKo relatidr itV.Vitlr "v T. ;was driving iij: a 'country lane oncp,'- ! ..slip said\ ■".Iflf}.'started' to jsing. •\i]?or...-a'' timevikithmg' .happened, .Ihen.' l .as I>w.eUt".''on"!Bk^ i cis|na, m'j-.voice, .'thoi norse /stppjVpd-' ancl*'"]p.bKca.: round, 'i'he'i.cdacliman thereupon' Sent,down!' fto ' me, aiid •• said; 'fliaty ' please.?, tlo didn't say.- it.-fy.ory -xiicbly, ; cttlici;; yaS frather rude,''!an<l.the cbntraitp,' ,whoso ybice hai -toil's. of 'tßptisands.;of hparoVs,laiTghed: 'with much vhoartirtess.: at itho'xoniiniscehcb: ■' '''-Si-A l ' •* '• vS" ■■-Vv. : . ..fpripilities'-.that voyagers' tyayQ'j tp... g° ;-throVgh'i t .the)cft V':liGin!; such matter?' meaipal "inspectfdii ■ jmUV Gltttonis" .of-.; liiggage.' palpiablj' .^t^oVer^ oess, ■ ajid •AAimssifigJ;ref«reMfee;r jar v.s^<jyfed : < ;her *in f ' ■'phase,-:; iftei''^slic 1 * •Bpi£K> , j3S%i3aiii&. .a*nd- ; i Mr'.'/.'Rum'fprtt;'are ■ enthusiastic the game'. . '/- H.'' ;■; ;' • .V ." Ttioy 'iyantpd, mo to play Bendigpi'.' • the lattQr." remarked.'.' I '.wish .I'.had .'h'ad ; the' time; Oh, . ye'sfi I', play' for. j tlie' MG.G. : ■ ; at• Home.". . : 'Madame' openly professed-'a\ sincere liking-, for. all- field gkmes'.and ■' sports' and-for rid- ' iiig., On 'the subject of herself,"Madarn'o' Butt .Was'reticent.. Slio confessed, to aV.dc'sirp.tri; becomo acquainted with New.'Zealand."audi-; eiicos '-with* find out for herself- whether, they are >arni: or cold. ■ •AS to lior art; she.,' said ".'thiat.'if" shevlinid. 'a* preference ,',it-;Sras. .for sacrcd. /'music. * 'She. greatly'onjoyeiLsihging operatie.arias..:' ''Oh,hilt' I love ,-tho'. aon'g ; ; I am.'singjilg," J shedeclared,' ".my soul.is-in.wliat I 'sing'."';',!.', /..Maternal' affection forms a strohg' i ,pa i rt..'. , pf Madamo: Bute's It was' with a tpMer.inflection and softened eyes that .she spoko of her children;. "AVc considered the question of bringing them with iis, for a long time,"; she. said; but' finally."decided-..'.that',] it-would' bo'-wiser "to'.,leave thpnv'i.n.'. 'I -Had'^pfbrought-.; 'have.'haii to.'-loa'yp : ' thorn '.behind, somewhere,', aiidj'iri'; r Sydney fthdyUiave; a'.'nice home'ahd are very' 1 happy. Eosidesv' they are so' young 'to tra : vel. Roy; the eldest, is onlj*. six." ■ ..■ J Madamo. ..liatl; not, coino. into, contact 1 with any Now Zcalaiid ! aHists ; prior„to : leav:mg the Old Country. • In Australia she had heard somo very" b'rpmising .'jvdices. ;'remarked that sevprat 'iVustralians': had.' been., getting on well in 'England: ', Speaking .'pf» the now. linger. ,Tetrazzihi,' who has .cr.eatetj.such'a sjeh'siition.in"-London, Madamo Buyt' said- she had not'ili'oard'.'lier-; yet.- 'There ; was ; nd'doubt''but tbat'-'hor voicemust be'sohtethiri'g plVenonienal. -..'.SThey.-do,: not'igo , mad'like ■that' in tpn'4()n. oyer lip:', /thijig," . she .'remarked.; As,to'why tho new; singer had. remained, so long in obscuri.ty,. so. far as 'England' was" conce'rned,'' : she ! sup>. posed it was ' because of a. contract .which', ■had''kept hpr in'lier. 'own'-'c9iin,try..-' : -Tetrazr' aim's elder sister, she said l , had.'alsoj.a fine voice. • • . ■ "' ';' . •'!

REMAKKABLE RECEPTI6N : AT- / '•' 'AUCKLAND. :' ;v -

(BY XEL2diiAEn : —PnESS ASSOCIATION.),, - .. ' 13;

Madame, Clara-.Butt-;' who.; arrived 'bv lastnight's from Sydpejy/met; withj-a.. romarkable "'reception '•> at' her-, opening i con-j----cert,, to-night. '••The-, theatre- -was -crammed almost | tcj,.-:sufEpofi'tion, and h'uridrpds/'who Bought .adinis.sibn'; to .the. half-guinea and five shilling/.sfats.A.we're; turned *away,. all'., the" 'guinea sictffc bejng occupied.,'.The,uoors yiyero" thrc-wn op'e'n, at' 6 .o'clock, 'a'ud .within.'half, an hour nil \the, accommodation /was" i-old.; A qiieue - : waij-'.'fovme"d ..that; .extended.iright' into Queen'street; ' Enthusiastic'-cheers were given :to-'.ifada'me[. Butt 1 ' nri.(l _ ; Mr.. Rumford'j' tho concert, being a magnificent, - siicces.s; ' Madame Butt's. ,'yoicQ ir, ricliVanc^'.of. great volume,' hf>r range boing three ocVaves.'. " ■

• - THE WELLINGTON.; CONCERTS." ! • The box'plans will open at 9 a.m. to-day at the Dresden.) for'the concerts to be giyen-in' Wellington ori -Janiiavy • 21 'and . .23, by Madame Clara ..Butt and: Mr. Kennerley. Rumford .at the -Town ' Hall; ,In view of "the . large:'. attendance special arrangements have', been mado to facilitate'the rtiarking off of guinea and halfguinea' seats.'. The gifted- .contralto- is to sing at the' fi^st/concert " Abido;with. Mo;" (Liddla),' a song that has perhaps been 'more happily aVjocinted, with iMadaino Butt's trinmpbant |carec_r'than any other- in . her extensive, repertoire; - Sir l ' Edward. ■ Elpar'.s Coronationcomposition, "The Land of Hopeamd Glory," which is an equally, famous number ; and the great aria "0 1 Don Fatalo," from' Verdi's "Don Carlos." Madame Clara JJiitt aud hor husband, Mr. Kemiorloy'Rumford, will sing a duet, "The Night Hynin at -fsoa," Mr. Rumford Ims chosen " Largo, al'Factatum " (Rossini) for his opening number on the Tuesday evening, and will also ,he heard in the old Welsh air,"All thro' tho Night" (Somervell), ' and, "King Charles", (M. V. White). To the possession of' an extraordinary voice Madame Butt unites, a cultivated artistic sense,'and as a result- all her voeal work is described as' ;ust,hotically satisfying, ' Country' residents may book guinea'and half-guinea seats at the Dresden'by. post. " -