MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 158, 28 March 1908, Page 12

MUSIC.

[By Treble Clbp.] Ciovannl Zenatcllo—a Crcat Tenor. r ; ■Acclaimed drib of the world's few great living tenors, tiiid yet a singularly modest man, alluding frankly to struggled ;ind' difficulties oncpuritored. in his upward careerj 'speakirig almost diffidently. of 1 his successes on two continents, such is the.new tenor.of th6-Man-hattan Opera Hpuso' whb;.,coming to New lork With but littlo<previous;heralding) won' the large audieiico; thb opening night or the soason mfch almost his first iioto. i V*i°/ anu ' iii romantic old \ erona, and; has!, the"blue;;,6ye'Sj the fair colouring of the iiortllorii Italian, so much less familiar. t6>AmcrieaUs:'than the. darkSouthern Italian type. . Ho is short, but well proportioned, with' a frank,- '.intelligent fiicei' His father, a ,prosperous merchant of thatcity, did not favour his son's desiro 'to adopt the operatic stagb. as .'a: career) and. as tlio tutufo tenor persisted in his'.determination,, his path was ;iidt. k; smooth one. / He received his vocal training at'.'thefiiinoiis Milaii serVatory, but ivaS. singularly Unfortunate in his ijrst niastcr, ..for that.. iiidividiiaL pronounced his. young piipil-.a bafitohe—surprising onougli to tliofio Vriiu hnvo heard the ringing high toilcs, full aiid which liglit his audiences.; As a result 6f this mis-' taken-.training, wheii the young singer, bfegaii' to seek ah .engagompntj thiswas riot easy to find. Ih6/Voice,-.forced out of its proper range,- sounded small, arid, ..Milan •. theatres would have'none _.of him. Fiiially,'when, fortuiies were at'a vei'y low ebb—for, since his father disapproved of. his prbfessidhi young Zehatello. was too proud to Hik-fb? his secured ah 1898 (is; baritone, with. a. sniall cSiiljlSny 1 ' li'hicli opened.in .Naples, Htifo : lie sang for abOtit ii' iiiolitli, with a: cfertain amoiint -of sUccessi ■Brit .fortunately;. foi< hini"; 'Zefidtello' did'hot rest satisfied with his former teacher's, tt'ailiiiig. In his leisure, hours ho' was. quietly working on tenor - roles,, and one night his opportunity camo. The 'opera billed i.was Leoncavallo s"I Pagliiicci." . The tenor taken suddenly ill, the .manager whs,; in de-. spair, when his baritone appeared ahd Volunteered to sing the tenor role that evening/. - ' You are mad)", cried the worried impresario,- 'yOu are a baritone; They will hot listen to you I" ~

* Zcnate l'? persisted—one can see this detormiii&tiori in his faoe-Vand had a triumph; I hat decided, his. career; henceforth he was a tenor. ■ ■ But his .■ were by iio moans: at an end.; For mpfe than two years ho sang in small companies in the little toiviis of Apulia, and the vicinity .of Naples;;' Theii, When he had. saved a certain anidiint bf money, and felt, that lie could venture, ho turned, to Milan, and once ribiv as a full-fledged tenor—-sought an 1 engagement in that critical city. Tliis time ho was successful,' though some of hie fornler cdmpaiiioiili sneered when they heard of his intentions. But iliis debut at La Scala silenced them. He had an overwhelming success, .and .from that evening his ; career .was established; Since then ho has siing. in the. principal ..cities of Italy, in, Lisbon,. and in Brazil and Argentine, those gold mines for the really good singer, for South' America.is not' cohtent tfith mediodnties; but must have the' best, for tfliich, Jake her,-northern sistef, she is willing to^pay;. It was. Zenatellb's great success ill tiio opera "Faust," aswork somewhat out of liis usual;repertoire, aiCovent Garden, London, with Melba• as Slarguetite, that , Actually led to his New York engagement; ,'Jlelba was so delighted with him .that she insistently u'tged his engagement upon Mr: Hammerstem, with such effect.,that, that astiite impfesario 611gaged Zghatello by cablo'. last 'spring;'■ • This is the singer's first visit to New York . 'I was greatly impressed by the enthusiasm of American,audiences. -1 had been told that they were eold, but I 'do,, not. think so.'. It 'interested iae.tb sfce hdw the American ttohleii applaud here, quite as much as, if not niofe tliaii, ;tho hien: -With us, the Aristocratic Italian lady never applauds. She leaves that to the men. I prefer yotir way."—Ellbo Lathrop;.in New'Ybrkj "Theatre." i t the Drum. • - The drumi.it seems, is a despised instrument of the orohestra. Mr. Gordon Cleathor, in a lecture to the Royal College of Organists, pleaded the drum's olaims to fuller recognition, and offered to give organ: recitals to found a drum' scholarship.Ho Says tho tympany's high notes are brilliant, and the low notes 'aro solemn, grand, and impressive. Tho kbttlc-drum .coiild .be tuned, and has 'liote'SiHS definite as tho 'cello or double-bassi although the fact .is little known, oven amongst musical people. If properly played tho. kettle-drum , supplies a stop which the organ laoks. The writer of this' note recently, hoard tho kettle-dhim of the orchestra at a Suiidaj afternoon .men's .meeting do woii' dorful; execution in martial hymns, finishing each vfcrso with, a most inspiring, roulado. Notes. ' Max Schluytor, the brilliant Danish violinist, commenced his second Australian tour, which Messrs. ■ J., and. N, Tait are' managing for him, at the Melbourne Town Hall on March 14. . '

Thb London " Daily Telegraph," as usual, has a record sf the number ef concerts during the year in London, and .the average is about .thirty concert's a week. At four 0? the leading .hails there .has been an increase over last year of moro than fifty, concerts. If apnearanoM are to, bo trusted there Will, bo a larger increase during the present year,