RETURN OF MADAME ADA CROSSLEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 409, 19 January 1909, Page 6

RETURN OF MADAME ADA CROSSLEY.

: . .';■;• ]\, '■'■''■.:--~-;~~:y ---;■-.■- / : ; ■ A SUCCESSFUL CONCERT, .;■ :No,table as. were tdmo of .' the. : concerts much have been given in Wellington during the last few months, that given by Madam'e ■Ada Cfossley. and her talented company at the Town Hall last : night, must rank as extra;special, and as perhaps , was onJjj: natural, the public were , strung up to-a-high, pitch of expectation.' : They were not disappointed; ,j'or, once the ultra-classical,, both: in .song and ;ihst'ruraehtalisation, : , : was sot aside j in'-- favour of ,a. programme which '. had a popular'ring: about it, and. few .will gaiaisay that Ithis,.accounted in a measure for the , enthusiasm shdivn throughout.; ■;. ' . > -vMadame. Ada ; Crosseloy,. who,, has, apart from her finished vocalism, a personality/which:: commands popularity; received a very warm .welcome,; and at the conclusion of her first number, received.a; profusion of floral.tributes'from ; her numerous. friends' and. admirers. 'Heri voice, rich and round,' has''lost hone of its velvety 'quality,. and; the interpretation' of the songs/she sang left nothing to, be desired. While undoubtedly a fine exponent of: contralto music," her, vocal equipage does not realise that' magnetism, appeal; or whatever one: ; chodse3''to' call it,. that'Bome artists, '■ less v gifted; ;'Jierhaps,; in other respects posses 3. Yet' 'it'"is a : beautiful organ in the,prime : of its;power, and under perfect control. , , Madame Crossley's first-num-ber, was .Handel's recitative: and-'aria-:" Ombra inai'^fu,"t the,; .''solemn';'; stateliness ."■•■"of. which' 'jisV ,, admirably adopted .to ithe' display'of Madame's'power and artistic perception of light and shades in broader' vocal-ism..-<ln:this' number, 'she ,was aided by: a violin; and piantf obbligatb, in delightful accord with 'the singer.; ; Encored, she responded, to everyone's l joy, , 'with the old ballad, "On the Banks of '■ Allan Water," expressively sung. Oh her., next appearance she lapsed J into the German,|rand: sang that , charming .song of Strauss, ; f''Traum' Diirch dio. Dammerung," with' much';.taste.' '. It Vwas. bracketed with '.'L'Heureux Vagabond" (Burneau), a pathetip ballad with the serious moral>to.' the effect that one cannot , live .on;love.' -In the second half ; Madame Crossley, contributed "Nearer My' God to Oliee". (Lewis Carey), "God Bo ; \Vith',You/'''and,the /'New Year Song,"- a. little gem\by:the artßtic'Mallirison.:,:. •,-' ' ': ThV 'unmistakable triumph' of the evening was .:achieved.;by Mr;, John ..Harrison,: the fortunate, possessor-of a voice of the purest tenor : quality ; and..;"of refined ■• sweetness, strength,-: and He cast his spell-in Beethoven's'"Adelaide," a: beautiful old song which induced" a full measure of tender sym-pathy'-;and-.finished execution. 1 . Eapturbusly ipplauded, Mr. Harrison sang Guy IJ'Harde[qt's. ''Because"' iii ! .fine style,-the number jiying^hirai.an r opportunity of displaying his magnificeiit'top. register, full from the.chest,: ind. ringing- clear:and true without,any- loss jf iqualityo. ;A second encore was insisted on, «id;tt,;the'delight" of all he gave that'.swept: Scots ballad- : "Bonnie : Mary; of.' Argylei" Later Mr.■Harrison; introduced Adams's song I'Roros," and : as an encore gave an-admirable. inttrpretation ; .bf Clay's romantic song, ."I'll Sing,vthee,;;Songs';of T Araby." :■■'.' With MiC Ryan; he,;sang ."Watchman,.;■ What'.' of .-'the Night,'' each: and'every. number.serving to Enhance'.' ,i!he - ± first, favourable impression of this, fine'tenor. :':.v''.. : ". :■■':.-. '■-.■; : ; . : ;Mr,\Percy.,Grainger,;tho. sob: pianist, seems jo:have 'gained in-virility, of execution: since iisrlast visit .to iWellington, and his contri-: 3Utidns, to: the'programme.were some o f th e iibst;. acceptable'..: Mr. : , Grainger;.' , is : said;.tp iav*e; made :_a . specialty in tne ;' study:'; of' Sreig , s.; music, . and, was acclaimed : a clever interpreter ..by;, the-.'great Norwegian himself lot long before his death. Ho submitted, in brackets, *'"To the -Spring. Time" and '.th<? ivell-knqwn :"fforwegian; Bridal;.■Procession/'"' 3r,' ! .as; it .is'more-'.-frequently ; called,;; the "Wedding-March,""by: 'the. recently-deceased ;omposer,-and- succeeded in;imparting, life, meaning \to the peculiar, grace and: meljdy.:of.'those..'pieces... .When encored,; he di|)-. ped:'deeper into. the.delights of. Greig .by slaying,the,gay:number, "A-.Wedding. Day it Traldhahgen." Eorgetting his allegiance :pr,. the., nonce, Mr. '■■.■', Grainger played Schumann's "Romance in F .Sharp'/ with:, dignity ind feeling, and changing his- tune,-'.rattled ; sff;-a delightful "Irish Dance,'.' transcribed for.; the- piano .by. the -player'from, the;: "Ma: quire's.; Juok , , , march, jig of, Sir, Cliaries ~V.; 3tanfor^..i"^t-is'a-.;rollicjtmg.lilt[:.Wai/'niiglrt ! Jβ , '' several .kicks, or: a .whole, fair-day ,a't Bally-iooley,'-rbut.it caught.the audience: in ,a weak' place, and the-- pianist ;was accorded an ovn;ion.-: He responded with a .delicious renderng.of'Brahm^;"Waltz in.A riat.'.'V,';. \/[

•;:-.-M.' Lon : ; Sametini/- the. > violinist, is. ah: other fine artist, who contributed to'-.tlie -excellence'.of ; the : programme. He plays with delicatehess , . and finish, and his ; t6ne.is appealingly sympathetic. ~His contri-butions-were "Nocturne" , (Chopin-Sarasate),! ''Gavotte , '' (Bach),-: &■ transcription by Xubin ;of the Bustelle from "Lusia di Lannermoor," the difficult Wioniawski fantasia on "Faust,? , and, in . response .to an encore,, the < dainty ■;^SuitvP , Annoiir , i I.,(Elgar).--.;.;■.■■.•..•.■•;■■■.,;,. ■;;-;;• ;■ ' ; i.Mr.. Jay' B.yan,\:the -baritono- of. the com-' .panj',, lacked the _dramatic fire and intensity in the aldemanding; prologue to "I Paliacci" Leoncavallo),, which :is -a, . little:beyond, his; scope.:: He. sang the.'.'Toreador", song fairly well," and- was even, better in: "Off; to PhUa- 1 -iWhittle accompanied: faultlessly,' and>Mr.. Horace Hunt presided ' at...the organ :jn;- Madame , .Crossley's ■' sacred sob: f .oW:;r;yr- : •:•:•■:''■';!;:-■■:"■■ ;'.--::- : ■.^■:,,-,.;:..

:■■;}; v ■ CONCERT.;V \ : .';' • - .'■■;The;.second.and"final concert by'the illus-trious-contralto, and '•■,her magnificent company of.. jrtists; will" take place':'.to-night , ' at , the: Town ''Hall,'! when 'an entirely f resn • programme. mil be given to that of'last , even-' ing., Madame willsitig'a new French composition, recit. ■ and air,::!' Va 1: Grenade enfin :t'appelle " ;.(Aben Hamet), by Theodore Du■bois, and: bracketed, the .songs,." Now Sleeps the Crimson 'Petal," "Roger Quiltor," and "My Brown-Boy" (Korbay); and in the second part, with: organ.obbligato, the /beautiful song by iCuthbert Gwynne, ..." Through Love to- Light," 1 . Mr. -John Harrison will be heard.,in ;the.r'ecit.'and air,. "0 :Vision Entrancing,!',, from' Goring .Thomas's; " Esmeralda," < and 'other- songs. ■'. ■ Mr. 1 Jay Ryan : iwilliising -Allitsen's ~" The ; Lord • is : .My .Light.": and;",Tho Colleen Bawn,"by Benedict. sfc Percy Grainger will play Chopin's "Polonaise in! A"'Flat, and Liszt's Hungarian. : M. Leon Sanctiai mil ■play';tne:'violin "solos.: .Schubert' s "•Aβ, ■Maria-";;; , and'■'-.; Bach's; (Javotte in the first' pari);imb!-yWiemairala'e/ Polonaise , in" A. major'in;tHe:second.•',The. concert commences at-;B.o'clockj:;and;.will 'be over .'about .10 io'clock..'; The-plan': of'the reserved 10s. 6d' seats-.is■ at the.Dresden, where ss.;■ and 2s? 6d.;seatß may'also be had; Christesen's, opposite; -the Opera 'House,: will also sell the ss.:'and-2s.i6d.'seats. : ' • ■:. ,•■.■■•■•■