MISS AMY CASTLES'S VISIT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1067, 4 March 1911, Page 11

MISS AMY CASTLES'S VISIT.

A SHORT INTERVIEW. Miss Amy Castles lias been enjoying herself immensely whilo touring Jscw Zealand, but then it seems to one that she would enjoy herself in most places, being gifted with that particular kind of happy disposition that is quick to see- where interest lies. This time the'concert company • has been touring the South Island very thoroughly, visiting places in which Miss Castles had never been, before, tho overland West Coast tour being a revelation to her of tho beauties of tho South Island. "It is usually only tho uninteresting parts of a country that ono sees when travelling by rail, and when coaching you have a chance of seeing far more scenery" was tho conclusion sho arrived at.

Miss Castles does not expect to bo back again in this part of the world for a very long time. "Not till I am a little old woman," she said with a laugh and yet with somegjSp thing that sounded liko regret in her voice. "Onco one is in tho whirl of things it will bo impossible to break away." So far her plans aro not definitely made. Sho has had offers from Italy, but it would be necessary for her to be on the spot beforo she finally committed herself to any grand opera company. "If I had anyone to act for mo there it would be a different matter, but I have not. It is not like it is in Australia where I have my people to sign contracts for me." Miss Castles has no regrets in leaving tho concert platform, and sho was quite emphatic about it. "In grand opera thero is tho life, tho atmosphere, the scenery, and tho orchestra, and one becomes straightway quite a different. being. I absolutely love it. With tho other, ono very often feels quite unlike singing, everything is colourless and cold, and it is only at tho end of the concert that ono has entered into tho spirit of things and then tho regret comes that something altogether quite different was not sung. As regards ballad singing, with the exception of a very few ballads, it never appealed to me and as to the latter-day composers of them I prefer the Americans. In any case I am not very fond of modern music—l love tho old."

. Oil .being asked what slio thought of tho music of tho two rccent operas "Salome" and ."Elektrn" the singer ex--pressed no love or admiration for them. "To mo 'Salome' seems purely like a freak —a sensation in music. It is weird and moro liko a pandemonium than anything else, and I cannot imagine ever coming to care for it. No; they aro simply sensations, both of them."

The Wagnerian operas do not appeal to Miss Castles as the Italian ones do, and her ambitions do not lie in that direction. ■ "Madame Butterfly" slio loves every linn of; "Tosca," "Samson and Delilah," "I Pagliacci," and Verdi's "Aida" are also among her favourites, and Puccini's music means more to her almost than any other composer. To hear the Italian operas sung in their own language is beyond words and unless people know Italian they cannot realise how much is lost by their' being translated into our English language. Miss Castles has had recent news of the great success of her sister, Miss Dolly Castles, in the Drury Lane pantomime "Jack and .the Bean Stalk," and naturally she is exceedingly delighted to hear of it. There is also another sister sinking in grand opera in Paris and a brother of hers is a manager of some well-known company, as well as playing a leading part in it. There aro seven members of the family and every one sings and most of them plav various instruments as well. It is not I often that there is so much of the gift of music given to one family. "My mother does not like it, bccause it means we leave our home," said Miss Castles, and one could quite understand her feelings. The marriage of Miss Gladys Cohen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Folk Cohen, of "Willis Street, and Mr. H. Cane takes placo in the Synagogue on Wednesday, March 20. A reception will afterwards be held in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall. Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Luxford leave on March 10 for Sydney, en route for England. Mr?. Arthur Nixon (Wangnnui) is staying with Mrs. Butts, and on Wednesday intends proceeding to Ncltou..