FAMOUS IN A NIGHT

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 32, 1 November 1929, Page 8

FAMOUS IN A NIGHT

DUSOLINA GIANNINI 0 _ SOMETHING OF HER METEORIC CAREER Dusolina Giannini, the brilliant young operatic prima donna and concert, artist, now in Wellington, is a rara avis in the demesne of famous singers in these parts, inasmuch as she comes in the post-dawn of her remarkable career, in the hrst blush of what promises to be a transcendent artistic life. It is no good looking for references to this lady in musical biographical dictionaries, as there has not been one published since she came into tlie clow of public favour, but in the lew years she has devoted to the stage and platform, her vocal and artistic Preeminence has been such as to attract the attention of every country that pi offers allegiance to exalted singers. When interviewed yesterday, Giannini, curled up on a settee in her private sitting room, and entirely free of all pose and affectation, told all an inquisitive Pressman wished to know of her career. This rfuiEes to the remarkable. , . Giannini, a Philadelphian American of Italian parents, stated that since babyhood she lived in an atmosphere of music. Her father was an operatic tenor, and her mother played the violin—and they were both Italian-born, with a love, of music in every form such as exists inherently in most people of that race. OP°ra the Italian is like Rugby football to the young men of New Zealand; it is an essential factor in their lives, a sovereign panacea to all the little troubles of the day. As a young girl Giannini boasted a voice which her parents, discerning folk, thought worthy of attention, and both father and mother lent the weight of their experience to the teaching of their daughter until she outgrew their knowledge. She was then fairly advanced, but still not ready for public performances. Very wisely she was sent to Marcella bembnch, the celebrated Galician coloratura soprano, for advanced training in P todbc( ? bb and interpretation and general artistry. Lucky Turn of Fortune. It turned out to be a lucky for during the New York season of 19-3 a great Choral festival was arranged by the maestro Sehindler, to take place in the Xat Carnegie Hall. It was to be a wonderful show, and it was a inclusion that everyone interested in music for a thousand miles round New York would be present.- This, of course, had nothing to do with the slight olive skinned girl who was learning singing from Sembrieh-but something happened One of the features of the evening was to be a bracket of Italian folk songs, hi to all, some to be sung with a |reat choral backing, and others as soli. At the cm'ent Sr n ’toe sotoist for this bracket Jie &ler A was He Sembrich who S she bad a young Italian girl ,who mi-ht do. Giannini, fearfully elated at the” -olden chance, took the songs home, learned them without effort, and when she sang them at rehearsal was acclaim ed The night itself was a triumph—it opened the gates to a career. Among those present were Daniel Mayer, the impresario, and Henri Verbrugghen. The former engaged her there and then tor a concert tour, and the latter *P sls tod her. fulfilling nn. engagement with his orchestra at Minneapolis. Subsequent appearances in concert o’ 11 ?/"horsed the golden opinions formed of. the young singer’s talent. The next year Mr. Mayer took his newest star to London, where she repeated her.success on the concert platform in London and the largest cen tres. Debut in Opera. In the meantime Giannini continued her studies of operatic roles and languages, and the season of 1925 saw her ■make her debut in Berlin in Verdis -“Aida,” in company with the renowned Bruno Walther. Of her. success in that ! queenly role the Berlin papers spoke in the most enthusiastic terms. That success meant engagements in all the leading cities of Germany and Vienna, her repertoire including the dramatic soprano roles in “Madame Butterfly, “Cavalleria Rustieana,” “Aida,” “OteUo, La Forza del Desttoo,” “La Jtiive, and Manon Lescaut.” Now made operatically, she was secured for appearances at the Metropolitan Opera House, New-York, in 1927, and the next season saw her triumph at Covent Garden, London, in “Aida,” “Cavalleria,” and “Butterfly. Incidentally, of all the opera houses Giannini has appeared in Covent Garden gains the palm for'acoustic perfection. “It is a delight to sing in the old place,” says Giannini; “the slightest whisper seems to take wings, and you are conscious fliat everyone ■in the place can hear every note. It would be the* greatest pity if the use of this opera house were diverted or it were pulled down,-as Ido not believe that its acoustics coiild be improved upon.,, At the isame time it.. has its drawbacks.. The quarters, ior the artists are “not satisfactory; why, there is not even running water in the dressing rooms; and when you ask why, no one seems to know whether it is' worth while doing any improvements in view of the many proposals for the future of the site. Like New York there is not much room at Covent Garden tor the traffic during the season. It is on the Continent where you see the opera houses facing big squares, which gives a sense of space and, dignity to the home of exalted song.” Eager To See the World. The management wished to secure the services of Giannini for this last season, but that could not be, as the late Mr. Mayer had arranged tor her to come to Australia and New Zealand. In any case she does not, at present at all events, desire to chain herself up for long operatic seasons in the one city. Youthlike, Giannini wishes to see and sing in all countries of the world, and she is doing it. After the termination of the New Zealand season she departs for America to commence a big concert tour of the States at San Franeisco. Then follows a grand European tour—England. Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and even Russia.

“Yes, it has been arranged that I sing in Moscow,” explained the diva. “This arrangement has been made with the Soviet Government, who control everything. Oh. it is quite all right—they treat the artists magnificently. All the big European artists now go to Moscow, particularly the Germans, and they all like it. The Russians are very artistic, and their sense of musical appreciation is acute.”

The singer is quite at home on the Continent, as she has five languages at the tip of her melodious tongue—English. Italian, German. French and Spanish : and nt the present time she is learning Russian, which, after Italian, she considers the most beautiful for singing in that the open vowel predominates in its articulation.

Travelling with Giannini is the singer’s charming mother, who has the Fascist spirit well developed, and believes that. Mussolini has unquestionably proved to be the saviour of his country.