GRAND OPERA TOUR

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 28, 27 October 1932, Page 11

GRAND OPERA TOUR

Director’s Faith in New Zealand Venture SOME FAMOUS SINGERS “J. consider that the Imperial Grand Opera Company which you are to see at the end of the week, is even superior to the Williamson-Melba companies of 1924 and 1925, which did not come to New Zealand,” said Mr. Claude Kingston, director of the organisation when interviewed at the Hotel St. George last evening. “I say that because I had every desire that those companies would visit New Zealand, and even on the present occasion I had the greatest difficulty in persuading the directors to consent to the present tour. “That was no easy matter, I assure you, and it was only after two months’ hard work that I was able to bring it about,” said Mr. Kingston. “You will realise what I mean when I say that the contracts for the artists did not include New Zealand, and as a consequence we had to persuade them of the advantages of the tour, and had to arrange new contracts in every case. “Then there was trouble over the orchestra. We offered the players a mini-

mum of £lO/3/- a. week, with extra money for rehearsals and- extra performances, and even then the union made trouble, though the men were quite agreeable to the terms. That trouble was eventually overcome, and the orchestral players we had in Melbourne are an integral part of the organisation, which means that you will hear a first-class orchestra with a firstrate company. “The success of the company in Auckland was really wonderful,” said Mr. Kingston. “We played there on 20 nights, and produced 14 operas to 31,000 people, which practically means capacity business at each performance. This is really an achievement, as only a few of the leading artists’ names are known in this country, though all of them arc of high standing in Europe.

“We have with us three distinct casts, for the dramatic, lyrical, and coloratura’operas. These include such fine performers and beautiful singers as Cesarina Valobra, the soprano selected for the role of Cho Cho San in “Butterfly” at the new Puccini Theatre by the composer himself; Lina Paliughi, a marvellous coloratura soprano, who even dims the lustre of popular Toti del Monti, and who is really sensational in “Lucia di Lammermoor”; Bruna Castagna, said to be the greatest Carmen since Emmo Calve; Apollo Granforte, a remarkable baritone of world-wide reputation; Pedro Mirassou, a brilliant tenor; Primo Montenarl, a great singer and actor; Molly de Gunst, an outstanding soprano; and Michele Fiore, a coui-ico-basso of finest metal.”