AN AUSTRALIAN SOPRANO "ARRIVES."

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 142, 16 June 1906, Page 13

AN AUSTRALIAN SOPRANO "ARRIVES."

Let it be duly chronicled that to tho extremely limited list of Australian sopranos who have "arrived" at Covent Garden "during the long period of 18 years, one more has been added during the week, in the person of Frances Alda ("Francie Adler,") says the writer of The Drama in Sydney Morning Herald. On May 24 (Empire Night) she sang Margheritato the Faust of Caruso. Her three predecessors— Mmes. Melba, June 1888 , (Gilda) ; Frances Saville, May, 1897 (Juliette); and Lalla Miranda, May, 1900 (Gilda)— all graduated from the Theatre de la Monnaie, Brussels. Molba became tho typical light soprano of the world's stage of her generation. Mine. Saville sang three seasons at Covent Garden, was then permanently at- [ tached to the Vienna Opera House, and I retired. This handsome singer came into her kingdom in middle life, and for fifteen years sang "everything," burlesque, comic opera, English opera, grand opera, and oratorio in Australia, where for years she was the principal resident soprano in Sydney. Lalla Miranda was a Melbourne soprano, and sang occasionally here in 1892, a dark, tall, graceful "willowy" girl. She was two years at La Hague Opera House and a year at Brussels before reaching Covent Garden, where she sang throughout the season (Gilda and Queen Marguerite of Valois, in star casts), and was lavishly praised by the London press. That was six years ago, since which date the Australian has bpen singing exclusively on the Continent^ at Monte Carlo, Ostend, Pau, etc. It will be observed that successful appearances at Covent Garden do not necessarily lead to anything at all. Mdme. Alda differs probably from every other artiste who ever appeared at the London Opera House since it was built, in having a music-hall career. The only parallel case that comes naturally mind is that of Bessie Abbot, well-known in New York five years ago as one of tho "Abbot Sisters," twin ban joists, and song and dance artists. Bessie sang on board ship in the cause of charity when Jean de Ecszke was travelling to Havre, and he persuaded her to study grand opera, in Paris. Three years later she sang the Forest Bird, with Jean de Reszke at Siegfried, at the Paris opera, where she also sang Juliette, and on January 20 of this year she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, as Mimi in a great star cast. These are the romances which reconcile us to life. Mme. Alda's case is not quite the same, because- she never was a "song and dance" artist in Australian music-halls, but a specially engaged ballad vocalist, with a cultivated sweet voice, and a naturally refined style. She was singing under Mr. Harry Rickards' management at s the Tivofi Theatre late in 1902. But before that, "Francie Adler" had sung a great many small parts under Mr. J. 5. Williamson in comic opera and burlesque. She was in various pantomimes, notably in "The Forty Thieves," at Her Majesty's (Boxing Night, 1898), with Pattie Browne, Carrie Moore, Jennie Opie, Cesca Vollugi, and John Coloman. The present writer's notice of her in the "Herald" read : — "Probably the best song of the evening was Cowen's 'Fairyland,' in which Miss Frances Adler (Fairy Quqen) employer her birdliko voice expressively, and was encored." At that time the voice was of a very pure and delicate timbre, but it was quite small. There are many such voices, and they are very charming, but they are quite useless for grand opera. Three or four years later at tho Tivoli, the voice was a little stronger, and its delicate timbre interested-^con^-noisseurs at the time! as "a possibility if there were more of it." The girl always sang with taste, belonging, as tho granddaughter of Mme. Fanny Simonsen, the daughter of Mme. Leonora Simonsen, and tho niece of Frances Saville, to a family of distinguished musical talent. Miss Adler was next heard of at variety theatres at St. Petersburg, Vienna, Berlin, and finally Paris, where she entered Mme. Marchesi's school, and at a students' matinee in October, 1903, was described by a correspondent for this in the words — "Her voice is the same, but has much increased in volume." This must bo recorded as another triumph for the aged Marches!. , In 1904 _ Mllev Alda sang "Manon" at tho Paris Opera Comique. Now she has reached Covent Gardon, the Mecca of all singers. This result represents no end of perseverance, talent, influence, and good luck.