"MARITANA" REVIVED

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 126, 29 May 1914, Page 2

"MARITANA" REVIVED

ROYAL WELLINGTON CHORAL SOCIETY. Visits of «r»L'a companies to New Zealand ia tiiu&u days are rare enough in all conscience, therefore, frugal though the faro may be, one must be thankful for even a conceit platform production now and again of some popular operatic work. Of course, such are incomplete, The bones are there in the music, but the frame is fleshless and bloodless, and so opera, apart from a theatrical setting, cannot help but be only partially interesting. The Choral Society was wise in its selection of " Mantana," for it is doubtful if any other _ operatic work is so rich in associations for Australasians as that work. Its melodies have been croonecf by niothci'3 over the cradles of Australasian babies now grown up for fully half a century—and, by the way, all good mothers who know their duty and do it will lull their little ones to sleep with snatches of old opera as variants of hymn tunes. To the good Australasian, then, " Maritana " makes an irresistible appeal, and to such it is always fresh and sparkling. Vincent Wallace, if he did or did not write it all in Australasia, certainly wrote some of it in these quarters. New Norfolk, in Tasmania, claims that he wrote some of it there. Quite likely, for life in such a peaceful, lovely, old-world village should be conducive to writing sweet and simple melodies. In Wellington it is pretty certain some of "Maritana" was written, and at a well-known city hotel "Maritana" was popular long before_ Wagner's music was spoken of as music of the future, and Wagner some now think is getting out of date.. " Maritana," if it did not appeal to tho intellect, certainly stirred the emotions. It did last night, for the great audi etice manifestly enjoyed it very much. The performance was by no means flawless, but the presentation of this old favourite standing dish of bygone travelling opera companies— Listers, Charles Harding, Montague Turner, Simonsens, and _ some others before them— was cordially welcomed. The applause generally was warm and spontaneous and mostly well deserved. The part of Maritana. was allotted to Miss Helen Gardner, the possessor of a well-trained, intelligently-used voice, but a voice not quite equal to an exacting part like that of Maritana. When Miss Gardner had found the range (so to speakl of the Town Hall then she sang with greater confidence and with marked effect, Possibly, in comic opera or musical comedy she would find a I better opportunity of utilising her gifts than in grand opera, even though some might not so describe " Maritana. )f And yet the name part is a most trying one for any soprano to adequately fill, old fashioned as the opera may be. " Scenes that are Brightest" waß Miss Gard'tter'a best effort, and with Mme. Gregor Wood (Lassarillo) in the prayer, " Sainted Mother," she achieved much success. ! Mr. , Gregor Wood, who was oast for Don Cfcear, seemed all the time to bo overstraining his voice. One could not help expecting him to break on his high notes \ but he never did. His low notes were not always clear, nor even audible at the back of the hall. " Let me Like a Soldier Fall ".was really well sung, but it did not distinguish Mr. Gregor Wood as a. phenomenal Operatic tenor, j Mr. Hamilton Hodges, as a rule, has a, preference v for songs and parts of adeclamatory "sort ; so, then, one waited -with some interest for his interpretation of "In Happy Moments." It was a triumphant success ; fully earning the compliment of a recall. It showed how versatile an artist Mr. Hodges is, how safe, a singer to trust in a part within his capacity. Madame Gregor Wood, who has a contralto voice of great beauty and rich tone cilour, matte a most favourable impression from tho very outset. " Alas ! Those Chimes" was one of tho brightest numbers of the evening, whetting the appetite for more and still more. The society was richly repaid for its enterprise in securing Madame Wood for " Maritana." The chorus was excellent, so far as it went. There was but little > fault to be found with tho female voices, but the others were unevenly balanced, the tenors being numerically and otherwise weak. Time was not, a. strong feature in the choral work, for there wa« sometimes wanting that ready response- tft the baton that _ means all the difference between failure and success. The concert-going public may not be aWare of the difficulties of obtaining an adequate orchestra in Wellington on week nights. All conductors know them, but Mr. Hellemann did tho best with this and all other material at his disposal. He was greatly helped by Beveral of tho individual instrumentalists—ths oboe, 'cello, clarinet/— and contributed yet another to the many successful performances which are to the credit of tho ,Choral Society.