"TALES OF HOFFMAN"

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 149, 28 June 1929, Page 5

"TALES OF HOFFMAN"

A FINE PERFORMANCE

Offenbach's beautiful opera, "Tales of Hoffman/' was sung by the Orpheus Musical Society in the Town Hall Concert Chamber last night, and the large audience were treated to two hours of unalloyed musical enjoyment. .The principal" parts were in excellent hands, while the chorus, though weak at first, rapidly improved. Particularly outstanding were the haunting "Barcarolle" and sextet "With Love, Alas, My Heart is Breaking," and both numbers had to be repeated. The three love affairs of Hoffman, nicely balanced as to tragedy and comedy, make a capital story, and the interpretation of it by the principals left nothing to be desired. The part of Hoffman was taken by Mr. Charles Edwards, who has a robust tenor voice of wide range. In "The Legend of Klemzack" he admirably caught the spirit of comedy, but he was at his best in the recitative seena "Enchantress," in which his love-making possessed the requisite fire, a point which was lacking in "OJympia. Dearest Child." On the whole, however, his performance was distinctly creditable, i j?ay Kemp as the crafty Coppelius in the first tale and the sardonic Dr. Miracle m the third, was highly pleasing. In addition to possessing a rich bass voice with ringing qualities in the middle and lower registers, he scored from the histrionic point of view. The recitative " 'Tis I, Ooppehus, was very impressively given, and m other numbers he was equally good, iv 3 Eileen Higgins appeared in each of the tales as Nieklaus. She pleased in all her work, particularly m the "Barcarolle" with Mrs. Amy Woodward (Giulietta). Ihe latter, the inamorata of the second tale and the mother's voice (off stage) in the third, was quite at home in her part and, as might have been expected, deliglited the audience with her singing. The nrst to capture Hoffman's heart was Olympia, the'living doll (Miss Jeanette Briggs), and. the part was daintily played and s,ung Miss Briggs has a very flexible voice, which she used to advantage in "The JJoll s Song," one of the most charming numbers of the opera. The rich, resonant voice of Mr. Dan Foley was well suited tor the part of the cynical Dapertutto and the ana "As Jewels Divine" was so I ,Sr Siven that the audience sought a repetition, but it was not given The l%t\ vFtl cip!il Wi! Miss Gl'ett* stark, who had the part of Antonia, the third to weave a spell around Hoffman, and her iy have been improved upon.- "Thou Art blown was sweetly sung, and she was capital m the pathetic number "To Sing No \r»«" n% parts were .sung by and!; Bib/ 6"5011 ' C^*^Z The society is fortunate 'in having Miss Hazel Rowe as principal accompanist, but for most of the production last night two pianos were in use, Mr. H E BruVev hVh? ft the T° M- Although in abS light, they made no mistakes and ereatlv enhanced the pleasure of the opera Mr Hanson Cook, the conductor, had the chorus under capital control, and is to daTacT! °l\ the Wgh musical st^" (laid achieved by those under his baton :