JOHN BEOWNLEE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 70, 24 March 1933, Page 3

JOHN BEOWNLEE

THIRD CONCERT

Mr. John Brownlee, the Australian operatic baritone, still further consolidated his success in New Zealand by his third concert at the Concert Chamber last night. The liall was crowded, and his Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) and Lady Bledisloe -were present. Sir. Brownlee was in excellent voice, and he drew generously on his extensive repertoire, opening with "In Questa Tomba Oscura" (Beethoven); but his superb art was seen at its best perhaps in "Largo al Factotum." This he sang with astonishing fluency, yet every word and note was clear cut, notwithstanding the high speed at which thjs popular but exacting number requires to be taken. The singing of this alone, to say nothing of his other selections, stamped Mr. Brownlee as a sterling artist and explained his earlier successes in grand opera in London, Paris, and Buenos Aires. Other numbers included three dissimilar but beautifullysung selections, "La Statue de Tsarkot Selo" (Cvi), sung in French; the gloomy "Manoir de Rosemonde" of Duparc: and "The Dance Macabre" o£ Saint-Saens, j'which is more familiar as an orchestral piece than a song. In the matter of extras Mr. Brownlee was exceedingly liberal, singing among other selections the serenade from "Don Giovanni," an excerpt from Verdi's "Falstaff," "Kitty Me Love, Will Ye Marry Me?" "Trees," and "When Children Play." Recalls were general and insistent, even after the official close of the programme with "Danny Deever," the setting of Kipling's poem by Damrosch. Miss Rita Miller again made a favourable impression in her ballads,, "My Mother Bids Me Bmd. My Hair" and "Where the Bee Sucks," and she was heartily applauded and recalled. Her operatic numbers were "A fors c lvi," from "La Traviata," and, with Mr. Brownlee, in a duet from Ambroise Thomas's "Hamlet," as Ophelia also she greatly pleased with the Iri=h song, "I Know Where I'm Going.". M. Raymond Lambert opened the concert with a pianoforte solo, the Ballade m G minor of Chopin, and later thrilled his audience with his brilliant rendering 01 the ' Islamey" of Balakirey. At the close of this number M. Lambert was honoured by receiving palms of merit, tied with, the colours of the Belgian flag, red gold, and black. He responded by playing the popular minuet of Paderewski and a prelude in C sharp minor of Scriabin Al. Lambert greatly contributed to the success oi the evening with, his eminently artistic accompaniments to Mr. Brownlee s and Miss Miller's numbers. The final concert of Mr. Brownlee's Wellington season will be given in the Concert Chamber tomorrow night. An entirely different programme will be presented, including the following numbers tor Mr.' Brownlee: "The Prologue" to Pagliacci" (Leoncavallo)/ "Route Marchin'", (a setting by Stock of Kipling's poem), "Sea. Fever" (Ireland), "Five Eyes" (Gibbs), "If I Were King" (Tipton), Come, Let's Be Merry"' (traditional), "The Jolly Tinker" (17th century), and .'a number vof operatic duets with M.iss Rita Miller. Miss Miller will sing a group of English songs and the polonaise "Je suis Titania" from "Mignon. M. Raymond Lambert will play a number of solos which will include Manuel' de Falla's vivid "Rituel Fire Dance," Debussy's "Toccata," and a Chopin group.