MDLLE DOLORES

Evening Star, Issue 11858, 11 April 1903, Page 6

MDLLE DOLORES

Mdlle Dolores bade farewell to Dunedin audiences last evening, when, assisted by Mr John Pro use and Mr Clarence Newell, she gave a sacred am cert in His Majesty’s Theatre. Mademoiselle sang altogether eleven numbers—‘ Chant des Croises ’ (Abbe Raillardi, ‘ Tre giorni’ (Pergolese), ‘A Santissima Vergine Maria’ (Gordigiani), ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth’ (Handel), ‘Parcee Domlne’ (Guonod), ‘Theme de Rode’ (Moreau), ‘A Virgin Mother’ (Dvorak), ‘Allelulia’ (Massenet), and asencores ‘Come Unto Me’ (Handel), ‘The tear* (Rubenstein), and ‘Home, sweet home.’ This is a programme not to be cavilled at, yet we must say that we would almost rather have heard the last of the talented soprano in something a little brighter. As she naively put it herself, it is good to be solemn, but it is a trifle monotonous. We cannot agree that this sentiment, however true in itself, is faithful in the present connection, for Mademoiselle’s singing, be it solemn or gay, can never be monotonous. Last night it was very far from being so. Perhaps the feeling that we have been trying to express was best illustrated by the unanimous delight with which the audience hailed Mademoiselle’s one little divergence from the devotional—her sin ring of ‘Theme de Rode,’ with its charming variations. This was, without doubt, the gem of the evenmar. and was followed by such a burst of applause as was ample evidence that the audience were of one opinion about it. The singer, too, seemed to look upon this number as something in which she might give one last taste of that which was not in the sacred music. “It is bright,” she said afterwards, in her quaint way, “bnt the words are so very innocent.” As to her rendering of the piece, it was, so far as onr judtjment goes, faultless. The soft melody of the opening bars, the dexterous manipulation of the voice among the mazes of the variations, and the delicate exactness of the hnal staccato progression, ending in one high, round note —all left an impression not only on the ear. As for Mademoiselle’s other numbers, we will only say that they showed her no less a mistress of her art in devotional music than she has proved herself in its other branches. Mr Prouse’s contributions to the programme were ‘ Les Rameanx’ (Faure), followed by Ellen Wrights ‘When I awake’ as an encore, Ibourt passing hence’ (Sullivan), and Nazareth (Gounod), the last verste of j hj^e J , had /- to . re P eat ‘ Nazareth ’ was undoubtedly his best number. Mr Clarmot; r e i‘^ yed l Kam ®enoi Ostrow’ ™’’ . Der Rrtt der Walknnree’ gner-Tansig), and, in response to an nen? re ’ S °T’ (from own pen) Chatting after the concert. Mademoiselle said that she was leaving New Zealand with feelings of genuine regret. She always felt so much at home here—everyone was so good. She bade us fareweH for a long time, she feared, but she hoped not for ever. Her next concert will be given in Honolulu on her way to America. She went north by this mg’s express. J “ orn