HACKETT-ERATZA SEASON

Evening Star, Issue 18715, 18 August 1924, Page 8

HACKETT-ERATZA SEASON

LAST CONCERT TO-NIGHT. A large audience a 1.1 ended His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday night The second programme put forward hy the American tenor and the Serbian violinist proved quite as attractive as the first, and was productive of equal enthusiasm. As on Thursday night, people remained glued to their scats on the conclusion of the last number on the programme, and did not leave, the theatre until Mr Hackett had sung three more items.

Mr Hackctt’s opening operatic aria was ‘0 Paradise,’ from Meyerbeer's ‘ L’Africana..’ It was finely rendered indeed, but an encore produced the greatest treat Dunedin opera lovers have enjoyed for many years, an unforgettable performance of ‘ll Mio Tesoro,’ from ‘ Don Giovanni.’ Mortar''- dramatic sense and power of ch:r .. i-er-drawing are weii ii.n.siratcd in ; air, although it is straightforward music—refreshingly straightforward in comparison with tho strivings and gropiugs of many more modern composers of opera. Mr Hackett sang it with invigorating verve and freedom. In his bracket of four French songs Chausson's ‘ Les Papillons ’ was striking, because of its originality and beauty, while Saint-Sacns's ‘Mai’ was notable for tho emphasis with which the title word' of til is p:ean of spring is continually repeated. These sfrnv.aiidos in a rhapsody pulsing with the vigor behind tho bursting of tho bud in tho rebirth of the year were a triumph of vocalisation- Ono of Boughton’s songs from ‘ The Immortal Hour’ was added as an encore, and Mr Hackett enhanced its distinctive ending on a low note of indescribably sympathetic quality. Tho English songs included Liza Lehmann’s Mways welcome ‘ Ah! Moon of My Delight,’ sung in a way that added fresh beauties tojjj*, and a splendid composition by Frank Bridge, ‘ Love Went a-Riding.’ To these was added a quaint Irish folk song, ‘ Tho Leprehaun,’ prefaced by a brief explanatory speech. This was the nearest approach to the humorous side of his very versatile art, of which Mr Hackett had given fuller evidence at the opening concert. Ho finally made his escape from an insatiable audience by giving the new popular ballad, ‘I Hoard You Singing,’ with tremendous effect. M, Bratza opened the concert with Max Bruch’s violijj concerto in G minor, Mr Clarence Raybould supplying the pianoforte arrangement of the orchestral score. Bruch among composers of concertos know unerringly how to exhibit the capabilities of the violin, and this is a work for none but the most finished of executants. M. Bratza flayed it with masterly ease, particularly beautiful being his double-stop-ping i.u the Slavonic dance theme occurring in the finale. Saint-Saens’s ‘ Havanaise’ gave tho violinist another opportunity of showing his wonderful imperturbability in dazzling moto perpetuo passages.' Students of the instrument must have noted, among the many accomplishments of his bow-hand, the perfect way in which he articulates rapid staccato notes with an up-bow, though his rigid wrist betrays no perceptible movement differing from” tfat of legato playing. Bach’s lively prelude m E pleased the audience as much as the same composer’s ‘Gavotte’ did at the previous concert, which is saying a great deal. The distinctive quality of the tone of his valuable instrument when muted was engagingly displayed in Schubert's ‘Cradle Song.’ and in the lat-

ter part of fink's ‘Chant d’Amour,’ particularly where there wore passages fop the G string. This young violinist has gone outside the beaten track in his choice of programme numbers, enlarging the public's acquaintance with violin literature, aa wcil as heightening still more, their approbation of this instrument. There can be no question of his having completely captured *nis hearers in this town. Beethoven’s ‘Romance in G’ is among his numbers at to-night's concert. TO-NIGHT'S PROGRAMME. Mr Hackett will give his final concert to-night in His Majesty’s Theatre, and those music-lovers who have not heal'd the great, tenor and his brilliant associat© artists should not fail to seize the opportunity, as it. is many years since New Zealand "wa.s visited by such a brilliant trio of artists. To-night Air Hackett will sing the principal tenor aria from ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘Ah ! kve-toi fible.il ’ (Gounod) 5 ‘E luceven lo Stelle,’ from ‘La_Tosoa’j ‘La Donna 0 Mobile,’ from ‘ Rigoletto.’ His group of classical songs includes ‘ Gia il Sol dal Gauge’ (Scarlatti), ‘Care Solve' (Handel), and ‘Oh! Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Mo?’ (Handel), ‘I Heard You Singing’ (Eric Coates), ‘Blue Are Her Ey<s’ (Winter Watts), ‘ Niclia-vo ’ (ManaZucca), ‘ Because ’ (Guy d’Hardelot), ‘ Thank God for a Garden ’ (Del Riego), ‘Duna’ (M'Gill), etc. Bratza will play ‘Concerto’ (Wieniawski), ‘Slavonic Dance in G Minor’ (Dvorak-Kreisler), ‘Prad]> diurn ‘and Allegro ’ (Paganini-Krcislcr), ‘Romance in G’ (Beethoven), ‘Roudo Gappricioso ’ (Sa-int-Sacns), etc. Tho bos plan is at The Bristol, and day sales at tho Geyser Confectionery.