OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 23562, 29 April 1940, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR G. W. ANDREWS [Per United Press Association.] ASHBURTON, April 27. The death has occurred of Mr George William Andrews, aged 91 years. Born at Nelson in March, 1849, he was one of the oldest European residents of the South Island. He arrived in Ashburton and assisted his father to make the first bricks there.; A prominent Methodist, he was a superintendent and teacher for 73 years, which is believed to be a world record. He served for 62 years on local bodies, including the Borough Council, Hospital Board, Technical School Board, the Hampstead Town Board, and school committees, and was treasurer of the Ashburton Lodge, English Constitution, for 39 years. He was a Past Grand Chief of Good Templars and twice Grand Patriarch of the Sons of Temperance in New Zealand. Volunteering, swimming, shooting, and athletics were his early pastimes, and he played in a representative cricket match at Timaru at the age of 60. He leaves one daughter. SIGNORA TETRAZZINI Press Association—By Telegraph—Coypright ‘ MILAN, April 28. The death has occurred of Signora Linsa Tetrazzini, the famous soprano. Born in Florence, she first appeared at Florence in 1895, and in 1907 she sang at Covent Garden. Her favourite operas were ‘ Lucia di Lammermocr ’ and ‘ La Somnambula.’ Signora Tetrazzini became ■ ill on February 14 while staying with her sister in Milan. Cerebral haemorrhage occurred and recently she developed bronchial congestion and pneumonia. [The famous operatic soprano was born in Florence and came of a musical family. Her brother was a stage director with a fine tenor voice. One of her sisters taught music in Milan, and the other, Eva, who became Mme. Cleofonte Campanini, has sung at the Academy of Music in New York and elsewhere. Tetrazzini stated that as a'child she. perhaps unconsciously, assimilated the operas which her sister, Eva, was in the habit of practising at home. This, she said, was carried to such an extent that she knew both the words and music of several operas before she was aware of the fact.. Among them were ‘ Faust,’; ‘ Un Ballo in Maschera ’ and * La Gioconda.’ This was before she was 12 years old, at which time her voice was a deep contralto. Soon afterwards, however, it began to extend upwards untilshe was able to sing F in alt in such operas as ‘ II Flauto Magico ’ and ‘ La Sonambula.’ Her mother was consistently opposed to her following her sister Eva’s profession, although she allowed her to begin studying at the Liceo Musicale in Florence. She first had to sing before' her sister’s teacher, Ceccherini, the director, who was amazed at the proficiency she displayed. For three months she attended the Liceo, and this was almbst all the academic training she had, but after she had left the school her master came to the house And she continued to study operas with him, adding to her repertoire * Crispino e la Comare,’ ‘ La Fille du Regiment,’ and ‘ Semiraraide.’ t At length hew chance came. At the Teatro Nicolini in Florence the manager required a singer to take the small part of Inez in Meyerbeer’s ‘ L’Africaine.’ • He offered her the part which she accepted, and was given a contract for four months, this being followed by a second engagement at double the salary. Engagements all oven Italy, Spain, Russia, and South America followed. Indeed, a more important debut may be said to have been made at Rio de Janeiro as Violetta in ‘ Traviata,’ and it was owing to the pressing representations of her brother-in-law that she consented to try her luck in London, where she was a tremendous success. Her first appearance was not in the grand season, but in the autumn season 0f.1997 as Violetta, and her reception was such that the appearance of the Opera House in November recalled the days of Patti and Albani at the height of the London season'. Tetrazzini added many famous and lyric roles to her repertoire, including Gilda and Lucia di Lammermoor. In 1925 she was one of the first front rank sopranos who consented to sing for broadcasting in England, In the days of her youth Tetrazzini was married to Signor Bazelli, an Italian writer of some distinction, who died many , years ago. Madame Tetrazzini—to the world she was always “ Madame,” and. not “ Signora ” —in her autobiography, ‘ My Life of Song,’ which she published in 1921, wrote that her voice had then earned for her more than a million pounds. Sihce she made . her London debut at Covent Garden in 1907, when she sang herself into world fame in three hours, the great prima donna had sung in almost every part] of the world, and always ‘had her audiences at her feet. On her first appearance in London she was recaned over 20 times, and after her appearance she was acclaimed by Press and public as a new Adelina Patti, and that reputation, earned in a very few hours, she retained for nearly 20 years.]