JOHN BROWNLEE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11949, 20 May 1933, Page 2

JOHN BROWNLEE

FAMGF§ BiIIToIEAEGISBORNE

• CONCERT AT OPERA. HOUSE

ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION ■■ Music lovers of .Gisborne were provided with a wonderdful feast at the Opera House last evening, whan Mr John Brownlee, the famous Austral-dan-born principal baritone o!. : the Paris Opera gave his only local com. derti In numbers'* tho audience was disappointing, but they were wonderfully appreciative and tho generous applause indicated the .".realisation of the brilliance of the talented vocalist, Mr Brownlee has an engaging personality and hte responded ..with pleasing willingness to tho repeated demands for an encore. Mr Brownlee’s dramatic baritone voiicse -is of really beautiful vibrant quality, exceptionally powerful, and he uses it with consummate art. His production is as near perfection i’.'; could possibly be and delightfully; effortless at every point in its very wide register. Ho employs exquisite graduations in. tone, his remairkabie control being undoubtedly an outstanding feature. Every note 'is clearly articulated and hi 3 diction is perfect, whether in English, French or Italian. On his work last evening Mr Brownlee can be classified as- magnificent in every phase of vocal art and especially so in operatic numbers, iif any distinction be possible in such a meritorious performance, the traditional -‘-‘Gome, Let’s be Merthe traditional “Como ,Let’s bn Merry”, which .was perfectly rendered, and established the visitor immediately as an artist of the first TSBk*. He completed tbo bracket witji tf Th© Jolly Tinker” based on “The common cries of London Town”, a rollicking whimsical 17th century number: Assn encore, be (.nr<vt.a~i -rollicking air, “w'hat the Eed-iiairsa Bosun Said”. On his next appearance Mr Brownlee rose to the greatest heights in bis sin" 7 "- of the «Ptologue from “I’ pagliacoi” (Leoncavallo) His Italian diction was perfect and his fine sense of the dramatic stirred the audience as. one ban rarely seen happen in Gisborne. In resnooso + " the enthusiastic demands, he sang

“Invictus” (Huhn); as an encore, giving another wonderfully stirring performance which held the audience spell-bound. • Appearing again in the second half, Air Brownlee displarod hfo able versatility with a bracket of three, numbers, Mnsefiebl’s. ”' c ''

JFever”, in John Ireland’s setting, “Five. Eyes” (Armstrong Gibbs), and “If I Were King” ‘(Campbell 'Tipton). As an encore bo sang the whimscical fragment, “The Pretty Creature.” His final programme number was Kipling’s “Ponte Marchin’ ”, an unusual number in (which Stock’s setting is arranged to represent a regiment of soldiers approaching, passing by and fading away. Mr Brownlee’s control was especially apparent in this number and the aim of the setting was extraordinarily well effected. A perfect storm of applause succeeded the final chords and the singer responded with rhe Irish air, “Kitty, My Love, Will You Marry Me ?” The audience was still far from satisfied and Mr Brownlee was prevailed on ip contribute “On the Day I get to Heaven” and the stirring number, “King, Charles’ (White.) Mr Brownlee was assisted by ft fellow-Australinn, Miss Pita Miller, a very talented coloratura soprano, in several operatic duets. Their voices blended perfectly and the singing of the duet from Verdi’s “Pigoletto” stirred the gathering to the limits. Their first encore number was “Merrip England” duet, “ ‘Tis Folly to Run away from Love” and then came thje love scene from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” which provided the couple with scope for delightful and clever histrionic accompaniment to thdF singing. -

Miss Miller, who appeared in a black frilled and honned dress, with two red rosettes to heighten the charming general effect, won the warmest applause with several solo numbers. Her first bracket included the old favorite. “Songs My Mother Taught Mje” (Dvorak), and “A Persian Bong of Spring” (Mcßurney), this being followed, as an encore, by Hie Irish air, “I Know Where I’m Coin’ ”. Rater, she entranced the audience Gath Thomas’s setting °i •Me Suis Titauia” from Mignon, a bright and sparkling polonaise admirably suited to her voice. Twice she responded to encores, firstly with the amusing song of “The Owl” who found it “too wet to woo” and secondly with the old favorite “Cherry

Ripe.” Tho ' accompaniments throughout wore played with wonderful sympathy and artistry by Mr Raymond Lambert, a young Belgian who received his diploma at the Brussels GopservAtorium at the ago of 16. His- technique is perfect and he reveals the triuet soul of a. groat artist in his playing. Mis'solo numbers were superb, starting with a Chopin bracket, Nocturne in F' Sharp Minor and Valse Bhillante in A Flat. Later he showed his perfect mastery of the piano in the intricate “Tocato” of Debussy and the eerie, equally intricate “Ritue'l Fire Dance” of Manuel De Falla. On both appearances he was enthusistically encored and on the aecond time was recalled twice, giving first "Liebestraume” and' then a Negro dance number.: ... _g.. ..... .■