A HUNGARIAN SINGER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 December 1927, Page 9

A HUNGARIAN SINGER.

MADAME GITTA ALPAE. Small, endowed with a charming personality, and speaking English with an attractive accent, Madame Gitta Alpar, the Hungarian mezzo-soprano, who is to appear at the Opera House on Monday and Tuesday .nights, gave a briCi interview to a “Hawera Star” reporter to-day. Madame Alpar’s tour has some uncommon features. In the first place she carries with her letters of introduction from Sir Robert Stout, exChief Justice of New Zealand, Air. G. A. Troup, Alayor of Wellington, and a letter to all Rotary Clubs in New Zealand She has been two years in the Dominion, and it was not till she lost her husband under tragic circumstances and found herself laced with the necessity of returning to her own country with her two young children, that she contemplated undertaking a concert tour of this country. She i.s possessed of a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice of great range, and she has had a great deal of experience in opera in Europe. It is now her intention, upon the completion of her Now Zealand tour, to continue her studies with the object of resuming her musical career where .she left off prior to coming to New Zealand.

She likes New Zealand, and hopes to come back here, she informed the reporter. She is enjoying the present

tour immensely, Hie said —“Your people, they are so kind and they have been good enough to say nice things about my singing.” Her programmes are chosen with the object ol making her entertainment, which is given in conjunction with the picture programme, as varied as possible. Madame, who is unusually fluent in English, considering that she was unacquainted with the language when she came here two roars ago, said that she did not despise jazz music—she calls it “jest”—but she did not think it was meant for the voice. “In bands, yes, it is sometimes very pretty, the best of it; but for the voice, no. Besides,” she added laughingly, “I cannot always say the words!” The operas “Faust.” “Carmen,” and others have provided her with most of her singing parts. Since her arrival in Hawera, Madame Alpar has met a number of local musical people, and she speaks in the highest terms of appreciation of the interest they have shown in her forthcoming concerts. On Sunday evening, at 8.31), the Hawera Municipal Band will give a complimentary concert in King Edvvard Park, and it is hoped by the cooperation of the public and the musical societies to. ensure that it Trill be generously supported.