STAGE AND MUSIC.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 45, 21 January 1928, Page 7

STAGE AND MUSIC.

STAGELAND. (By “Jack Point.”) The rush for seats for ‘Rose Mario” has been greater than for the other meritorious productions, . “Nanetto” and tho Russian Ballet. There were the most enthusiastic ones who kept an all night vigil at tho Opera House doors. And in the early morning there were many with newspapers, campstools and sandwiches—truly the atmosphere of the gallery queues at the Gaiety, Daly’s, Palace or other of the London theatres.

Harriet Bennett, who will be “Rose Marie” this evening, is an American. She was playing in England when Sir George Tallis—-one of tho Williamson directorate—saw her possibilities. She came to Australia and opened in “Lilac Time,” the musical play founded on the life of the master musician Schubert. “Lilac Time” had failed in Australia previously with another American actress, Eve Lynn, but Harriet Bennet helped to make it ii success when 6he took over. “Lilac Time” came to New Zealand with a new lead, and Harriet Bennett opened in “Rose Marie.” She has been sweet “Rose Marie” ever since. The Boucicaults are due at the Sydney Royal this evening and their opening piece will bo “The Letter.” It is an Anglo-China drama, taking place in China with an English heroine of not very high principles but a fascinating personality.

Amongst Annie Croft’s floral tributes on the first night of “The Girl Friend” in Sydney was one from Elsie Prince. These two young actresses have been together in five productions in England and Miss Prince was very excited when she heard Annie Croft was coming to Australia.

There is a rumour that Maurice Moscovitch is going to retire after Iris forthcoming New Zealand tour. His bank roll must bo big enough for it, and he has rolled out tho globe and rolled it up again, so why not? Moscovitch hopes to see his own world successes renewed in his violinist son, Anton Maskoff.

Early in the New Year Marie Burke started off for the Blue Mountains to see all tho things sire’s wanted to see for three years. Kosciusko is to follow, Canberra, and goodness knows where tho trail will lead. And that she might get up in time, the J. C. Williamson management gave her a diamond wristlet watch. Three other friends presented her with clocks; — yes, three separate clocks! A “girl friend” came over to Sydney from Melbourne especially to see her last two performances of “Wildflower.” Marie Burke will transport the family—her mother and small daughter—to England, with a break at Cairo to see her sister, the first week in February.

A Sydney journalist writes of Annie Croft and her husband, Reginald Sharland :If you would see how London ladies and juvenile leads carry out their work, don’t miss “The Girl Friend.” Annie Croft has tho genuine London brand on her. When she sings she is as soft-throated as morning dew on maiden-hair fern. 'When sire dances she is as litho as a fairy skipping on a moonbeam. She is not a musical comedy star who puts all her eggs in ono basket. . Tho charm of her is subtle, and her allurements grows as the piece advances. Reginald Sharland is the quiet fun-maker of the London stage. If they don’t appeal to you, well, save your money and stay at home when they are in New Zealand, for it won’t be much use travelling all the way to Europe to see their kind. Theirs is the method in vogii«> in Shaftesbury Avenue and the Strand.

“During tho past nine months I witnessed at least half a dozen Englishmade musical plays in London. To me they were most uninteresting —inane plots, music only so-so, comedy oldfashioned and forced, and no real attempt at clear characterisation,” stated Sir George Tallis—one of the AVilliamson directorate —recently. “Although they all seemed to achieve a distinct measure of sucoess in London, I did not take on of them for Australia, where I am afraid they would have a very poor chance indeed if presented to our much more critical audiences. On the other hand, the American stage at the moment is turning out a much more virile and satisfying musical play.” The repertory of the grand opera company the Fullers will introduce in Australia in March will comprise “11 Trovatore,” “Triaviata,” “Rigoletto,” “Ernani,” “Un Ballo in Maschera,” “Aida,” Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut,” “La Bolieme,” “Madame Butterfly,” “Tosca,” “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “Favorita,” “Andrea Chenier,” “Fedora,” “Fra Diavolo,” “Lohengrin,” “Mignon,” “Carmen,” “Norma,” “Faust,” “The Barber of Seville,” “Cavalleria Rusticana,” “Pagliacci,” “Lakmo,” and posisbly two or three other operas still to be chosen. Pullers’ Fiave gone right out to squash tho tradition that opera can bo played only at high prices. Prices so high that it is next to impossible for the average man —the ordinary lover of opera—to see more than one or two of liis favourite shows. Arguing that there have been tremendous profits made from Grand Opera, Fullers’ —aided by big theatres which they expect to pack throughout the season - say that it is a better game all round to make a definite appeal to the general public. To create for them in this country a love of opera fostered by low prices. Tho profits will be smaller, but the season should be profitable, says a Sydney paper.

Gonsalez Brothers, on a previous visit in 1915 had some wonderful singers in the company. The new company will bring back several of these old favourites, and many new ones. Olga Poletti, Marguerite Flor, Rosita Silvestri, and Matilde Pfrimer are the sopranos. The first named is heralded as a wonderful singer. She is regarded as one of tho leading exponents of “Traviata” in Italy to-day. Signor Vannucci is one of tho leading tenors. Ho has,an international reputation. A strong list of baritones and basses include Franco Izal, Francesco Federici, Amolieo Fidelo (baritones), Antonio Alfiori and Amilcare Bioni (basses), the last named two being exceptional performers.

RECORDED MUSIC. Bransby Williams on the Disc.— Bransby Williams is one of the bestknown of London’s contemporary monologue artists. That there are excellent recordings of his most popular platform numbers is a fact not so wellknown as it should be. Amongst these may bo mentioned “Devil-may-Care,” and a scene between Micamber and XJrialr Heep, from ‘‘David Copperfield,” “Scrooge’s Awakening, from “The Christmas Carol,” and “Sydney Carlton’s Farewell,” from “A Tale of Two Cities.” While on this subject, ono might also mention quite an amusing sketch by Tom Clare, “Cohen Rings , up his Tailor,” with which is coupled an inimitable itom from George Robey, “And that’s That.” Another whimsical number comes from Norman 'Long, a droll humorist, who presents “The Good Little Boy and the Bad Little Boy,” coupled with an irresistible number, “Under the Bazunka Tree.” Peter Dawson’s 1927 Record. —Mr Peter Dawson has been a faithful contributor to the record list during 1927. This satisfying bass-baritone never demands too much of his listeners, neither too liigh-brow nor too low-brow, but in his pleasing style, with remarkably good enunciation, enlivens those musical moments when our desire is for easy enjoyment. In his 1927 list wo have the following brackets, all characteristic of this widely popular singer, and all of high average merit as musical compositions: —“The Deathless Army —“Trooper Johnny Ludlow”; “Even Bravest Hearts” (Valentine’s song from “Faust”) —Wagner’s “0 Star of Eve” from “Tannhausor”; ‘'The Fiddler of Dooney”—“Molly ef Donegal”; “Floral Dance” (Moss) and Allitzen’s “The Lute Player”; “House of Mine” —“Wood Magis”; “Oh Could I but Express in Song”—“Sincerity” ; '“Pride of Tipperary” —“Simon the Cellarer”; and the “Prologue” from “Pagliacci” (in English). A Voice Like a Violin.—Newman, the celebrated London musical critic, once said of Fernand Aussoau, the Belgian tenor, that his voice had all the subtle quality of a very fine violin. You may judge for yourself the truth of that remark by hearing the famous singer ini two rapturous numbers from Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet” —the “Cavatina,” and the “Salut Tombeau” —two excerpts from a remarkable opera that display all the artistry of interpretation and vocal suporlativeness of Ausseau’s singing. A Gem from Beethoven. —It is possible that the unique merits of Ueethovens remarkable “Quartet No. t>” (Op. 18), recorded by the Virtuoso String Quartet on four discs, may have escaped attention in tire rush of good things for which 1927 has been noted. The six quartets included in Op. 18 represent Beethovens first published attempts at this most difficult form of composition. His success was complete, as the example before us amply demonstrates. For the most part, certainly its style is that of the coinposer’s so-called “first period” and in it we frequently see Beethoven as the brilliant pupil of Haydn. But while ho shows, particularly in the first movement, how completely he has assimilated what earlier masters had to teach him, yet the scherzo, and still more the brief fourth movement, gives promise of developments quite outside Haydn’s philosophy, realms of feeling which it was given to Beethoven alone to open up to us. On tlio eighth side of this set of records is a delightful arrangement for string quartet of Schubert's ever fresh “Momet Musical.” . Gems from “Otello.” —-Verdi’s “Otello” is one of the composer’s greatest achievements. Gramophone libraries of the more fastidious taste should not lack at least a few of the gems from this maffnificcnt opera. The splendid “Ave Maria” number has been sung both by Dame Nellie Melba and Margaret Sheridan. Of these two the writer prefers the latter for the full-throated warm vitality of the singer’s art —a fine record this. In the “Mio Signore” duet scene, we have a fine recording from Zenatello and Noto, with its bracket, “Ora e per sempre” while Zentella has also been associated with Madame Spam in “Grando Nariavi” and “Verga la Morte.”

Alfred O’Shea.—“Liobestraumc” (Liszt) and “Ombra Mai Fu” (Largo) (Handel), sung by Alfred O’Shea, tenor: Most of us are familiar with Liszt’s “Liebestraume” as a pianforte solo; now it has been fitted with words by G. Decheletto, and an admirable song it makes. The lyric is most appropriate to the haunting melody, which O’Shea sings with deep understanding. He has a great voice, which is heard to even better advantage in Handel’s Largo, on the reverse side, and the two make a fine contrast —the restrained fervour of the “Liebestraume” with the grand and moving dignity of Hnndel’e woll-known work. More Strauss WaltzesA-“Wine Women and Song” (waltz) and yKiiss” (waltz). Johann Strauss conuucting his Symphony Orchestra. Me are treated this month to two more of the famous Strauss waltzes as interpreted by the famous composer’s son, and needless to say the younger. Strauss captures to tho full the fragrant oldworld charm for which his father’s work was so noted. Though one hardly thinks these waltzes will ever recapture tlreir first fine b,lush of popularity, there is much in them that will appeal to a jazz-faded age, and it is good to have them so authoritatively presented to us. A Brilliant French Tenor. —“Romeo et Juliette”—“Cavatina” (Gounod) and “Carmen —Flower Song” (Bizet), sung by Georges Thill, Tenor de I’Opera: Wo hear so many nambypamby tenors nowadays who warble of love as though they were frightened of it that it is a real pleasure to hear a fine manly voice. Nor does M. Thill fall into the other extreme; his voice, for all its robustiousness, is effortless and easy, and free from all affectation. And he is delightfully free from tho sickly tremolo that seems to have fallen like a blight on even the best of our tenors. His last record was issued about a month ago, find it was predicted, at the time that ho would be a distinct acquisition to the gramophone. His second record confirms the favourable .irnpressioms created by tho first. M. Thill is the chief singer at the Paris Opera, and these are the two arias with which he scored his greatest hit. Notice how easily ho strikes that glorious top note in the Cavatina from “Romeo,” and what a delightful contrast lie makes of tho impassioned “Flower Song” from Carmen.

An English Selection. —“The Rose” (English selection) i.n two parts. Played by tho Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards. The arrangement is by Myddleton, who shows fine discrimination in his choice and a most professional skill i,n mortising them together. Tho selection starts off with “Here’s A Health Unto His Majesty,” and one by one “Fine Old Englishmen,” “Lass of Richmond Hill,” “On the Banks of Allan Water,” “Isle of Beauty,” glide into each other. On tho reverse we hear “Old Fowler,” “Sally in Our Alley,” “Drink to Me Only,” “Haste to the Wedding,” • “Sir Roger de Coverley,” and “The Farmer’s Boy.” The Band is most capably conducted by Lieut. Miller.