THE PATEY CONCERTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 9317, 11 June 1891, Page 3

THE PATEY CONCERTS.

Tho theatre was very fall ia every part, and the largo audience was most enthusiastic. Madame Patoy was In splendid voice, as everyone realised on hearing the opening notes of the glorious “Caro Mio Ben/’ Very grandly sang it was, and after it there was a perfect storm of applause. Madame returned to bow her acknowledgments, bat the storm continued ; again she returned, and again she failed to satisfy the clamour ; which was kept np until Madame came back with Mr Morris, who sat down to the piano, as the lady advanced to the front, and thou you might have heard the proverbial pin drop. Presently we had “The Banks of Allan Water,” ia a style of great perfection. “Hocked ia the Cradle of the Deep,” the second number, had been eagerly expected, on account of the opportunity* that Long gives for the display of phenomenal low notes. Before taking that opportunity Madame steadied the upper notes of her groat voice to the softest of musical whispers, descriptive of “calm ond peaceful eloep”; and then having come near the end of the song she plunged into the.depths—down, down, with vast power —finishing with a prolonged note of great volume, sounding deep as the pedal pipe of an organ. The song having been transposed the concluding note was probably the lower K flat or the D. The applaaso was nearly an phenomenal as the display of contralto power, and was only quieted by another song. This time It was “The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington/' a very charming old ballad, very charmingly sung. There was grace in the rendering, gaiety, tenderness, sudden grief, wild joy, serenity—all the emotions which this wonderful little story of the olden time calls up in its brief course. Most dramatic it was, yet the ballad was never overdone, and above all. things, the story, while gaining so much from the grand voice and style of the singer, lost nothing la the telling—not j so much as the fraction of a syllable. The ; third number was Moore’s melody, “The meeting of the waters.” The poot made the world love the znaslo of Ireland hy marrying that music to immortal verse. Tho music and the verse being inseparable, should be heard always together. To bear the words alone is to give only half to the ear. Until you hear them together you do not get a just Idea of tho greatness of Moore’s work. We heard them together last style, the great voice pealing oat the coftly beautiful air, giving us tho tender grace of tho poetry that has bo closely matched its mournful character. Of coarse there were calls fop u more,” and they were followed by tho fine old Scottish ballad of * 1 Huntingtower/’ which Madame sang in a way to make ns understand the reason for its long life in the heart of a nation—a thing, by the way* she does with every national ballad she sings. Miss Wood, daring tho evening, carried the audience away by her very fine performance of Pradunt’s extraordinary arrangement of airs from Luoh. She played it as only a pianiate of great power and rare skill could play it, doing justice to the brilliant, noisy, complicated variations without Injuring the melodies, which she mnde sing through all the musical hurly-burly with commanding effect. In answer to a well-deserved recall, che played Kowalski's “ Birds in the Wood/’ a characteristic bit of descriptive composition, requiring the clearest, most delicate touch, and the most charming, graceful style of treatment, all of which requirements were forthcoming. Handegger’s Trio, 11 1 Naivigante,” was well sung by Miss Hoaeow, Mr Jones, and Mr Waters. Miss Hosaow sang the groat air, “Bel Raggio,” from Semiramide with great spirit nnd brilliancy, and substituted tho ever popular “Haper Vorreate.” With Ganz's very bird like song “Bing, Sweet Bird/’ she scored a distinct success, which brought down the bouse, the singer repeating the second verse. The repetition was an improvement in one respect, the only one in which any improvement was required. There was an absence in the repetition of the occasional shrillness ot some of the upper notes slightly overforood. Miss Hossow also contributed the leading soprano air in Maritana, “Scenes that are Brightest.” It was cruel of the management t j have placed this after “Caro Mio Ben,” A trio of tho fall strength of the Company would have been tho right thing. Mr Jones sang Lohr’s “Love’s Proving ” /and Adorns’ “ Mona,” havIng to repeat tho latter. Mr F. Y. Waters was overweighted by bis selections, “ Honour and Arms ” and Pxnsati’s fino “ Bedouin Love Song,” especially by the latter, which took him rather far out of bis register. Braham’s old duet (tenor and bass) ended a very pleasant concert. The management announce the extension of tho season to Friday and Saturday nights. The full programme of to-night's concert appears elsewhere in this issue.