MUSIC NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7145, 4 June 1910, Page 8

MUSIC NOTES

:U t Jit.- viol in and piano recital, arranged by Mr Horner. JWiiii for Thursday, .liuir- lblh, lit tho Concert Chamber ..f II..! Toivn Hull, a mow violinist, -Mr ilerU-rl Hloy, will ui.-.ke hiri fir.,t appoarnnr,- before a Wellington audience. Mr IJlii.v hails from-Auckland, whoic lie was in great favour art a concert [.layer. It is imssi.'ilu I hat ho will decide to settle Ji this city.

Miss Amy Castle-:, who has been ilo- "! Hue,', „,„|c as Clio-Cho-San in 'M..dam LuUe.ily" with Mr Willram•:ou's company. iy.i-> Urn iu Melbourne. li"i- jm-i.ii.t-. all.envnrds moved to Jien- >-,:■-. wiii-i-... a., a girl .\|j ss Castles studied under .M,- Allan Bin-diev. She made a smccst'iil appearance »,th the JJeni.:„n Operatic 3.,ciciv in the Jeailin- sop.aio -.art in '■l'atienc'.-." .Miss ('allies nan s-vo.al medals for siii S ii! S and pian.-iulle playing at. the jioim.go ,luvuiiU Kxiiioitinn. In IMJ9 Miss Cables a.aao her in but in .Melbourne, scuriiif' -pbndidly. A in,.sL successful tju'r through Australia followed. (Ji- -o.n"

[0 London Sir Hubert i'arry was to pb-a-cd with the voung Australian's voice that he ua'erul her three yearsfree tuition in tho Jioval Colk-e of Mu-r-io, but. .Miss (a;-.tlcs had ma<ie uj) her Jin ml t,, .-.tudy in Paris, where .Uarchesi taught her, and afterwards slio learned Hem .M. iiauhy. A tour of Australasia fuilouxd, and then mora ."vuily under Ifcjiihy in Paris. Then. a. contort . was

given in London, and this was the beginning of a series of .suece.ssful appear ancts in all parts of liurope.

Admirer.-; of Madame Clara Butt and nor distinguished husband, Mi- Konuerloy itumford, will bo glad to learn that the couple arc now in the greatest request in the English metropolis. London papers recently received report that they were the most conspicuous figures at the great sacred ooiicsrt at the Queen's Hall. London, on Good Friday night, and also mention that they received iininen.se ovations when they sang bvfoie -M.IIUI) people at ;.he Crystal I'ai.ice some hours earlier in the afternoon. The clever pair, who. hy tlie way, »eio supported hy the Australian songstress, Madame Esta d'Argo, are hooked to tour .south Africa, and Australia some time ill VJII.

Manila me Mary Conly, the gifteil Australian soprano, is to open her tour of Australia m Melbourne towards the latter end of August. The singer, who has made a great name in London and the Lnglis], provinces, will probably give several eencrts in each of the Australian capitals, and will aiso, it is said, appear in oratorio. Messrs J. and X. Tait have charge of Madame Conly's season in the Commonwealth, and arc arranging to support the songstress with a company of specially selected artists.

Mr Frederick Blarney, principal tenor of the J. 0, Williamson grand opera company, was born in London, and at the .agu of seventeen, commenced study at the Guildhall School of -Music, where ho had five years tuition from Professor Isidora de Sol la. After a year's study ho was able to take engagements. At tho end of the second year ho won the chief tenor prize of the school, viz., the chairman's prize. During his third year .ho was successful in winning tho Kchool tenor prize. Mr .Blarney, during his fourth year, made several successful appearances ou the concert platform. Ho won tho Davies gold medal. Mr Blarney's fifth year at tho school was notable for the fact that he appeared in "Zampa,'! .and took part ia a. number of concerts and oratorios in London, including appearances at the Queen's Hal! and Albert Hall. He went to Itulv in 1908 and put himself under Muestio Vincenzi Salbatine, who is con-.-idcred one of the best trainers of the te:»or voice in Italy. After six months' tuition he received his first engagement at an Italian theatre to sing in "Trovaiorc" and "Krnani." He was after-

■', arils engaged to sing "Un. Balla" ia Jhisciiera in two important towns on lile Italian lakes, and, at Nice, Mar.sedles, uud Malta, lie tlien met Sig-nor Kazan, who made him an offer to tour Australia and Xew Zealand under Mr 3. C. Williamson's management.

A singing achievement by Sims Eeeves, the celebrated English tenor, when over seventy, is mentioned by Johrj JTrancis Barrett, in "Casssll's" for April. "Sims Tieeves had given up public singing, and was a professor at the. Guildhall Bchool of Music. At one of the professors' dinners, tho health of the principal (Sir Joseph liamby) had been Jra'ik, and then the rollicking chorus, Tar He's a Jolly Good i'ellow,' was r-ucg. J tiot pre'vious to the refrain, 'And so say i.ll of us,' it is customary to make a pause on the second syllable of the word 'feiiow.' On this occasion it gave us an opportunity of hearing a. great vocal display, for we heard a wonderful tenor A in alt. held on tho syllable 'low,' with such persistence that wo ceased singing, and hold our breath in surprise. On looking round we raw that it was none other (ban Sims Reeves giving forth this grand note in tenor robusto quality. It was such a marvellous feat of rej uvenility that wo could not Resist giving him a round of applause."

Calve, who is now touring Australia with such remarkable success, is the most conscientious of artists. No operatic part ia ever essayed by her without the most fastidious preparation, and the story goes that when she first decided to attempt the role of Carmen, she gave herself up to the closest study of tho character. She was not content to ponder upon MoriuieVs heroine in the comfortable sanctuary of a. Parisian draw-iiig-room, but. forthwith set out for Carmen's country to watch the habits and customs of Carmen's people. Nor was Calve content to act the part without sarefully studying tho methods of the greatest actresses. It was said of her that she specially repaired to Naples to observe the great Eleonora Duse, for whom the diva has always professed the profoundest admiration. And those who liavo beheld Calve in "Carmen" might suspect that the songstress has acquired much of the manner of Duse —indeed, much, of that eloquent play of the hands that has made the name of the Italian renowned.

M : ss Lalla Miranda, the Australian singer, writes ai« American correspon'.lciat,- has secured ono of the greatest iniumphs ever achieved in tho Philadelphia. Opera llouss. Madaruo Tcti-az-<sini had been announced as Gilda in "Rigoletto," and the Opera House, in jonseoueuce, was packed from floor to seiliri" A sudden attack of hoarseness, prevented tlie artist from appearing, jind Miranda, at a moment's notice, was substituted. Mr Arthur llammerstcm ippoared before the footlights and stated rhat the management was prepared to refund ticket money to those who deiired to leave, ths building. Though the ,-ast audience evidently felt a disappointment in tho change of th« leading role in the opera, there was no call at :he ticket office in response to the manager's offer. Miranda's* entry was rather ;oidly received, but after her first aria ler hearers knew that a Gilda was to jo introduced to them, surpassing any itar that had yet enacted the character ai their city. When tho curtain fell lpou the first act the Australian prima lonna'» success was established. Call lfter call she had to acknowledge, and it the completion of tho opera newspaper critics and visitors from the front if the Opera House begged for permis/ion to nersonalfy congratulate her upon .he delightful surpriso with which she '.laid overwhelmed them. The pres* lofcirca were unanimous in ascribing to tliranda one of the most, brilliant sticjesses .atfcaiucd during tho present opera j xuson, I