Madame Alida Loman.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 9731, 7 January 1908, Page 4

Madame Alida Loman.

Tne fact that last night's concert paTty was sponsored b> Herr Benno Scherek is sufficient guarantee of the artistic attain ments oft hese who comprised the cornpan} The name of Scherek is known more than favorably throughout Austral asia, and is the, <i&\ V music.if 1 capa'crtv* Therefore one felt assured that Madame Alida :Loman, aci>erased as' "the famous lyric -soprano iiom Amsterdam," was a star in the world' of song, and that to fail to avail oneself of the opportunity of hearing her ■■was to forfeit an opportunity for musical gratification seldom offered to us in the colonies. And the highest anticipations were fully realised, Maoame Loman is a very bright member of a small but brilliant constellation, she is very near the summit in her art. and all who heard her beautiful voice ia.=t nigjit must have realised that she is ■ among the few real vocal artists that we have = heard in recent years. She is appropriately placed on the same plane with Dolores, that Madame Loman is not English is immediately distinguishable ; from her pronunciation, wliich, to our caTS, j is by no means perfect, but this does not I iii anv wav militate against her success, I the accent "being quaint and pretty rather than unpleasantly marked. The prima 'donna was prodigal in her favors, singiuir. in all, 16 songs; audi lier choice of music was such as afforded no one cause to cavil, running through the camut from Haydn's "On Mighty Pens" to that mostpopular of ballads, "Comin' thro' the Rye." Ilavdn's most beautiful solo in "The Creation" was a revelation. We have heard oratorio well sung here,= but never have we aupreciated it so fully as last night. Finish, good taste, perfect modulation, combined with a perfectly-trained organ to make the rendition delicious. "My mother bids me bind my hair," so different in character, though by the same composer, did not afford the same scope as the item from oratorio, and was not quite so pleasing as that old English pastoral, "Where tne bee sucks." Schubert's "Der ! Ncugierise' 1 and "Wiegenlied," sung ini Geiman.were two of the most beautiful songs en the programme, and Ethelbert Kevin's "Twas April" with "A Spring Morning" (Mendelssohn), completed a list of the "choicest songs—music such as all might enjoy. If there were any who desired something of an even more "popular" nature, this want was supplied by a very quaint Dutch children's song, "The Swallows," "Smidje," "Last Night" (Kjerulf), "Annie Lauiie," and "Comin' thro' the Rye," surely a programme of a nature comprehensive enough to please all. Before the commencement of the concert, Herr Scherek announced that, owing to illness, Mr Bloy, his violinist, had been compelled to give up the tour, but that the services ot Miss Thackeray had been requisitioned in Iris stead. We are sorry that we did not hear Mr Bloy, the more so as the cause of our disappointment is his ill health, but had Mr Bloy come to us we should have missed Miss Thackeray, and that would have been a distinct loss. Miss Thackeray is a young Australian, who gained an enviable musical reputation for j herself a.s a member of the Christchureh Exhibition Oieheslra, and, judging by her performances of last night, she is likely to further enhance that reputation as the outcome of this tour. Her tone is excellent in quality, even and clear, though perhaps not so great in volume as it might well be, and her bowing is very pretty indeed. She has perfect mastery over her right hand', and plays the most difficult arpeggio movements with the greatest facility. Her numbers included a sonata (Handel), -romance (Svendsen), prayer (Hubay). and a toccata by Huet, Sitt's "Gcndoliera" being played as an encore. I\lr Eric Anderson, the basso, starts out heavily handicapped. It is evidently necessary for him to read his words, and this detracts to a great extent from the general effect. It is difficult to devote one's whole attention to the singing of a performer who stands with a book of words thrust far out in front'of him, which he waves to the rhythm of the music. Mr

Anderson has a good voice, but his style is lacking in fire, a defect most noticeable in Goundod's "Even bravest heart may

swell." His best song was undoubtedly "Devotion" (Schumann). Heir Scherek selected for his pianoforte solos music which aimost all know; one of Chopin's valses, "Prophetic Birds" (Schumann), "The Nightingale" (Liszt!, and Godar'd's mazurka. These are. not items calling for any great effort of technique, but they are just what an audience Uses, more particularly when played by such a performer. They are "pieces' attempted by the average " amateur, who would Tecognise after hearing them played last night that there is more in them than had been appre-

ciated. As an accompanist Herr Scherek shows his artistic capacity to the full: he is no mere perfunctory accompanist, but a real assistance to the soloist.

So excellent a company of artistes will ceitainly attract a "house full of enthusiasts again to-night.