MISS ROSINA BUCKMAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18591, 27 June 1922, Page 8

MISS ROSINA BUCKMAN

(THE NEW ZEALAND PRIMA DONNA

After an absence of several years, Miss Bosnia Buckman, accompanied by her husband, Mr Maurice D’Oisly, and members of her company, arrived in Dunedin last night, having made the overland journey from Blenheim, via Kaikoura and Christchurch. Miss Buckman, genuinely delighted ]at being once more in New Zealand, was deeply touched at the royal welcome accorded her and her husband in Blenheim, where she was born, and - where, on her returii last week, she was greeted with unprecedented enthusiasm, while her journey from Blenheim to Kaikoura was gladdened by the hearty welcome of groups of settlers —many of them old friends of her parents—anxious for a glimpse of tho famous singer. At the civic reception accorded to the gifted dramatic soprano in Nelson, her mother’s birth-place, one of the .speakers was Mr Edward Parker, Mayor of Blenheim; who had been present at Miss Buckman’s christening, and, amongst the crowded audience at her Blenheim concert, was an old man of 92, who had known her grandfather and who was determined to hear her sing, though he had to be wheeled ip a chair to tho concert hall. In he earlier days Miss Buckman’s mother was a favourite concert performer in Marlborough, and on this occasion she accomEanied her daughter to Nelson and Bleneim, where. Miss Buckman says, “Mother had a much better time than we had —she had no engagements to fulfil, and gave herself whole-heartedly to the delightful task of greeting old friends and relatives and sharing joyously in their enthusiasm.” In Palmerston North, where Miss Buckman lived as a child, the theatre was crowded in every part, and 300 people, who would not be denied, had to be accommodated on the stage. Mr D’Oisly, who is touring New Zealand for the first time—he having spent only a few hours eight years ago in Auckland on his way from Sydney to Vancouver—is almost as much charmed with the New Zealand climate as he is with New Zealand audiences. Since their arrival in Auckland, except perhaps for some days in Wellington, they -have enjoyed tine weather and warm, sunshine, and after the London fogs, so unkind to many New Zealand and Australian singers, he finds it difficult to believe this is mid-winter. Discussing grand opera in England, Miss Buokman, whom Dame Clara Butt, while in Christchurch some months ago, described as ‘‘-the greatest concert singer in the world to-day,” mentioned the standard of grand opera in England had risen remarkably i since the war. Previously, Continental artists were invariably procured to sing grand opera in England; as the operas were sung in Italian, -German, or French, no British artist was given a chance in the leading roles. During the war, foreign stars rvvere unprocurable, and managers had, perforce, to engage British artists, who proved, without a shadow of doubt, that they were as competent as any Continental importations. So convinced now of this fact ‘was the English public that such authorities as the Loudon Times and the Morning Post were asking why foreign artiste need ce engaged when London could supply performers of the calibre of Rosina Buckman, Frank Mnllings, Maurice D Oisly, and Norman Allen. Naturally the status of English artists had greatly improved, and grand opera in London had now reached the heights reached years ago on the Continent. , . . Amongst invitations recently received by Miss Buckman is one, which she says she will certainly accept, to sing at La Scala Opera House in Milan, where seating accommodation is provided for 6000 people, and jmother, about which she is not so enthusiastic, to sing at the Opera House, Munich, and Mr D’Oisly. who specialises in French and Italian opera, will probably, on his return from New Zealand, accept engagement in Paris. In Auckland and Wellington the success of Miss Buckman’s concerts was so great that,’in each city, th© season had to he extended, and with each performance the popularity of the operatic duets, which form .an important part of the programme, increased greatly. , Miss Buckman and Mr D Oisly will be tendered a civic reception this afternoon at 3 o’clock in the Town Hall. The Mavor, Mr J. S. Douglas, will preside, and speeches of welcome will be made by prominent citizens.