THREE DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19205, 23 June 1924, Page 3

THREE DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS.

MEMORABLE MUSIC AT HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

Local lovers of music awaited with keen interest the first appearance in Dunedin on Saturday evening of three Continental musicians of first-rank standing. The three, who are being introduced to Australian and Now Zealand audiences under the direction of Mr Fred. M’Crea,. of Melbourne, are the Italian tenor Signor Lengli Cellini, the Russian violinist Zaoharewitsch, and Maestro Pietro Cimara, composer and pianist. Zaoharewitsch has the distinction of having first come to fame when, as a hoy cl 14. he attracted the enthusiastic admiration of the great Tschaikowsky, and of having been associated with Ysayo in Brussels. Signor Cellini has won outstanding success not only in his own country, hut alno in Britain and America. Cimara’s fame is chiefly in Italy, where ho is assistant conductor at the Constant Opera House. but also in the United States, where he acted as accompanist to Tetrazzini, and in South America. Such facts as these combinod with reports of their concerts in the north, roused the highest expectations of the visitors. Those who were privileged to hen-r them in His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday evening know that they will not disappoint the most exacting. The cold, stormy weather was sufficiently inconvenient for the audience, ami much more trying for the performers, hut though they fell it keenly they did not fail to give of their i i as st-o ' ris probable, we have to thank the general unrest and distress of Europe for the presence of these artists in this distant land at all, then that may bo put clown as another illustration of the proverb, ‘‘lt’s an ill wind that blows nobody good ’’ Most of the Dunedin socondnry schools were strongly represented in the audience, and the hoys and girls showed a lively appreciation of the performance. it was Cimara, the pianist, who opened the entertainment with a soft and delicate rendering of Grcig’s “Wedding March ” Ho won friendship at once by his freedom irf" 1 " lannorisms . and his easy unstudied ar \ t e .L Sarn . e ’ indeod - might be said of each of the three Each is too finished a master in his own sphere to need anv striv- ’ ; . li Ur effect, and each gives the impression of forgetting the audience and being wholly absorbed in his own art. In rasponse to the demand for an encore. Wltll 1 S eil,l « and exquisite -nera “T° S.vlphcs,” from the rw?rn> Lor ° ? (C , atalani )- These were 3 i. y 80 0 contributions, but throughout the evening he showed, himself the most sympathetic and talented of accompaniments His work should he a lesson to all who undertake the playing of accompaniments but Ms artistic restraint especially should bo noted by the many who are inclined to dominate the instrument or voice they are accompanying that makes another asset to add to his glorious _ and cultured tenor voice. Man of rlen PieCeS We f ro J" En S !i,h - • n -od nrohahlv even some of the most instructed of his audience would be quite glad of that. He m u-i - rd ln , aria “Cielo o Mar” .(Pqnchielli). in whicn wore shown his exquisite purity of tone, power and rich expressiveness An impassioned climax won '"T a freat reception and he responded first 0 mlla” ? nd , bri * ht “ fiesta o P ? jT, d then with “ The .ury Tales of Ireland, a song rick in tender sentiment that was beautifully expressed His power of dramatic intensity was indicated in “Tr e Giorni son nina” (Pergoiisi). and fully demonstrated in the ensuing bracketed number “Viftoria! Vittona ! (Canssimj). and the inevitable, encore, which m this case was the “Flower feong, from “Carmen.” On his third annearanco Signor Cellini sang in English: Ino infinite sadness and pathos oxnrp«sod ill bis rendering of “Oft in the Stilly Night ’ will long haunt the memory. In Purcell’s I Attempt from Love Sickness to Fly ’ he achieved a very telling climax. When be returned again, the first notes of “La Donna e ivloible” led the audience to a prompt expression of its delight at the choice. His fourth piece on this particular occasion was “In Sympathy.” in which much feeling was very delicately expressed. When Zncharewitsch began to playi whether one looked or listened, oven the most uninstructed could not fail to know that a master of the violin was before him. His every movement was sure and graceful, and at times incredibly swift, and he draws from his instrument just what be wills. Sometimes one could believe it was a flute, and once it was like a small bird singing in the dawn. _His opening number was Paganini’s “Concerto,” the elaborate complexities of which presented to him no difficulty whatsoever. His choice was Dvorak’s “Humoresque” as an encore number -was most popular, and the audience listened in wrapt attention to it being played as few if any of them had ever heard it played before. Zaeharewitsch opened the second part with the bracketed numbers “Hymn to the Sun” (Rimsky-Korsakoff) and “The Farmer’s Wedding” (Moffatt), the latter being apiece full of bright, infectious gaiety. Twice the audience insisted on his return, and he gave them first Beethoven’s “Rondino,” and then the same composer’s “Turkish March.” His final numbers were his own composition “Imagination” and Mozart’s “Hondo.” Again he had to add two more items to content his hearers, “Ashgrove,” a Welsh air composed by himself, and a Brahms “ Valse.”

Speaking of the programme ns a whole, it was on exceedingly well-balanced one, and the three artists combine together in a very happy and harmonious fashion. This was best seen in the closing item of the evening, in which all three took part. Their choice was tho song “Nostuglia,’ 5 composed by Cimara, sung by Cellini, with the piano and violin accompaniments of his associates. The effect was most pleasing, and the audience simply refused to leave till tho three had appeared again. It was all in keeping with the generous liberality they had shown throughout the evening that they did return again, bringing a memorable concert to a close with rendering Schubert’s “Serenade” arranged by Cimara. The entertainment is a type and quality that can be enjoyed all too rarely in these distant lands, and these visitors should not be missed by any who set value on what, is bast in music. They are giving but two performances here, and will present another entirely different programme at His Majesty’s Theatre this evening.