A FAMOUS TENOR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19240, 2 August 1924, Page 17

A FAMOUS TENOR

VISIT OF CHARLES HACKETT. A musical event of the first importance will be the appearance hero of the worldfamous operatic tenor, Mr Charles Ilackett, who has been widely hailed as the successor to the late Enrico Caruso. The celebrated singer will give three concerts in xlis Majesty’s Thearv , the direction of Mr E. J. Grave:-K/'k, commencing on Thursday, August 14. Mr Hackett s career has been indeed a meteoric one. After a few years’ study in Italy ho made hi 3 debut in opera in Genoa in 1910. His success was immediate. Ho was at once engaged 1 to appear at the famous La Scala Opera House in Milan, being the first English-speaking tenor to play principal roles in the histone temple of opera. The Milanese public was astounded at the beauty and power of Hackett s singing. Within a few months he was regarded throughout Italy a s the ideal interpreter of the roles of Romeo, Cavaradossi, and especially Rodolfo in Puccinis La Bdbeme.” In addition to his glorious voice the now tenor was remarkable for bis youthful figure, histrionic ability and manly, commanding presence attributes rarely possessed by uie great tenors of he world The news of Hackett s conquest of Italy was soon broadcast throughout the world, and he was inundated with offers from the principal opera houses Europe and America, the directors oj h 'h had been keenly on the lookout for advent of a successor to tile lamented Enrico Caruso. He young tenor b Italian successes have been repeated, wlt h'n the sr>ace of a very tew years, in Paris Madrid, Barcelona, Now York, Chicago, the opera houses of South America and in London at Covent Garden, where he was acclaimed Z 0 e greatest tenor in .London since Caruso sang there in 1914. Hackett is accompanied by too young Serbian virtuoso of the violin, M. Yovano note. -