FULLER-GONSALEZ OPERA COMPANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20448, 30 June 1928, Page 19

FULLER-GONSALEZ OPERA COMPANY.

“ RIGOLETTO.’* The Antarctic conditions prevailing last night did not prevent a large and enthusiastic audience from assembling for the Fuller-Gonzalez Opera Company a performance of “Rigoletto.” Written two years before “ II Trovatore and La Traviata,” “Rigoletto” is incomparably superior to either of these works. As has been mentioned in these colums, the essential weakness of early Italian t>pera is the utter lack of any attempt at characterisation in the treatment of the dramatis personae, or of the maintenance, of dramatic truth in the musical setting. The most impassioned declaration, such as might suggest to the audience, particulariy when sung in Italian, battle, mur» der, and sudden death, is seldom set to more tragic words, than “Farewell; I will see thee to-morrow.” On the other hand, someone’s demise may confidently be expected’ -when- the orchestra breaks into a cheerful melody in waltz time. While in the case of a duel the feelings of the conqueror might conceivably be attuned to waltz rhythm, it is invariable- the about-to-be-deceased who is thus afflicted. “Rigoletto” _is ,remarkably free from these conventions. the drawing of the name part is masterly throughout. The theme of the Court jess ter, hiding his misery beneath a cloak Of mirth, has been frequently treated. Everyone is familiar with the character of Jack Point, in the “Yeoman of the Guanl, delineated by those two brilliant collaborators, Gilbert and Sullivan, In “Rigoletto,” Verdi has drawn a brilliant character of such a one. Rigoletto s music throughout is a masterly index to the Mari. Sardonic and spite, in the court scene; tender and full of anguish in the duets with Gilda; uncom- • promising in his contract with Bparafucile for the avenging of his daughter b seduction; every interplay of thought and feeling is unerringly mirrored in the music, sung. The Duke of Mantua,, a counterpart of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, with Rigoletto replacing Leporello, is also skilfully drawn. Careless of anything but his own selfish and sensual pleasures, he jaunts across the stage to lilting melody as carefree as himself. Contrary to the customary convention by which the villain in grand opera is always brought to a sticky end, hie alone goes unpunished. Probably the librettist considered him not worth killing. Gilda, Sparafucile, Maddaleno, all receive unerring treatment. In spite of the changes of fashion in the 77 years since it was written, it remains an operatic masterpiece, the reason, -of course, being tHat it is so largely indG” pendent of fashion. . . , , The honours' of last night s_ performance go without question to Signor F. Izal. His portrayal of the name part .was one of the most inspired pieces of licting that; has been seen in Dunedin.. rich baritone voice, of seemingly unlimited power, was equal to every- demand ■made upon it. Was he malicious and spiteful, tender and caressing, threatening and dominant, each and every shade of feeling had its expressions in the vocal tone. It was his superb acting, however, that, added to his vocal mastery, wrought last night’s audience to such a pitch of enthusiasm. It was ( a flawless piece of characterisation, to which an extraordinary faculty of facial expression, lent added realism. Signor Izal demonstrated himself, in this part, an artist of whom any company may well be proud. Signa Maria Henkina made her debut to a , Dunedin audience in the part of. Gilda. one is a coloratura soprano of great richness and power. The . Fuller-Gonsalez Opera Company is rich in prima donne. It cannot, however, be denied that Signa Henkina was not always perfectly in time: and her voice has a rather pronounced vibrato for non-Continental ears. Hei ease of production and flexibility were very mavKed. and the elaborate cadeuzas of “Caro nome ” had no terrors for her. If there were times when Signa Henkina disappointed somewhat vocally, on the histrionic side her work was impeccable. Consistently - accurate in her delineation of the jester’s daughter, her acting at times, particularly in the second act with Sig. Izal, rose above accuracy to something approaching inspiration. Sic. Van*’ nucci gave a very good study of the (gptemptible character of the Duke. His 3’outh and appearance enabled/urn to look the part to perfection. It might be suggested that in his hands the Duke became not exactly wicked, but merely naughty, were it not that, with the exception of three very beautiful songs, it is an ungrateful part to play. The strong tendency to vibrato in his otherwise pleasant; voice* marred his interpretation of ‘ Questa 0 ouella” an aria which generally provokes storms of applause. He was much more successful in “ E il sol dell snima and “ La donna e mobile,” the latter ot which had to be repeated. Why the Duke of Mantua, of all men, should chant about the fickleness of women.'passes comprehension. Sig. .Antonio Alfieri, as Sparafucile, the murderer, was everything that could be desired. His sonorous bass voice was a joy to hear, and he manI aged to infuse dignity into even the humble calling of a professional assassin. Signa Pfrimmer gave an excellent portrayal of the Countess Ceprano, and also of the coquette, Maddalena. The parts ot Giovanna and of the Page were very well played by Signa A. Mazza Other members of the cast were Sig. C. Gislon (Count Ceprano), Sig. F. Federici (Count Monterrone), and Sigs. Gardelli and Gugardij as Marullo and Borsa. ' The first act opened well with a very effective Court scene, the beauty of which was enhanced by the graceful posturing of a small ballet. The chorus singing throughout this scene was very successful, and the work of the orchestra considerably better than it has so far been. In the second scene in the first act, mention must be made of the excellent rendering of the duet, between Signa. Henkina and Sig. Izal, “ Ah deh non parlare al misero. It was a sustained and effortless , piece; of singing. Signa Henkina’s rendition ot “Caro nome.’ pleased the audience so much that a repetition was desired, an unwise request at this stage of the opera. Artistically, the aria shows a distinct falling off from the rest of the opera, the florid and meaningless cadenzas, a concession on Verdi’s part to convention, having no raison d’etre in the dramatic requirements; of the scene. Those members of the audience, unacquainted with the story, were somewhat bewildered by the steging of the scene wherein Gilda is kidnapped ■ by the conspirators from the Court. As 1 the masked courtiers are assembled in ! the street outside Gilda’s house, Rigoletto j approaches along the street to enter his i gate. Alarmed at the gathering of i cloaked figures, his fears are allayed when ’ he is told that they intend to carry , ofi the wife of Count Ceprano, a project in which he is required to assist. A mask is put upon him, but it has no eyeholes, a fact which he. in the black night, does not notice. His ears are also covered and he is led away, as he supposes, to the residence of Count Ceprano, but in reality back again to his own gate. In last night’s performance, Rigoletto never left his own gate. To an audience ignorant of Italian, the spectacle of a man at hia own door, after having been masked, opening the same door and standing motionless while a conspirator went into his house, abducted his daughter, and carried her past him, calling for help, must have suggested incipient The simple procedure of marching Rigoletto round the street a few times would have at least produced a semblance of illusion. The work of Sig. Izal and later of Signa. Henkina in Act II merits a copious use of superlatives. It could not have been improved. The gruesomeness of the third act was well sustained, though the thunderstorm was somewhat of the tea-cup variety. The famous quartet. “ Bella figlia dell amore,” received splendid treatment by Signa Henkina and Pfrimmer and Sigs. Vannucci and Izal. The enthusiasm manifested by the audience at the conclusion of each act was no more than the performance demanded, and the welcome presence of Sig. Giovanni Gonsalez on the stage enabled the audience to express its gratitude for and appreciation of his masterly work as musical director. His unassuming work is apt to be overlooked, but it must be always remembered that a successful performance would be impossible without it. "IL TROVATORE” MATINEE. After a succession of six different operas the public will be treated to a repetition of “ Il Trovatore,” the opening opera of the season, in which the principals, Silvestri, Algozzino, Rota, Izal, and Fumagalli, established the reputation of the company. The six operas presented have shown the unsurpassed vocal strength of the singers, both principals and chorus, as well as the superb quality of the voices, and the unequalled display of their dramatic art. There is .not • weakness amongst the principals. The

four sopranos —Flor, Poletti, Henkina, and Silvestri—have each in their own particular branch of vocal art, demonstrated the highest vocal qualities. The dramatic work of Silvestri in “Norma,” Poletti in “Lucia,” and Algozzino in "Trovatore,” has never been equalled in this country . within living memory. Three tenors have been heard I —Rota, Vannucci, and Tamburini, .and all have satisfied, but the lyric singing of Rota in “ Lucia ’ was an experience that will not easily be forgotten, and it'justly received the greatest ovation of the season so far. The company is blessed with two first-class mezzos, Algozzino and Pfrimmer. The two bassos. Ernest Fumagalli aud Antonio Alfieri, combine vocal and dramatic powers of a high order, and Fumagalli will be always remembered for bis Mepbistopheles and Oroveso. The baritones, Scamuzzi, Izal, and Federici, complete the splendid list of major principals—each is an artist, and each a. finished singer and actor. It is no exaggeration to say that no previous company has ever visited the Dominion with 14 principals (no less) of such high degree and quality in every branch of their art. THE STORY OF “MIGNON.” Ambroise Thomas’s “Mignon” was first produced in Paris in 1866. The book is by Barbier and Carre, based on Goethe s “ Wilhelm Meister.” and the etory is set in Germany and Italy. , The opera contains three acts, and enjoyed great popularity in Germany. During the decade 1901-1910 it was given nearly 3000 presentations. . ... The scene of the first act is a public street, where Mignon, a daughter of noble parents who was stolen, when a child, by the gipsies, is being forced to dance by the brutal gispy leader, Giarno. Lothario, a wandering minstrel, enters and sings, accompanying himself on the harp. The minstrel is in reality Mignon’s father, whose mind was affected by his, daughter s abduction, and he wanders about seeking her. Guglielmo, a young student, protects Mignon from the gipsy, and questions her about her parents. She remembers but little, but tells him of her impressions. Guglielmo, full of pity for the helpless girl, offers Giarno a sum of money to release her, and goes into, the inn to complete the bargain. Lothario comes to Mignon to bid her farewell, saying he must go south following the swallows. Guglielmo is now invited to go to the castle of Prince Tiffenback with the troupe 1 of players, headed by the lovely Filina, who has observed the handsome student with an appreciative eye. He hesitates, thinking of Mignon, but she begs to be allowed to accompany him disguised as a servant. Wilhelm finally yields a reluctant consent. , ' The scene in the second act represents a room in the pirnce’s castle. Filina is seated in front of her toilet table, musing on the handsome Guglielmp, who has made a deep impression.on her. Guglielmo enters with Mignon, who. meets with a cool reception from the gay actress. Guglielmo makes love to Filina, whito Mignon watches them with a sad heart, aeshe had learned to love her new toaster When left alone, she tries, by the aid of Filina s rouge, to make her complexion as beautiful as that of the actress, who has dazzled her master. Mignon now makes her appearance in one of Filina s dresses. Guglielmo tells her in a beautiful air that he must leave' her. Mignon utters a cry of grief, and begins to weep, while Guglielmo speaks to her words of consolation. She refuses money which he offers her, and is about to bid him farewell , when Filina enters, -and. seeing Mignon an one of her owj. dresses, eyes her with sarcastic amusement, which puts Mignon into a jealous rage, and she tears off . the borrowed finery and puts on her gipsy garments. The scene changes to the park ot the castle. Mignon in despair attempts to throw hereelf Into the lake, ■ but is prevented by Lothario., who consoles her. in a fit of jealousy she wishes that fire would consume the castle in which Filina had won her master’s affections. The actors and guests issue from the castle proclaiming the beauty of Filina, and in the flush of her triumph she sings the brilliant Polonese. Guglielmo now sees Mignon, and is about to speak to her when I’ilina interposes and asks her to go to the castle on an errand. ■ The girl obeys, but no sooner has she entered the castte than it is discovered to be in flames, the half-witted Lothario having.set fire to it after hearing Mignon s jealous wisn. Guglielmo rescues. Mignon in a magnmeent climax. . * The third act shows the castle ot Lothario, to which the old man has returned with Mignon. They are followed bv Guglielmo, .who realises that he lo\es his young ward. Mignon is recovering from an illness, and Guglielmo watches over her, but when she realises ms presence she becomes agitated, and insists that Lothario loves her. Lothario enters, and it is discovered'that he has been brought to sanity by the familiar ■ surroundings. In an appealing and dramatic scene he recognises her as his daughter..