DAWSON-CABALLERO CONCERTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21979, 14 June 1933, Page 8

DAWSON-CABALLERO CONCERTS

SEASON NEXT WEEK Messrs J. and Ni Tait, the distinguished impresarios, announce their regrets in our advertising columns to-day that owing to the fact that Mr Peter Dawson and Senor Tapia Caballero are due to fulfil engagements in London in August,, they will be compelled to limit the South Island concerts to Christchurch and Dunedin. This unique combination, with Mr Hubert Greenslade as accompanist, is now taxing the capacity of the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, and the first Dunedin concert is set down for Tuesday next, with two further concerts on the Thursday and Saturday, when the artists will leave for Auckland. A Christchurch critic says: “ Mr Peter Dpwson belongs to that small company of musicians who have established so great a reputation in the past that their eyery, return visit becomes the occasion for further demonstration on their part of their oustanding sincerity and artistry, and for a more enthusiastic welcome on the part of local audiences. Mr Dawson .certainly takes his place as one of the finest concert and ballad singers that have sung in New Zealand; his platform manner soon puts aside any aloofness between singer and audience; his voice, smooth and rich in quality, is capable of endless shades of dramatic inflection, and even though three songs like Purcell’s ‘Ye Twice Ten Hundred Deities,’ the Barber’s Song from Rossini’s ‘ Barber of Seville,’ and Moussorgsky's ‘ Song of the Flea ’ might seem to show all its resources to the fullest advantage, he can still surprise -us, as in Schubert’s ‘Du Bist Die Ruh,’ by singing over a long phrase with effortless ease and quality of tone. He may well be termed the world’s most popular singer, seeing that not only does he fill the huge concert halls of Europe and America at each personal appearance, but his records, of which over 11,000,000 have been sold, appear to girdle the globe. It must be remembered that Peter Dawson’s fame is not confined to the lighter side of music. He has also won a great reputation in grand opera and oratorio, but the robust song, the song of the sea, the folk songs, the ballad of life and love, allied to charm of manner and ingratiating personality, -as breezy as the plains of bis native Australia, .are the attributes that make intimate friends of mere acquaintances. Mr Dawson is a great favourite with royalty, and has won the personal appreciation of the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of York. Senor Tapia Caballero was born in Santiago and received his musical education at the famous conservatorium there. By way of New York, he found his way to Europe, and after considerable travelling and intensive study he finally settled in England. At his first public recital in the Wigmorc Hall he completely captured the critics* since which time he has appeared with the greatest success in the art centres of Europe and South America. Some authorities proclaim him the greatest Chopin exponent of the present generation. Particulars of prices, box plan, etc., will be found in our advertising columns.