VISITING ARTISTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22956, 11 August 1936, Page 13

VISITING ARTISTS

MADAME AUSTRAL AND AMADIO " It has been a thrill for me to return to my native New Zealand after an absence of 18 years," said Mr John Amadio, the eminent flautist, who will play at the celebrity concert in the Town Hall to-night. "I have met so many old friends and renewed the happy associations of my youth, and I have also been very pleased to find on my return that the playing of numbers for the flute by Bach, Mozart and Handel has been greatly appreciated by audiences in New Zealand, which should go to show that the hearing of and becoming familiar with- classic forms of music inculcates a liking for it." Mr Amadio said he had found that in New Zealand much of the good classical type of work, as well as the lighter variety, was well appreciated. Earlier in his life he toured with Tetrazzini and Freda Hampel, and played in London for Melba, who presented him to play before Queen Mary. With his wife, Madame Florence Austral, who has not previously been to New Zealand, Mr Amadio will later travel to the United States, giving three concerts at Honolulu en route. This will be their seventh successive tour of America, and will last for three months, during which they will give concerts with orchestras and joint recitals. After returning to their home in London Madame Austral will tour England with Szgeti, the violinist. Madame Austral, who is an Australian by birth, has had a distinguished career as an operatic soprano, undoubtedly her greatest part being that of Brunnehilde in "The Valkyrie." She sang in this role in the Berlin State Opera House, an honour seldom received by a British artist. Like her husband, Madame wishes always to further the interests of the better class of music. In this connection it is interesting to note that all over the world, including America, these two have never been under the necessity of, as it were. " playing down to their audiences," by inclining to a jazz and variety programme, because there was always the audience to be found which appreciated a higher type of musical work.