MADAME ALIDA LOMAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 69

MADAME ALIDA LOMAN.

Herr Benno Scherek deservedly enjoys 'ft high reputation both as an artist and as' a keen judge of what will appeal to the public; : and those who went to the Burns Hall last! nigiit expecting great things of the famous' lyric soprano, Madame Alida Loman, and!' here supporters were not disappointed. The 1 programme commenced with a duet for the violin and piano — " Sonata in G minor " by| ' Arline Thackeray and Benno Scherek. Arline , Thackeray, a highly acomplished violiniste, I puts 'her whole soul into her music, and! during its rendering seems unconscious ofi the presence of the audience or of herself, Madame Loman was received with unstinted applause on coming forward to sing a reci* tative and air from " TJie Creation " (Haydn)-. "Madame Loman during the evening sang noj fewer than seventeen songs. -"Der Nougierge" (Schubert) and " The slumber song '*•-* were beautifully Tendered, and such was tha pathos and feeling infused into the " Dutch' shildren's song" (Van Reunes) that her wonderful soprano conjured visions ofl sea walls and windmills, and little snub--nosed children dancing in sabots against ar Holland landscape. Mr Eric Anderson (basso^ greatly added to the value of the performance by his masterly rendering of " The dovouft lover " end Gounod's ' " Vulcan's song."' Madame Loman sang her pieces in English! and some in Dutch, and all were exquisite. Perhaps I the one possessing - the greatestl charm was Gounod's " Serenade," with violin! obligato by Arlin© Thackeray — " When tlul voice of thy lute at the eve." For the rest, " Come, my beloved," Brahms " Vergebliches Stiendohen," "The- almond' tree," "Butterflies," "Meisken Jong," "Haesken," "Onl the Ling, ho.!" ami "Lovely spring" showed! th-3 range of thia Dutch singer's repertoire,. Her rendering of " Amnie^Lawrie," sung aa an encore, went straight to the heart of her! ; audience. The pianist naturally was Bennoi Scherek, and the touch of a maste<r was ap- I parent in the accompaniments, and in fclwt . piano soli, which commenced the second r/art of the programme. The pieces playedf were: " Valse in A minor" (Chopin), " Prophetic birds" (Schuman), and' thei pianisii held his audience spellbound by his performance ■of " Th-e nightingale " (L-szt). Everyf item was applauded, and each performer recalled again and again. The concert altogether was an intensely musical, beautiful and refined, without being . 'of that ultra, classical type which is too often above the heads of average lovers of melodyv,