MUSICIANS AND COMPOSERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 85

MUSICIANS AND COMPOSERS.

— The Treasury is about the last place wKere one would expect to find a musical expert But Sir Bdward Hamilton, who is retiring from the Joint Secretaryship of the Treasury, is a Bachelor of Music, and has kept up his musical studies and interests throughout the 37 years of hie connection with Whitehall. As becomes the eon of a bishop, he has given church music a. place in. his compositions.

— Sir Charles Santley, the yeteran baritone, whose knighthood hae delighted all lovera of musio, confessed not long ago that some curious criticisms have been passed regarding his voice during the 50 yeaTS he has been singing before the public. .The mpst amusing was that of a sailor friend, who, while expressing his great_ admiration for Sir Charles's voice, invariably toned down his words of praise with the remark: "All the same, Charlie, you're a. good serHor spoiled. You ought to be ordering your men on board ship, instead of bawling and squalling your voice away in a stuffy theatre."

— It tray he news to many people that Lady Halle, who has expressed her intention ,of Settling permanently id London, af tef years of residence abroad, possesses the unique title of " Violinist to the Queen." As a matter of fact Queen Alexandra num hers Lady Halle/ amongst her personal, friends., and quite recently her Majesty sent a letter to the- famous violinist, saying how welcome she would he in London Lady Halle, .who made her professional ■ debuE' ia England when- she ,waa 10 years

old, as Wilhelmia&. Neruda, is one. -of fciff« family of--Nerudas who for "a century" find a-half have been famous in Moravia- t>s violinists. Per father was an organist, and presided over the organ at the cathedral at Bxunn.^ As a child sho was permittu.'t to have a seat, hidden from sight, in thef organ loft; v The'reJ as in other Catholic! Cathedrals, they jpave an orchestral aocorar paniirient to the organ, and it was the vioi lins.v Lady Halle- remembers, which most delighted heo young ' heart. Long befor« her, first marriage, at 24, to Ludw'ig Norman, the Swedish musician, Lady Halle'^ fame had penetrated to' every- music ; lt>ving centre in Europe. She married ,the late Sir Charles Halle. 19 years" ago, and ha* been a widow for the last 12 years.

MADAME BLANCHE ARRAL/

— Her Romantic Career.— ' ' (Melbourne Weekly Times, December 28.)

" Yes, she is divine — magnificent — entrancing—all this and more'! But who is she? Whence comes she? Where has hejs art, been hidden all these years?"

Such are the tributes and the interrogations ' that the reappa-ranco in Melbourne) of Madame Blanche Arral has called forthj from aln:ost all who have heard the greafc artiste.

All kinds of rumours, some of an extraordinary character, have been circulated concerning the identity of Madame Blaneha Arral. , ,

W hilst singing at the Town Hall on Saturday night, Madame Blanche Arral ia said to have been recognised by a gentleman who had been, an attach© of the,."Austrian legation at Paris, and! who kne%y her * and much of tHe romantic story "of hei; life. T-his^ gentleman sought- madame -out, -' end renewe y d his acquaintance with her..

Madame Blanche Arral is, the" Austrian diplomatist states, a Russian Princess. Her; - first husband was Prince Sergiua Peschkoff, a Russian aristocrat. She herself: comes of an old French family, her father, having been a count. Born at Brussels in' 1874-, she was thef youngest of a large '. family. From her earliest youth she exhibited great love of musio, and very soon, displayed a genius for its performance. When 10 years old she won prizes both for, singing and playing at the Oonservatoriura : of - Music, Brussels w_ By the influence" of Pjrince de Chimay, tne president of the jury; 'at the Oonservatorium, the young artistaf went to Paris to study musio in earnest* Marchesi putting the final polish on hel^ education. - - At the early age of 15 the' youthful singer, made her 4ebut on the operatic stage atr the Opera Comique, •in the namft part on Mignon. She scored a triumph that placed her fame as a singer and an actress on '^ strong foundation. Since that time ma-! dame's career has been a long, record ofi success. She stayed at the Opera Comiquo? three years, appearing in leadings parts int' big opera all the time. It was not long before „ 'Claire de Hary dinois," as the youthful artiste _ became known, wes celebrated all througli^Burope^' She created the part, 6f j Laura in MiH locker's "Beggar Student,"' ,ahd has still i» her possession a_beautiful crown, ..presented to her by the composer on the" occasion ol the hundredth performance of the opera. .' After an American 1 tour the singer <re< turned to Paris in 1893 in the flush of'he» great success. Here she met Prince Ser-j gius Nicholas de PeschkofT, whom she hatfe .. beoome acquainted with at St. Petersburg-^ and the pair were married. For two years the Prince and Princess lived at the family seat of the Prince' at St. Petersburg. Then the Princess paid a. visit to Brussels, to see her family. * WhUsii she wa a away her busband became ill. Hiet relatives, who had never favoured the malNi riage, kept the Princess in ignorance of thrf fact. She returned to find her husbanq dead, and his estate, together with a larga{ sum of v money belonging to herself,' in. the' possession .of his family. Ever since thep, it is said, madame has been endeavouring, to recover her own .property ,_aond the third: of her husband's estate, to which she claimi to be entitled. , ' In the meantime the distinguished singer had returned to the stage, under her old name. She went abroad in search of nowf conquests, and' found them — in Java, and' in Tonkin, "where she had some exciting experiences ; and elsewhere. 1 Finally, the Frincess Peschkoff— or Madame Claire de Hardinois — decided to visit*, ' Australia, and to conceal her identity undeft the norn de theatre of Blanche Arral. Madame. Blanche Arral, aa . she desire* to be known, is now the wife of Mr Harolo^ Bassett, a citizen of the United States, wha, accompanies her on her present tour. Mr Bassett, it may be mentioned, fough* in the United States army in the Spanish* American war, with the rank of captain, ire the First Ohio Regiment of Infantry. In was just after the war, at New Tork, that he met madame, who was then on tier way home after an extended tour of the States. They were married not long afterwards by, a justice of the peace, and, left America together.