A NEW PRIMA DONNA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17008, 15 April 1926, Page 3

A NEW PRIMA DONNA.

Yol'N (j SIX{.:ERAS TRIUMPH. OVATION' AT THJi METROPOLITAN’. MAY YORK, Feb. 23. Miss Million Talley’s' triumph at the Metropolitan Opera last night was acclaimed ’by a record audience, and to-day is a topic of nation-wide congratulation occupying much newspaper space. Miss Talley, a. calm, pink-cheeked, 19-year-old girl trim Kansas City, is the youngest prirmi donna in the history of the Metropolitan, and her first appearance here drew a throng exceeding old-time Caruso nights. ' Ten thousand persons stormed the doors to hear the girl in the role of Hilda in "lMgoletto,” of whom SGOO were turned away. The- latter became so excited and tile street traffic so congested that police reserves were called out to restore order, a squad of mounted police riding four abreast on pavements being necessary till alt the approaches around the theatre were cleared. There were ten curiam calls for the new singer after her first scene and A! at the opera’s close. Kansas City. .1 COO miles away, was certainly organised fcr victory. A crowd of friends and aumirers ill the. home city gartered a special train to .New York, aim the same loyal hand contrived to buy up every scat, at the Metropolitan except those reserved for subscribers. Kansas City, ever since Miss Tolley commenced singing .in the eliuuch choir at the age. ol toil, has dreamed of an operatic future for her. and worked to moke it come, true. Her fellow-townsmen and women from Missouri paid over £SOOO for concerts there during the last three and ahalf years lo promote thus girl, singer’s: education. FATHER WIRES NEWS.

Nearly 30 oniginal “Marion Talley boosters” came east cm a joy ride to New York to hear and cheer their native dguaJiter ’ “if she made good.” While confident of the result, they] waited frankly for the sound, sober judgment of New York, with its highly critical audience. At the end of the first aut John Talley—“l’a ‘.Talley*- as jhe is called here —went to the back of the stage and sat down, at the telegraph instrument. Eighteen years ago he was a, newspaper Press telegraphist, and now, by special ipemusiofi of the Metropolitan Opera, he ticked out, with a. rather shaky hand, life account of his daughters success, and how the things the Talley family Intel dreamed of for fifteen years had come true. Meantime Mrs. Talley, very elated with her daughter’s triumph, said to reporters, who thronged the back of the stage as well as the auditorium, “I can’t realise rhy little girl is a. grown-up priiua donna; to mo she is still my little girl.” Apparently the young diva, did not suffer by a previous Press publicity sufficient to dwarf the performance of the most gifted soprano in the world, and it is agreed to-day by the critics that she lias a voice of an uncommonly fresh and lovely quality, and of ample range and flexibility in Ihe upper pa rt for coloratura repertory-—a voice, in short, on which a. really, admirable and accomplished coloratura singer vain bo made. 11 is -equally agreed that Miss Talley, precipitated at the age of 19 and with virtually no previous experience upon one of the most famous opera stages, has not at present the artistic knowledge to make the most of lier gifts. While she showed her ini maturities last night and certain technical deficiencies, the fact remains that she kept her head, and interpreted the role with simplicity, intelligence, and musical quality. The question of her futuvo is a question of her capacity for development and self-criticism. Shu is ‘ said already to have refused; the advice of eminent teachers and gone her own way. “Clive her five years,” says New York’s best musical judgment, she will become an artist to be reckoned with.”