GIANNINI TRIUMPHS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 805, 28 October 1929, Page 15

GIANNINI TRIUMPHS

THIRD CONCERT SUCCESS Each, time Dusolina Giannini appears on the concert platform, and sings to an entranced audience, her triumph is complete. Giannini has the magnetic charm of personality—the type that compels admiration — that is almost equal to her wonderful singing. This impression must have formed in the minds of hundreds who packed tho Town Hall concert chamber, and revelled in her songs at the third concert on Saturday evening. The selection of compositions afforded a striking contrast in vocal music, ranging from heavy sacred and operatic numbers to capricious Spanish and Italian folk songs. In each, the purity and rippling flow of her notes, the vibrant power and volume in the heavier passages, and, above all, her innate artistry, was strikingly evident. Songs almost forgotten lived again in the dramatic fire or coquettishness of Giannini’s voice. Enraptured in an almost strained silence during each number, the audience only broke the spell with remarkable demonstrations of enthusiasm, which continued until Giannini responded.

The deeply impressive Beethoven composition, “Creation’s Hymn,” was a striking opening number. She treated the solo with remarkable intrepretative skill that evoked the utmost enthusiasm in the house. In marked contrast was the delightful aria from the opera “Mignon,” in which the singer made full use of her powers of . expression, so captivating the audience that she was compelled to respond. There was a wealth of feel-

ing imparted by Giannini in her singing of Frank Marsden’s “My Mother,” I that held the house spellbound. The wonderful range and power of her voice was strikingly apparent in Frank la Forge’s ‘“Hills,” which was given with all the dramatic fire the piece demanded. Rachmaninoff’s “In the Silence of the Night” was beautifully interpreted. Then came the first glimpse of Giannini’s remarkably versatile technique in her light, joyous treatment of the “Three Cavaliers,” by Dargminzslcy-Schindler. The most delightful ten minutes of the concert was listening to Giannini’s singing of “Ave Maria” and “A Summer Night.” The beautiful Gounod setting of the sacred solo was invested with a remarkable depth of feeling in the singer’s wonderful notes. The Goring Thomas composition, likewise, received the most careful handling, particularly of the light and shading passages. Coming to her concluding numbers, two couplets of Spanish and Italian folk songs, Giannini. with flashing eyes and eloquent gesture, interpreted the spirit as well as the air of the songs. The Spanish couplet. “Estrellita,” and “Nade Me Quierre” (“Old Maid’s Song”) were delightful numbers, though the singer excelled herself in the Italian “Manella Mia” and “Ohie, Mereche.” The house was so delighted with the performances that Giannini was twice compelled to respond, “La Paloma” being sung magnificently. Miss Molly Bernstein, who played the vocal accompaniments, was won- ! derfullv sympathetic, and was Gian- | nini’s shadow. She materially eni hanced the pleasure of the perform- ’ ances. Miss Bernstein delighted the | house with three solos of varied character, ranging from Chopin's “NocItu.rne in B Major,” Debussy’s “Golliwog Cake Walk,” to a Mischa Levitzkia valse. A highly artistic violinist, Mr. Sol f Deutsch scored decisively in both his . solo and obbligato work, which was rewarded with enthusiastic applause. He gave a charming interpretation of Joseph Achrom’s “Hebrew Melody,” 4 and played splendidly Hubay’s “Hejre Kati.” and in response to an insistent recall, satisfied the audience’s demands.