Glancing Ahead—

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 972, 15 May 1930, Page 7

Glancing Ahead —

This Evening.—Bohemian Orchestra. Thursday, May 22.—Royal Auckland CI Ausu s t 16-—Music Week commences. Waltz King's Widow Madame Adele Strauss, widow of Johann Strauss, the famous waltz composer, has died in Vienna at the age of 7*5 Johann Strauss died in 1899- His v,-idow has drawn a big income from royalties on his music ever since. Not long ago this income totalled £B.OOO a year. Florence Austral "It seems a thousand pities," observed the London “Daily Telegraph’* recently, “that circumstances prevent Miss Florence Austral from appearing at Covent Garden during the coming season. Facts, however, are stubborn things, and at the Albert Hall tomorrow afternoon Florence Austral will bid a long farewell to Loudon.” This was written on the eve of her departure for her Australian tour. Reviewing this farewell appearance, a London correspondent writes:—“The music lovers of her own country, who presently will welcome Florence Austral, will be assured of hearing a voice which always impresses audiences here as one of the most remarkable dramatic sopranos of our time. Again, at this concert, she delighted Londoners by the ease and power with which her voice came through the orchestral tone, and by its beauty of timbre and brilliancy of colour. A dramatic sopvano must needs be—especially now. when there are various singers of that quality of outstanding mentality and musicianship—a singer of insight and interpretative ability. In that regard Madame Austral has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, and her great voice is reinforced by much vocal skill. At this concert her principal music included Senta's ballad from ‘The Flying Dutchman,’ and ‘Softly Sighs’ from 'Der Freischutz': and it is songs of that calibre, and especially the Wagnerian declamatory songs, which will enable Australian and New Zealand audiences io understand her lame in this country.” * • * Guest Conductor Sir Thomas Beecham's recent appearance as guest conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra was attended by all the British people who could squeeze into the hall, among them the leading representatives of the diplomatic and social circles of Great Britain and Germany. Sir Thomas conducted Mozart's C major svmpnony ana Strauss’s “Heldenleben” without a baton.