Tetrazzini, Meiba, Patti.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13608, 30 May 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

Tetrazzini, Meiba, Patti.

A COMPARISON. In a somewhat "gushy" article on Tetrazzini in Cassell's Magazine for May, Mr E. B. Baughan ventures upon a com-, parison of the "new" prima donna with Melba and Patti. He does not mention j serious defects in Tetrazzini's technique," which the eminent musical critic of- the " Times" was not afraid to point out,such as that, her methods were so crude that the action of the opera had to wait while she drew breath. This critic -did not appear to have much doubt as to the overwhelming superiority -of Melba. Mr Baughan makes his comparison in these terms:— "The mention of Madame Melba's ri&me brings me to the critical consideration of Tetrazzini's gifts. It is not quite fair, perhaps, to compare one singer with another. Each voice has its own peculiar, .bouquet, just- as different cigars a.nd wine' have their special qualities. But since we can only criticise by standards, it is very natural that Tetrazzini should be compared with Melba and Patti. The Australian 1 soprano's voice is the most even and beautiful I have eyer heard. When in- 1 her best vein •Madame Melba's voice is matchless. It has a curious impersonal quality, or rather a fixed personal quality which varies so little that . it seems absolute andimpersonal, like the sound of a fixed-tone wood-wind instrument. The notes of, her voice have often been compared with the perfectly matched "pearls of a rare neck-, lace. All have the same musical shape and size, and -the same beautiful colour and lustre. As absolute singing nothing I have heard can be likened to Madame's delivery of ' Ca-ro Nome' or,- the mad scene from ' Lucia di' Lammermoor.' Her voice appeals to the type of intellectual sensuousness which finds delight in, exquisite goldsmith's work. J-■ '[When you hear Melba sing ' Caro Nome' you rlo not care whether Gilda is supposed to be in love with the duke or not. You just sit back in your "stall and your 'ears are entranced with beautiful sound. Recently Madame Melba has attempted a more dramatic style, but has only succeeded in displaying her limitations. Of Madame Patti, my recollection only goes back some twenty years. I am told - that one cannot judge her sieging from that limited experience, but if that be true Madame Patti must have been a most extraordinary singer. Even within my recollection she has had more variety of expression than Madame Melba. Patti's phrasing, for instance, made one forget, that she was a singer, for it had such meaning and expression. You never only admired her voice as an instrument. A few-months ago she sang at a concert for the benefit of her impressario, < who, by the way, has engaged Tetrazzini for the same kind of provincil tours, and. the very weakening of Patti's vocal powers showed howsupreme was the artistio truth of her method. At its best, P.atti's voice had a beautiful golden character, and was even throughout its • register without being at all inexpressive. Of late years, however, it has been too evident that she has had, to sing with care. Indeed, I hardly remember when, this restraint was not noticeable.

" This very lack of restraint—or, rather, of , the show of it—is one of the special charms- of Mme. Tetrazzini!: She does wonderful things on the virtuoso iside of her art. Madame Melba's shake is extraordinary and impeccable, but . Tetrazzini puts a-rythmic'fire into these vocal gymnastics. She does not spare herself, and the result is indescribably. brilliant. Then her upward range is astonishing. High sopranos are supposed to sing up to C in alt, but one generally wishes they would not. Tetrazzini can easily produce Beautiful tone up to E in alt, and there is no effort at all in her higher C. Her astonish ing powers as a coloratura singer give her distinction, of course, but her voic-'has ais-n beautiful quality, more varied than, but not as perfect as, Madame Melba's, or as liquid as Madame Patti's. Tetrazzini has more dramatic expression—within the range of. her voice—than either of the other singers, and she . gives expression even to what the Wagnerian would call senseless embellishments. That is in the best style of the bel canto school, which was not a school of mechanical singing. Light as it her voice, Madame Tetrazzini is eminently a dramatic singer. "In short, compared with either Melba or Patri. Terazzini. is at once more dramatic and more brilliant in virtuosoship, if the voice itself, in timbre, volume, and evenness, is not so remarkable. The new singer has also the quality of individuality and character. On the other hand, she has - a tendency to show that she is preparing to take her high notes by a too perceptible pause, to clip her phrases now and then, and to lose tone a little as if from nervousness."