MUSIC

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 31, 16 April 1881, Page 330

MUSIC

THE Simonsen Opera Company, though not to be mentioned in the same breath with the Italian troupe which visited us three or four years ago, is neverthless a very fair combination, able to play many operas passably, and one or two really well. The prima donna axsolnta, Madame Simonsen, is a really great artiste. Her grand voice as yet shows no symptom of decay, and her histrionic powers are as great as ever. Madame bears a strong personal resemblance to the late lamented Mdlle Titiens. Like this cantatrlce she shows to most advantage in tragic works, and is at her best in highly wrought scenes. The performance of Luerezia Borgia, on Thursday evening last, proved a complete success. This is one of the operas that the company do full justice to, and the large audience went home thoroughly satisfied. Signor Pahidini had once a very Jine voice indeed. I remember prophesying (when he was with Nobilis company) that he would go home and get an engagement at one of the big Italian opera houses. Noav there is no likelihood of any thing of the kind. The Signor still sings with taste and culture, but what (test/tries would call the "sweetness and light " of his voice have gone never to return. Miss Carrie Godfrey has a nice contralto, and well deserved an encore (which, by the way, she didn't get) for her singing of "II segreto." Eiccardi, who met with a tremendous reception, played 11 Duca with a tragic swagger rather suggestive of burlesque, but sang grandly. The other performers do not call for mention.

On Friday Miss Martina Simonsen made her debut as Amina in "La Sonnanibula." This young lady possesses a light and flexible soprano voice, highly cultivated, but as yet somewhat immature. At first I half feared she would break down in the trying finale to the second act, but instead she appeared to rise to the situation, and when the curtain fell the applause was simply deafening. Miss Simonsen is the ideal Amiua in appearance, and acts with charming ingenuousness. Her success was undoubted, in fact everyone seemed delighted with her. Signor Bianchi possesses a powerful but not very sweet tenor. His Elvino was a fair performance, neither very good nor very bad.

Of the performance of Martha on Saturday it is impossible to speak in very flattering terms. Save Madame Simonsen, none of the singers seemed up to their work, and many of the favourite airs fell quite flat. Monday's performance, however, amply made up for this disappointment. Seldom has a better all-round representation of 11 Trovatore been given in Auckland. Miss Leonora Simonsen has a surprisingly powerful contralto for one so young, and her reception was most cordial, nearly all Azucena's moremux _ being rapturously encored. Signor Paladini (costumed in full armour after the manner of Lohengrin) was in excellent voice, and almost dissipated the idea that his day is past ; and Signor Luissette made a satisfactory Count di Luna.