THE HOLLANDER CONCEPTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6995, 10 January 1901, Page 1

THE HOLLANDER CONCEPTS.

The first of the two concerts announced by Mies Alice Hollander, a Sydney contralto, who was preceded by the most flattering notices, was given last night, in the Choral Hall. Perhaps an insufficiency oi announcement accounted dn a measure for the somewhat small attendance. It is primitive comment, possibly, to suggest that those who stayed away were the sufferers, but in simple fact a musical programme of exceptional excellence was provided. It consisted entirely of solo work, and one missed the charm of a few concerted numbers, but still the individual items were so generally enjoyable, as to make the demand for anything- else savour of Ihypercriticism. , The audience, in ;a,ddition,to toeing .^w^in %uia* • bers, were distinctly unresponsive in the earlier stages of the concert,: and it was only the absolute merits of the performers which won them to a stage of compairative enthusiasm later in the evening. In the absence of Mr Charles Wright, it fell to Miss Hollander herself to open the programme, and for her first number she chose Handel's recitative and aria "Lascia Ch'io Piaiiga." These served to show at once the extraordinary range of her voice, and to display its. varying qualities, as well as to" give some indication of the technique of .the girl singer. In view of the range she showed in this and succeeding numbers, on® felt almost disposed to challenge the classification of her voice, or, as this was obviously an untenable position, to suggest that with an upper and middle register of such marked sweetness and strength, she/ 1 would at least shine as a mezzo-soprano of beautiful quality. Her lower register is full and rich, but it has hardly the grace of colour displayed by Miss Hollander, elsewhere, , although it "is obviously 'her easiest voice. Probably she has not yet fully found her ca,paclty; indeed, this is certainly so, and it seems almost a pity that, with the infinite possibilities her voice suggests, she should find it necessary to as yet embrace a professional career at all, even if only as a means to an end. Her singing at present is almost too declamatory, and at times a trifle exaggerated, showing hardly enough reserve of expression, and lacking in those middle shades of feeling which a sjflger cannot be taught. This is not a depreciation, however. She has a fresh, arrogant young voice, her. intonation and phrasing are perfect and her enunciation is markedly good. For the rest, when she has learnt through •experience the truth of Shelly\s line "Our sweetest songs are those-that tell of saddest thought," she will' sing to us with a something which even her excellent teaching cannot supply. Her other numbers last night wei'e Mascheroni's "Aye Maria," Goring Thomas'^ difficultrecitative and aria "My Heart? is Weary," Aylward's "Beloved', it is Mcm," and, as an encore to the last-named, Tosti's "Goodbye." In the latter she gave more than a hint that the reserve of dramatic expression demanded may, after all, not be long in evolution. Miss Johanna) Moir, au old Christchurch favourite, sang twice, choosing Needlham's " Haymaking " and Gounod's " Aye Maria "as her songs. The first-named is a characteristic song of its class, but Miss Moir was hardly at her best in it, sailing dangerously near at times to faulty intonation. She more than redeemed herself, however, by her sweet and expressive singing of her second number. Mv H. M. Reeves, a feature of whose singing is always his ease of expression, sang Mattel's " Non c Ver," with considerable appreciation of its dramatic requirements.. He seems generally to have a ispecial faculty for song selection, but scarcely perpetuated this'in his second number, "Ho, Jolly Jenkin," - from Sullivan's opera "Ivanhoe," a song, which hardly suited his voice. Miss Moran, of Wellington, played a mazurka by Wieniawski as her first violin solo. The rapid changes of accentuation were beautifully marked, her- bowing was freer than is generally looked for in lady players, and her touch comfortingly firm. In her subsequent numbers —an "Elegie" by. Ernst,, and Mascagni's "Intermezzo,"' from ". Rusticana "—she displayed a pronounced gift or expression to add to her brilliancy, of; technique. Dr Crooke's piano soli •comprised two Chopin selections (a " Ballade " and one of the brilliant valse suite) and Greig"s characteristic and appropriately -named morceau "Les Papillons." His playing was crisp and sympathetic, and he won an emphatic encore for his second number. Mr H. H. Loughnan played a " Danse Rustique," by Squire, as a 'cello solo, a technically simple selection, to which he did ample justice. The accompaniments were nicely played by Miss Janie M'Cardell, while Miss Funsfcon presided at the organ, and Mr Loughnan supplied a 'cello obligato to several of the songs. ..• A , second concert will ; be given in the .Choral Hall to-night, after which Miss Hollander will travel south.