MUSICAL JOTTINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 219, 15 September 1928, Page 17 (Supplement)

MUSICAL JOTTINGS

(By “C Sharp’’) The Gonzalez Opera Company has come ami gone, and their visit is now a happy memory Tor hundreds of musicjovers. Ao one would claim perfection or anything approaching it, lor the productions seen and heard here, and the producers theuLseives made no false pretentious in tuat matter, but every listener adm-cs that for “grand opera”! at th c piicus charged, the performances were wonderful. Speaking critically, however, one could not help feeling that the performances could have been greatly improved without the expenditure of a single penny in so doing. Some of the “entrances” and “exits” were’ a little slip shod, and occasionally artists were adjusting their dress after arrival upon the stage. There were one or two incidents of unconsciously humorous effect —such as when ia “11 Trovatore”, characters who had “died’’ had to wriggle backwards to avoid being caught by the curtain, t understand that in “Carmen,” which was the on c opera I missed, a false entry by the chorus necessitated a fresh start from a given point. Whilst

.•»Jch a fresh start is the wisest course lo pursue, one would expect that with the number of repetitions of this opera that the company had Lad, such a thing would not occur, but apparently Mussolini’s disciplinary style does not apply to Ita.ian opera companies on tour. The company contains some really fine artists. Sdvestri, Flor, Rota, Izal, and Fumagalli are artists worthy of a place in much bigger productions, From the first hearing of Fumagalli in “H Trova tore,” I anticipated a treat in “Faust,’’ for it was obvious that here was an almost ideal Mephistopheles. And I was not one whit disappointed, this fine basso giving a dr -tie and vocal performance of the highest class. Vunnucci, as “Faust,” was vocally and histrionically inadequate, and such •nadequacy was emphasised by the performances of Flor, Rumagalli, and Federici. The Danish soprano was good to look upon as well as to listen to, and she was well suited to th c role of Marguerite. Algozzino’s dramatic power was an outstanding feature of rhe operas in which she appeared- Rota, though not striking as an actor, was vocally good, and one would like to have heard him as 1 ‘Faust.’’ The orchestra, though generally good in execution and pitch, was occasionally lacking in precision, and here again one woudcred whether the conductors were

sufficiently insistent upon the players fo.lowing the baton. In the opening of “11 Trovatorc,’’ the trombones lagged s unewhat. The double bass was occas finally astray in pitch, anj occasionally lacking in that soft undertone which is uecessary in accompanying vocalists, ’['he orchcr „ra was frequently too powerful, but some fine work was done by the clarinet, viola and horns. One feels that any criticism of a company giving us grand opera savours of “looking a gift horse in the mouth,’’ but one feels that attention to such details as have been mentioned would nt.ll further enhance the attractiveness and effectiveness of tht*so delightful performances, and thus help to strengthen thc demand for opera in t:ujr midst. I only hope that our Italian friends wiil come again and again. Mr William Heughan and his party left Auckland for Sydney by the

“Aorangi” this week. In returning a book of English folk songs to a local musician, Mr Heughan mentions that they had a “great night’’ in Auckland on Saturday week- Mr Heughan hopes to be back in New Zealand some time next year. We are all familiar with the little •log and the gramophone which constitute the trademark of ‘‘His Master’s Voice’’ gramophones and records, out Wanganui possesses a dog whose recognition of his master docs not depend upuu the voice. Quite recently the two juvenile owners of this local canine, vis.ted one of the broadcasting stations for the purpose of putting an instrumental item “on the air.” The

deg was iuit behind with Wanganui fr.cnds who hud a good wireless set. On thc evening in question the dog i was lying on tnc heartn rug whilst the I musical items were being sent out by : ih c radio, lie took no notice of anyj th.ng until his young masters began I their duet, when he jumped up excited- ; ly and sniffed around tiie wireless set until thc item was finished. Unlike i most dogs, this animal will lie for hours j in a room where vocal and instrumental music is going on. The famous pup on thc gramophone records will have to look to his laurels! New Zealand concert-goers have from time to t.ine found it necessary to discount heavily the American press reports of concert artists. This does not appear to b,» so. 1 .wer. in the case of Shura Che/kas-ky, the Ruslan boypianist whom E. -L (• ravi nstock is at I present p h ting through the. DorninI ion. That fierce er tic C. N- Baeyertz, [of Sydney. >av<: “Cherkassky has an ! exuberant t-■- unique, a gorgeous tone, i a subtle f-> ’i?g for rhythm, an infinite . rapacity for taking pains. But above i and beyond all that, he has brains. . ‘ Vorstand.’ ‘Vernuft.’ what you will; | Moreover, added to his alert musical I intelligence, there is that true insight 1 ami sy I hy which so enormously * transcends mere in tell'genre. ’ ’ Equal '• ly enthusiastic are the comments of ‘ such well kmn-n Now Zealand artists Harold Whittle and Frank Hutchens. « ♦ * • : The supposition that ail singers for ' grand ope-a must come from Italy or i elsewhere on the Continent is being I rapidly proved to b - false. ~ot only by > the succe.-s of British s ngers in British ’opera houses, but by similar successes | in foreign houses. Hislop. Brownlee, ' Austral, Sheridan, ami others are wel- | come all over Europe. A factor in this ; great advance is the work of the oper- ' atic classes at thc Royal College and ■ the Royal Academy of Music. Oper atic performances are being given by students of these institutions with innsed frequency and greater success than ever. In Jalv the operatic class of the R-.A.M. gave, w.ithin a week, at the Now Scala Theatre, two performances of “Carmen.’’ two of “Madam Butterfly.’’ and three of Wagner’s “Meistersinger.’’ .Tul’us Harrison was the conductor. Such performances must

increase the number and the quality of British artists available for operatic productions.