A QUARTETTE OF COLONIAL ARTISTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 25, 20 June 1891, Page 85

A QUARTETTE OF COLONIAL ARTISTES.

T is now two weeks since we published an illustration of Madame Patey, the greatest contralto who has yet visited the shores of New Zealand. We now present portraits of four of her coadjutors, for of all of whom it may be claimed that they are colonial bred. MISS BERTHA ROSSOW. Next to Madame Patey comes Miss Bertha Rossow. It may be said, and it is no small compliment to pay so young a singer, that she can succeed Madame Patey at her best without creating any sense of disappointment. To many persons who were at the Dunedin Exhibition, the re appearance of Miss Rossow will be no novelty. There from her debiit until her departure she secured a firmer hold upon the appreciation of her audiences than any who preceded or followed her. Since that time she has made marked-progress in every way, and there may be prognosticated for her without much risk a fine future on the concert-platform. Miss Bertha Marie Rossow was born at Sandhurst, in Australia, and is of German parentage. It is not more than two years since Miss Rossow began to emerge from the domain of the local concert in Melbourne. About that time she attracted the notice of Cowen, who brought her forward towards the close of the Melbourne Exhibition. She subsequently made appearances at the Melbourne Liedertafel, notably before the Earl and Countess of Hopetoun early in December, 1889. After this came her visit to Dunedin. She then returned to Melbourne, and sang intermittently there until the arrival of Madame Patey, with whom she most opportunely concluded an engagement last November. Since that time Miss Rossow has remained with Madame Patey, singing at her concerts in Sydney and Melbourne, and accompanying her on a tour to China and Japan. Miss Rossow’ has a most pleasing concert presence. Her voice is a clear, ringing soprano, and is capable of grappling with the most ostentatious of operatic solos, while she can also at

times sing a drawing-room song with great pathos. Her repertoire is an extended one, covering, in addition to the above, selections from oratorio, German lieder, and national ballads. In brilliant music she is most effective, but there is no style wherein she could not, with special cultivation, excel. She has a slight tendency to the tremolo, which operatic music aggravates, but at present this does not give more than a piquancy to the tone, and actually adds to the charm of her rendering of certain songs. In ‘ Cherry Ripe ’ this is most apparent. Among her other .noticeable efforts are ‘ Ah, fors ’e lui,’ * Sing, Sweet Bird,’ * Killarney,’ ‘ Why Must we say Good-bye,’ ‘ Call me Back,’ and ‘ Angels ever Bright and Fair.’ Miss Rossow has made as rapid a mark in Auckland as she formally made in Dunedin, and the probability if that throughout New Zealand her name will long be favourably remembered. MISS EMILIA WOOD. Miss Emilia Branscombe Wood is the daughter of Mr Wood, the headmaster of the Normal School of Petersham, near Sydney. She was educated under the superintendence of her father, and was contemplating the arts course at Sydney University, but changed it for that of a professional pianist. She made her first public debut at seven years of age at Bathurst, and ultimately became the show pupil of Mr Kowlaski, the well known Sydney virtuoso. In that character she has attiacted the attention of Sir Charles Halle, who heard her privately, and was much struck by the powers of memory and execution shown by one so young, and of colonial training. She is also incidentally mentioned by Oscar Comettant in his * Land of the Kangaroos,’ published at Pai is last year. Miss Wood exhibits wondeiful fluency and mnemonic ability. In scale and staccato passages, in shake and turn, and all relating to horizontal action she is conspicuous, and the perpendicular action of wiist in chords and octaves must atrive with increasing strength. It is to be regretted that the instruments Miss Wood had in Auckland did not enable her to do full justice to the works of Liszt and Chopin, but in the ‘ Carnival of Venice,’ ‘ Lucia,’ the * Tremolo of Gottschalk,’ anil the woi ks of her master, Kowlaski, she was most effective and successful.

MR C. R. JONES. Mr Charles Richard Jones, the tenor of the company, comes originally from London, but developed musically in Brisbane, Queensland. Until the present tour Mr Jones was known there merely as an amateur, having sung with distinction at the Pavilion Promenade Concerts in that colony. Mr Jones has a pleasing tenor voice, to which he will do justice as the novelty of appearing professionally wears away. He is most painstaking, and in ‘ Eily Mavourneen,’and ‘ The Death of Nelson ’ succeeded in making a very favourable impression, besides adding valuable aid to Mr Patey in the duets. MR HERMANN MORRIS. Mr Hermann Morris, who officiates most ably as accompanist to the Company, will be recollected in Timaru as

having been a resident there but a few years ago. He was educated at Bromberg, near Berlin, under Goebel, the Royal Musical Director. It is only recently that Mr Morris deserted the path of commerce for that of art at Melbourne, and in which he has already secured a conspicuous position.