Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 13, 29 September 1909, Page 13

Music and Drama.

By

BAYREUTH.

BOOKINGS. (Dates Subject to Alteration.) AUCKLAND.—HIS MAJESTY'S. October 4 to 16—Harry Rickards. October 18 and 19—Shipman (pencilled}. October 20 to November 6 —Pollard’s Opera Company. November B—Boxing Association. November 13 to 27 —Allan Hamilton. Xmas Season—J. C. Williamson. THE OPERA HOUSE. In Season — Fuller's Pictures WELLINGTON.—OPERA HOUSE. October 2—Hugh Ward—“ The Bachelor’s Honeymoon.” Oct. 25 to Nov. 13 — J. C. Williamson. Nov. 15 to Dec. 9 — J. C. Williamson. December 10 to 18 — M. Branscombe. Dec. 26 (for six weeks) — J. C. Williamson. THEATRE ROYAL. In Season — Fuller’s Pictures. PALMERSTON NORTH MUNICIPAL OPERA HOUSE. 1909. Sept. 29 and 30 — Jack and Jill Panto. Oct. 5 — Hayward’s Pictures. Oct. 6 and 7 — J. C. Williamson. Oct. 13 to 27 — Hayward’s Pictures. Nov. 1 to 6 — Hugh Ward Musical Comedy. Nov. 29 to Dee. 1 — Pollard Opera Co. Dee. 9 — Local Concert. Dee. 27 to 29 — Carter, the Magician.

The Life of an Australian Actor. y'-QARRY OVERTON, described as “The Versatile Australian,” who I I barely nine months ago toured J New Zealand, and played Jenks in “The Truth” and Elijah Coombe in “The Silver King,” has been giving “The Town and Country Journal” some intimate details of fits career.

“Yes, I am an Englishman,” he says, “and not a colonial, but what I know about acting I learned in Australia, and I am proud to be called ‘The Versatile Australian,’ after my adopted country. It is a name I have won for myself after 23 years’ hard work in the profession, for I have been right through the mill.” "It was in August, 1884, that I landed in Sydney from London, after a three months’ voyage in a sailing ship. I had a good holiday on shore, and then, as funds were beginning to be depleted, I made up by mind to take the first thing that offered. Mr. Soltan, a tobacconist in King-street, asked me if I knew anything about drapery, and it having so happened that I had made up catalogues of drapery stocks, etc., I replied in the affirmative, and accepted a position as salesman in a country store at Narrandera. My employer was so pleased with me that at the end of the first fortnight he raised my screw by 10/ a week. I remained in this billet for some five months, during which time I made the acquaintance of Mr. James Steers, head manager for New South Wales of Messrs. Permewan, Wright, and Company. He asked me if I would accept the position of bookkeeper in the Wagga office. I did, and in less than a month I held the keys of the office as manager, and within seven months had more than trebled the business. I next joined the firm of L. A. Fosbery and Company. Mr. Fosbery’s being a member of the local Land Board prohibited him from selling by auction: so I had to take out a license, and assume the sole management, which I did for over a year.

Commerce to the Stage. "During this period I started a Dramatic Club, called the Garrick, the late T. S. Bellair, a good old actor, being the stage manager. I also had a Christy Minstrel Club going. This varied the monotony of a country life, and afforded us all a lot of amusement and pleasure. It was also during this time that I made the acquaintance of Mr. Billy Wilson, son of the late W. J. Wilson, and on my return to Sydney in the early part of February, 1886, I met his father, who was then a partner with Signor Majeroni at the Opera House, Kingstreet. Majeroni and Wilson were about to stage ‘Janet Pride,’ and I was offered the part of George Heriot, the young doctor.” That was the beginning of a career, which Included an extraordinary variety of parts from turgid melodrama to Shakespeare—verily the necessity of the Australian actor brings him to strange usages—Mr. Overton seemed to have been singularly happy none the less. Hearken to the dizzy range of

characterisation he speaks about so airily. “I then went to Queensland, opening at Brisbane with Mr. George Rignold under the management of Messrs. Holloway and Anderson. My parts included Gideon Blake in Tn the Ranks,’ Samuel Plumtree in ‘Man to Man,’ etc. Then Mr. J C. Williamson became lessee of Her Majesty’s, Sydney, and having arranged with Mr. Rignold to stage ‘Henry V.,’ I played the French King for threo weeks. I continued under the management of Mr. Williamson, and supported Miss Nance O’Neil, the Californian tragedienne for 18 months, playing such characters as Moses in ‘The School for Scandal,’ Quin in ‘Peg Woffington,’ Alastor in ‘lngomar,’ Ross in ‘Macbeth,’ the Rev. Bagot in ‘Trilby,’ etc. Mr. Overton went home for several years, and continued his chameleon-like career. “I made up my mind,” he continues, “I would have an engagement, if I had to work a week for nothing first, to show what I could do, for I

did not intend to return to Australia without playing; so when Mr. Walter Melville, of the Standard Theatre, advertised for a heavy man, I interviewed him, settled the salary, got the part, Jim Black in ‘ Lost by Drink,’ and played it at the Terris Theatre, Rotherhithe. Mr. Melville also informed me that if I satisfied him I could remain with him for years. The engagement was only for one week, but owing to the great success of the piece we played it for two weeks!” Amusing Incidents.

“You quite satisfied Mr. Melville, eh?” “Oh, yes; and the Press and public as well. I remember a couple of rather amusing incidents that occurred during the run. An old lady in the stalls was so worked up at one scene that she stood up excitedly and said to me, ' You’re a beast; leave the poor man alone.’ I may say I was busily engaged tempting the leading man to drink. The second incident, from the point of view of the personal equation, was far more embar-

rassing, as a man waited at the stage door to give me a thrashing. He was behaving like a madman when I came out. He glared at me and remarked, * No, that’s not him.’ Congratulating myself that my make-up was 0.K., since its removal had prevented my recognition off, and having not the slightest desire to argue the point with anyone, least of all the would-be man-thrasher, I hurried away to cateh my train!”

More Experience. “Mr. Melville,” continued the AngloAustralian actor, “then offered me a part in his new drama, ‘ In a Woman's Grip,’ at the Royal Standard Theatre, Bishopsgate, London, where it ran for five weeks. It afterwards went on tour for 16 weeks, and in the words of the old song, ‘ I went with it.’ By the way, I met an ex-Australian actor in London, in the person of Frank Gerald, who was playing sketches in the halls in London and in the provinces, and I appeared under his management.” “My next move was in connection with the great London success, ‘Mice and Men,’ in which I played Roger Goodlake throughout the English provinces, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, the engagement lasting a period of seven months. In the autumn of the same year

I was engaged to play Cragin in one of the Sherlock Holmes’ touring companies of the well-known American manager Charles Frohman. Cragin is, of course, a character part. Yes, it was created in Sydney by the late Gus. Glover. Cragin is tire big-voiced ruffian in the gas chamber scene? Yes. We toured England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The next year I also stage-managed the production. and on various occasions, through the illness of members of the company, played Moriarty and James Larrabee.

Australia Again. “That was the last of my English experience®—and very pleasant they were — for I decided to return to Australia, and taking steamer arrived in Sydney during September, 1904, and rejoined Nance O’Neill, under Mr. J. C. Williamson's management. This engagement lasted about eight months. Modern comedy next came my way, for I joined Messrs. Willoughby and Ward's London Comedy Company, remaining with them

through their entire season of twenty months. It was one of the happiest engagements of my theatrical career. It resembled a picnic party. When Mr. Ward dissolved partnership with Mr. Willoughby he offered me an engagement for India, but I had to refuse, as I was already engaged by Mr. J. C. Williamson to support Margaret Anglin. 1 opened in ’Zira,’ playing the Bishop of Wapping, and following that by Jenks in ‘The Truth,’ Gremio in ‘Taming of the Shrew,’ etc. When Miss Anglin returned to America her place in the company wag taken by Miss Ola Humphrey, Mr. Henry Kolker remaining as the leading man. We toured New Zealand, adding to our repertoire ‘The Silver King,’ in which I played Elijah Coombe. The Auckland Press was very complimentary, one critic .saying: ‘Elijah Coombe was most convincingly played by Mr. Harry Overton, his impersonation being better than anyone remembers to have seen anywhere,” Such praise is, indeed, too good to be missed, but he might, at least, spare the Auckland Press.

Beer and Turkeys. Those people who may recall seeing Mr. Overton as the Bishop of Wapping in “Zira,” or as the French King in “Henry V.,” will be interested to hear of his aim in life. “My aim in life,” he says, “is a very modest one. I should like to settle down in a nice little country hotel, where my wife and myself could look after the comforts of the weary traveller; where I could hold auction sales, and see the fat turkeys, ducks, and geese every market day, and entertain any strolling players that might happen to be passing our way. So,

“Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate. Nor set down aught in malice.” —“Othello.”

Fancy anybody quoting “Othello” to justify a life in a country pub.! One might just as well play Beethoven in a billiard saloon. The Finest English Contralto. The finest English contralto on the operatic stage is undoubtedly Madame Kirkby Lunn, who has added to an already great reputation by her performances at Covent Garden during the late season, especially in “Samson and Dalila,” in which her acting, like her singing, has been superb. She is a real, all-British prima-donna, and as “Bragaena” in Wagner’s finest tragedy, “Tristan and Isolde,” she has few equals anywhere. Her career is full of interest, especially to those who have heard her rich and glorious voice pouring out its beauties to the favoured few at Covent Garden. Early Days. True, there is a strain of Spanish blood in her veins, which, no doubt, accounts for a dramatic power and abandon rather unusual in English artists, but save for that her family is exclusively British, and she was born and reared at Manchester. There is more than a touch of romance about Madam® Kirkby Lunn’s early life, for in those days a frequent visitor to her home was a distant cousin, a Mr. Pearson, whose wife she was destined to become. Himself an enthusiastic amateur musician, it was Mr. Pearson who first discovered the rare possibilities of his ccusin’s voice, and on his advice she took lessons from Mr. Greenwood, organist of All Saints’ Church. Then again, on Mr. Pearson’s advice, she tried for a national scholarship at the Royal College of Music, but conld get no nearer than proxime accessit. Nothing daunted, Miss Kirkby Lunn entered the collcga as an ordinary student, and the following year she triumphantly carried off the coveted scholarship.

A Famous Teacher. Madame Kirkby Lunn was fortunate in her teacher of singing at the Royal College of Music, and she does not forget to acknowledge how much she owes to the whole-hearted enthusiasm, vast experience, and skilful methods of her professor, that very remarkable and clever man, Mr., or to give him his full title, Cavaliere Albert Visetti. What Mr. Visetti has done for the cause of English singing can never be adequately expressed, but some day perhaps he will write the story of his long fight with the prejudice against English singers, and the prejudices of British parents, who for long were convinced that Continental professors alone could train and produce a singer of the first rank. Anyway, i«

Madame Kirkby Lunn Mr. Visetti vindicated the principle for which he has long and stubbornly battled, namely, that the best place to train an English singer, ■who is necessarily going to appeal mainly to English audiences, is England.

Her Debut. While still a student of the Royal College of Music, Madame Kirkby Lunn had the unusual honour of singing twice before Royalty; on the first occasion before Queen Victoria in a command performance of an opera which had been produced by the students at the Prince of Wales, Theatre, and on the second occasion before the then Princess of Wales, who sent her a gracious message, as she again did when Madame Kirkby Lunn made her first appearance in “Lohengrin.” Her actuaf debut, however, was in “Shamils O’Brien,” with the late Mr. Denis O’Sullivan as the hero, although before this she had already been offered and accepted a five years’ contract for Grand Opera with Sir Augustus Harris. His death, however, put an end to that engagement ere it was well begun, and then she toured for three years with the Carl Rosa Company. Later Madame Kirkby Lunn was appointed first contralto at Covent Garden, and since then, a true British product, she has gone on from triumph to triumph in opera, oratorio, and ballad concert, not only in England, but on the Continent and in America. Mention of America reminds one that Aladame Kirkby Lunn has more than something of the heroic in her composition, for while giving a series of concerts in that country some years ago. she contracted congestion of the lungs, but nevertheless appeared and sang while suffering from that complaint.

Tetrazzini’s London Triumphs. Tetrazzini has recently been repeating her earlier successes in London, and some expert judges of such matters even declare that her reception this year was considerably more sensational in the English capital than it was at her premiere there three seasons ago, although it would be difficult to conceive of sueh a phenomenon, as the Tetrazzini debut in London belongs to the wonder of the ages in point of enthusiasm and critical laudation. Some of the recent Tetrazzini appearances at Covent Garden have drawn these appreciations from leading London critics:

Only two performances at Covent Garden last week call for notice —“the Huguenots,’’ on Monday, and “ Don Giovanni,” last night. The interpretation of Meyerbeer’s grandiose opera was made specially attractive by the inclusion in the cast of Madame Tetrazzina as the Queen and Madame Destinn as the illtreated heroine. The Queen’s chief duty with regard to the Huguenots is to sing an elaborate scena at the commencement of the second scene, and it is scarcely necessary to say that Madame Tetrazzini fulfilled her royal duties in a most loyal fashion, and delighted the house with the apparent ease with which she executed •with wonderful volume of voice scale passages, trills, vocal ornaments in the highest register of the human voice.— “ Referee.”

Signora Tetrazzini took the comparatively small part of Queen Margarita (“Huguenots”), and naturally made the most of her principal solo, “ For at That Word of Power,” in which her remarkable* high notes rang out with bell-like clearness and sweetness. —“Dailv Chronicle.”

A large and brilliant audience assembled at Covent Garden on Saturday evening, when Madame Tetrazzini appeared once more in “ Rigoletto.” The role of Gilda is a favourite with the Florentine prima donna, who never fails to do it honour. In full posssession of her vocal resources, Madame Tetrazzini vanquished easily enough the difficulties of “Caro Nome,” so delighting her admirers that they were unable to restrain their plaudits until she had finished the famous air. As usual the artist’s notes were flute-like and full of sweetness, and there was cause to praise, too, the dramatic instinct with which the role was carried through. Madame Tetrazzini’s reading of the tragic scenes in which the jester’s hapless child is involved, proved, indeed, very effective. —“ Daily Telegraph.” Madame Tetrazzini was excellently suited by the part of Margarita, and so enchanting was the spontaneity with which she sang the florid music that it was difficult to realise how formidable Were the technical problems she was surmounting with such readiness.— “Daily News.” Madame Tetrazzini as Margarita again displayed her perfect vocal methods,

which are so well suited to the music, and with the florid air “A questa voce sola” made even more than her wonted effect.—“ Morning Post.” Last year Madame Tetrazzini and Miss Destinn and Mr. Zenatello showed us what were deemed to be the vocal and dramatic possibilities of the roles of Margarita—the opera was again given, in Italian—Valentina, and Raoul respectively. Yet in some manner that we need not attempt to explain, even higher, possibilities seemed to be aimed at on the occasion under notice, and it need hardly be said that the aim was achieved. For the ladies sang with utmost skill and fervour and with unsparing energy, as well as with all the dignity appropriate to such historic and diverse characters.—“ Times.” Stray Notes.

Miss Rosina Buckmann scored an emphatic success in the soprano part of “Uller the Bowman,” produced by the Sydney Liedertafel at their one hundred and fiftieth concert- recently, says del Orchard, the conductor, who is at present judging at the Dunedin competitions. A Christchurch musician who was present says “Uller the Bowman” has a Dr. Elgar style about it, and the prologue for male voices is really fine.

“Youth and a Day” is the title of a pretty and rhythmic setting by Te Rang! Pai of Robert Louis Stevenson’s wellknown verse. The song is published by Paling and Co. (Sydney), from whom I have received a copy. Since Richard Strauss completed his “Electra,” it has been known that he contemplated next the composition of a comic opera. He is now said to be busily engaged upon it, and Hugo von Hoffmannsthal is again providing the libretto. The opera will be in three acts, and the scene of it is laid in Vienna during the reign of .Maria Theresa. The date and place of the production of the new work will be announced in due course. M. Paderewski Fas just received from the French Government the Cross of Officer of the Legion of Honour. Only two other musicians, it is said —namely, Liszt and Rubinstein—have received such an honour without having first passed through the grade of Chevalier of the Order.

Mme. Tetrazzini has already been engaged by the Syndicate of the Royal Opera to sing at Covent Garden Theatre during the grand opera season which is to be held next summer. In the course of that season, too, it has been decided to revive Debussy’s “Pelleas et Melisande.” Owing to one of the leading artists being obliged to return to the Continent, it was only found practicable to give three representations of the French composer’s opera during the season recently concluded. The Besses o’ th’ Barn Band is due shortly in South Africa, where an extended tour will be conducted under the management of Messrs. J. and N. Tait. About three months will be spent in Cape Colony, Natal, and the Transvaal, and then the band will revisit Australia and New Zealand.

Mme. Melba is said to have bought a station property in Victoria, and intends to reside there after finishing her next European and American engagements. Miss Elsie Hail, Australian girl pianiste, whose appointment as teacher to Princess Mary of Wales was so much discussed in musical circles, is to play with Bussoni, Portmann, and Careno at Leeds in December, and later on will contemplate a tour to Russia, where it is said one of the Grand Duchesses has shown a great interest in her. A notable case of a baritone who has developed a fine tenor voice has interested all music-lovers in London. Mr. Thomas Quinlan, the musical agent and impresario, will tour America next spring with the Beecham Orchestra, but the interesting point is that Mr. Quinlan, who has always possessed a baritone voice; figures on the programme as a tenor. Mr. Quinlan told a Press representative that, although he had been singing for years as a baritone, he always felt his voice was a tenor. Before he began to develop the upper register he could touch A flat, but now he can reach top C. It is declared that "La Cabrera,” the one-act opera by the young French composer, M. Dupont, which obtained the prize in the Sonzogno competition la-st year, seems destined to turn out a second “Cavalleria' Rusticand.” During the month of December it was produced at Budapest. Cairo, Udine, Warsaw, Zurich, and Messina, and it is to be performed in the near future at Rome, Naples,

Turin, Catania, Palermo, Odessa, Lsbon, Prague, Stuttgart, Dresden, Frankfort, Vienna, Elberfeld, and Paris. A name distinguished in the annals of music is recalled by the announcement of the death of the widow of Luigi Arditi, the composer of the melodius “11 Bacio.’ Arditi, who was born in 1822, and died in Brighton in 1903, was a prolific composer, and an eminent conductor. After a busy career on the Continent and in America he settled in London in 1858 as conductor to Her Majesty’s Theatre, under the successive managements of Lumley, E. T. Smith, and Mapleson. From 1874 to 1877 he wielded the baton at the promenade concerts at Covent Garden, and later conducted seasons at the Shaftesbury, at the Olympic, on tour with the Carl Rosa company, and during the run of “Hansel and Gretel” at Daly’s.

Whatever may be the future of English opera (says an English writer), there can be no doubt that English artists have acquired an esteemed position on the operatic stage. That they have to sing in foreign tongues is their misfortune, not their fault. The hoaiy opinion that only Italian or French vocalists could sing in grand opera has gone for ever, and no one can now accuse the Covent Garden Syndicate of favouritism with regard to nationality. Continental singers have formidable rivals in Englishspeaking vocalists, and with the growing appreciation of tone quality, Italian, French, and German vocalists are likely to find the competition more severe in the future than it is now. Histrionically, there is no reason why Englishspeaking operatic artists should not prove as good actors and actrerees as their continental colleagues, for there I« certainly no lack of talent in ti* i direction in British and American drama. All that our own people want to excel on the operatic stage is practice and experience. At present this can only be acquired by serving an apprenticeship abroad, but when it can be obtained at home, as at the recent performances of tiie “Ring” in English, much may be confidently expected. The Hugh Ward company opened their Christchurch season at the beginning of the week in “A Bachelor’s Honeymoon” to a crowded house. The piece evidently appeals to New Zealand taste equally with Australian.

It is anticipated that if suitable dates can be secured the Rickards’ Company, headed by Casselli and her midget dogs, will be followed by another combination, the star attraction of which will be a Captain Winton’s troupe of performing seals, which have been attracting considerable attention in Melbourne and Sydney. “The Flag Lieutenant” will be a W’illiamson theatrical attraction in Newi Zealand towards the close of the year. The recent Melbourne cast included the names of Mr. Thomas Kingston, Mr. G. S. Titheradge, Mr. Cyril Mackay, Miss Ethel Warwick, and Miss Dorothy Grimstone. The death of Harry Shine, the popular comedian, followed upon a long spell of indifferent health. His last appearance was in Sydney at Her Majesty’s Theatre, in the production of “Jack and Jill.” He was also a leading member of the companies that presented the wonderfully successful “Mother Goose” and “Humpty Dumpty” pantomimes in New Zealand. In recent years, Mr. Shine suffered very severely from a complication of disorders, but he stuck to his work gamely, and has been known to go on the stage, and convulse audiences with his quaint humour, at times when he should have been abed, and under medical treatment. Until ill-health compelled him to seek less exacting roles Mr. Shine was always the “Dame” of pantomime, and was regarded as one of the cleverest patter singers we have seen. He was only 38 years of age.

“The Duchess of Dantzic” and “The King of C'adonia,” now doing excellent business at the two Her Majesty’s (Melbourne and Sydney), are almost as much a departure from the London Gaiety type musical comedy as is “The Merry Widow.” There is a consecutive story and intelligible book. Ivan Carlyll’s music in the one, and Sydney Jones’ in the other, realises the atmosphere, so to speak, of the story, and is very decidedly distinctive and above the average. The plot is never lost sight of—in fact, in both eases the book, without the music-, could afford a very enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Lastly, the humour is not that of the licensed comedian who is allowed his own sweet will, but develops naturally out of the narrative—in fact, the whole piece in each instance is artistic and above the ordinary.