CHORAL HALL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 916, 26 September 1907, Page 16

CHORAL HALL.

MADAME ALBANI. This gifted French-Canadian prima donna made her first appearance before an Auckland audience at the Choral Ha’-l last Friday night. There : was an overflowing and enthusiastic gathering. The great soprano, though only known in New Zealand by reputat on, has, so ■popularised renbwri, that one prepared ifor the. enthusiasm of the .reception that .awaited her.. Ib,is true' fhn£/Madame ihas l-surviyed’-ja long, brilliant rand.afduouslycatee.r', and;;^that-. her voice inot ’-fo •youthful- as- it once -used to be ,i«ctrue.ithat ,the 1 qnceipkquisitely glorious . vo‘,ce/shpws -signs of hard work J ’ nevertheless th? .surpassing brilliance of her vocalisation remains yet undirpiped,- <ahd its CUES &YU&IC

her first concert Madame Albani chose as her opening number .hat glorious aria from Mozart’s “Il Re Pastore,” entitled “L’Amero,” which she sang with exquisite taste, tone and de icacy. The aria was rendered al the more magnificent by -he masterly and artist c violin obligato cf Mr. H. Wood. In response to the most imperative of encores Madame Abani sang “The Mee ing of the Waters.” Among other numbers given by the prima dcnna were Willeby’s “Crossing the Bar,” with a fine organ obligato by Mr. T. E. Midgley. The Gounod-Bach “Ave Maria,” with accompaniment of p ano, v'o in and organ, supplied by Messrs. Flint, Wood and Midgley, was one of the finest efforts of the evening. Dvorak’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” was delightfully rendered ; and Arditi’s “Rosebuds” was given with all' the electrical abaden of br lliant vocalism which forms one of the chief and most delightful charms of Madame Albani. Yet in spite of all the classical beauties of these glorious gems, and of their magnificent treatment, in my humble opinion I do not think that any one of them appealed with, half such hypno.ic force to her, audience as did the perfect pathos and feeling in her rendering of “Home Sweet Home.” It is in such simple domestic ballads as the above that the truly great artist can absolutely wring, our heart strings. Madame A bani always has our deepest adm ration, but she wins our hearts with the sympathy that reminds us that “our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought. ” On Saturday evening Madame Albani sang Handel’s “Angels Ever Bright and Fair;” “Non Temer,” with violin obligato by Mr. Haydn Wood; “Within a Mile of Ed’nboro’ Town;” “Daffodi s A-Blowing ;” the glorious waltz song from Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet,” and Tosti’s “Qootl-Bye,” Eachy-gnd all of these numh'ers qvere received with .the very ' highest park's of -appreciation and delight, and the prima donna was/hade the recipient of . very many flattering floral offerings. ’-There; is not al doubt* but that .this gifted IsihgerAscored --a; very; decided triumph ih Auckland.;/ ■ -/' /.. 'Miss ‘Mildred Jones/, a contralto of ex- ; ceptronal. purity; and power,: proved to be v a most delightful. acquisition, to. the con- > cert-’ company. ■ She h" ah educated and L-;tiadfeht.ed;,~sln‘ger,-,.;.-w44h > ’an v exceptional 'y were JIHT TO- < aa - 3X'5.«KT'»«r

listened to wi.h the very greatest of enjoyment. Of her solos I liked none better than the “Banks of Allan Water,” “Three Fishers” and. “Robin Adair.” Mr. William Green, the tenor of tne company, has a robust voice of splendid qualify, tone and timbre. His renderings, of “Come Into the Garden, Maud,” and the “Salve Dimora,” of . Gounod’s . Faust, were masterpieces of vocal effort, and fully deserved the enthusiastic app ause tha; followed them. Mr. Haydn Wood is a most gifted violinist, who we have not heard outrivalled by any other artist touring New Zealand with a concert company. Every one of h s solos produced the most intense enthusiasm and applause; and it is safe to say that Auckland audiences would never tire. of. this, gifted musician. Among his many performances, all excellent, his “Variation on A Gaprice of Paganni,” Chopin's “Nocturne;” the “Witches’ Dance,” of. Bazzini, and the immortal “Traumerei” of Schumann, were exquisitely and artistical.y rendered. Miss Myrt’e Meggy was the usual ordinary, first-class lady pianist that we are becoming quite fam liar with. She played also the usual ordinary first-class pianoforte pieces, of which we have been having. our:fil. since we left the cradle. I do most sincerely hope that the day will shortly arrive when the concert lady pianist will pay us something entirely new for a change. The accompaniments were artistically and judiciously played by Mr Theodore Flint.