THE REAL LANGUAGE OF SONG.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1446, 3 January 1918, Page 33

THE REAL LANGUAGE OF SONG.

MADAME ELSIE DAVIES AND ITALY. Madame Elsie Davies, the dramatic soprano who came over from Australia to sing in the Wellington Choral Society’s performance of “The Messiah,” has given a “Dominion” representative some interesting details about her vocal career. After receiving a groundwork in Melbourne from Madame Gabrielle Boema, a one-time prima donna, Madame Davies went to Italy and studied in Milan, learning the language and studying the prima donno roles in the dramatic operas of Verdi, Donizetti, Rossini and other composers. “These are the operas one must study in Italy, as it is the repertoire that is always in demand there,” said Madame Davies. “The reason is two-fold —they form the basis of the best training for operatic work, and on account of their age the playing rights are not so expensive as they are for more modern opera. The practice in Milan is to work hard at the language and the operas until your . teacher thinks you are ready to face an audience, then through an agent or impressarlo an engagement is secured for you to appear in one of the roles you are best adapted for in one of the smaller towns. In my case the role was the name part in ‘Norma,’ and the town Ancona. Since then I have sung either in opera or concert pretty well all over Europe, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and, of course, the United Kingdom. In Stockholm I sang under Hoffcapelmeister Henniberg, who is not well known here, and under Landon Ronald in London.

“I invariably sing in Italian, simply because it is the real language of song throughout Europe. Germany and France have their own singers, who sing in their own tongue, but Italian is really the accepted language of song. You never hear of an Italian singer using any other than his own language. That is because it is the best language to sing in—soft, flowing, free from harshness and constructed on a foundation of open vowels. And to get the beauty out of the language one must know it

thoroughly; one must live amongst Italians long enough to be able to talk freely with them, and understand their temperament and mental attitude towards life and music, for the opera to them is an essential part of their lives. They never tire of the operas of their great composers. Even ‘Il Trovatore’ is a perpetual favourite with Italians. When all else fails, put up T 1 Trovatore.’ It is to them what ‘East Lynne’ is to the British drama. They know every note of the opera, and are keen critics, so if you please them you may be tolerably sure that you’re not so bad.”