MLLE. BEL SOREL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 820, 18 May 1910, Page 3

MLLE. BEL SOREL.

In a biographical sketch of Bel Sorel, the prima donna of the J. C. Williamson Grand Opera Company, a Continental newspaper remarks that her mother, Emma Sorel, was a concert artist, and toured Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, taking her daughter, at the time aged 8, is sole pianist. The "wunderkind" also played at concerts in Germany, whero later on (in. Berlin) she studied voice culture under the celebrated Bulow. This was in the singer's early teens. Her progress was so marked and her musical intelligence so quick that her mother decided that she should be trained for grand opera, and so took her to Paris and after to Milan. In the Italian city she won the notice of Edoardo Sonzogno, n. prominent impresario, who immediately decided to entrust her with the part of "Cho Cho. San" in Puccini's "Madam Butterfly." So marked was the young artist's personal success that she was retained for "Mignon," "Nozze di Figaro," "Manon," and "I Pngliaccr." She was now thoroughly launched in her career. Then followed for Bel Sore] important engagements in Rome and Turin. A season at the Imperial Theatre, by command of the Tsar, in St. Petersburg, enabled her to appear as Cho Cho San to Caruso's I'inkerton, and as Carmen to the famous tenor's Don Jose, and Violettc to his Alfred.. It is' noteworthy that the two great artists were equally starred. Record -of her visits are in evidence, to the chief capitals of Europe, including Madrid, where her. Carmen was proclaimed "inimitable," full of fascination and dramatic power. Puccini has expressed his delight at the fact that so brilliant an artist has had the opportunity of introducing his beloved "Madam Butterfly" to Australian and New Zealand audiences.