THREE PRIMA DONNAS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 821, 19 May 1910, Page 3

THREE PRIMA DONNAS.

It is an unusnal circumstance thai has brought to AVelhngton at tho same time three women singers of prima donna rank, and it will bo interesting to compare tho results of the varied training, of the Australian ■ girl, tlio French lady who was trained in Italy, and the Italian who, although so young, has had years of experience in principal parts. Miss Amy Castles. She- is a delightful girl, ''this young (Australian, fresh, and bright,'and interesting, with an expressive face, and a little trick of gesticulating that is too expressivo to be quite Australian. This is not: her first Visit to New Zealand, but tho other, eight years ago, was taken immediately after ah illness, when she could hardly sing, and really should ! not liavo tried. The years between have been years of training, and ©xperienco, on the concert platform and elsewhere, but Miss Castles is now for the first time taking part in opera. "I love it," she says; "and it is not 'so trying as concert work. Why? Oil well, you see, tho day before a concert you are thinking all tlio.time of tho certain number of songs you must sing, and you know-how terrible it will bo if the first song does ■ not go, how much depends' on each song, but in opera there is the inusic, the activity, the scenery. One is not 'so terribly responsible; • one's whole . success does not depend-on air individual'item, and, of course, it's much more interesting. Asked whether she had ever sung before King Edward, Miss Castles said . ''No," she had nover-had ■ that honour, but she had sung before Queen Alexandra, at the house of Lady de Grey. It was shortly after tlio death of Her Majesty's father, and there were only eight or nine peoplo present, 1 among them the Australian girl ivhom the Queen had expressed a wish to hear. After' Miss Castles had sung, the Queen asked Lady de Grey why she did, not sing at Covcnt Garden, receiving the explanation that the young singer did not want to make her first essay m grand opera', either there or in Paris, where she had been offered Wagnerian parts. She wanted first of all to feel her way.

"Miss Castles has mueli to say about, the operas, "Madam Butterfly" especially, which is so charming, but so terribly sad. Sho is not acting in "La Boheme," and she is glad of that. For why? "Mimi dies of consumption," she says, "and me, look at me, could I look as if I were dying of consumption V Really and fortunately she could not.

Miss Castles has a word of advice for those who are going to "Madam Butterfly." "Read the story first," she says, "you will enjoy the opera ever BO much more if you have the story first fixed in your mind, and you will like it better, the acting and the music, the oftener you hear it." Of Miss Rosina Buckmami, who plays the part of Suzuki in this opera, Miss Castles speaks enthusiastically. "She is wonderfully good," sho declares, "and New Zealanders may well be very proud of her. But you will realise that when you see" her on Thursday." Mdlle. Bel Sorel, Ono has heard and read so muoh during the past few years of MdUe. Bel Sorel, the artiste, that «ne was quite eager to meet the. lady, and for a New Zealauder who only speaks, or, as we are told," maltreats,, the King's English, it was disconcerting to bo greeted by Mdlle. Soler with the significant query, "Parley vous Francais?" Alas no, at least only to people who know no French, and Mdlle. Sorel says sadly. "So it was in Sydney. They never spoke French." She is an attractive little lady, this Madam Butterfly, and with her dark hair piled high on her head, her dark eyes, pretty smile, and the expressive movements of her hands, one can £ee her in the part. Her mother, hersolf a singer of renown, sits by a table writing, and every now and then asks a question in I'rench, as she catches some word. She doesn't approve of her daughter talking. They have just come off the sea after a voyage of four bad davs. and until Thursday evening conies' Mdlle. Sorel should not use' her voice—one must be careful. But Mdlle. Sorel must first toll how she enjoyed her stay in Sydney, and how much she liked the Australian audiences, so much like English ones. No, she has never sung in opera in England, only on the concert platform, where she appeared with fade rewski, but in European towns she has sung-in opera, beginning with Milan and La Senla the famous.

She likes her parts of 3fadam Buttojfly and Carmen, but JJimi is too sweet for her taste. She likes a part, into which she can throw herself, and poor out-of-date, lons-suffering Jiimi does not give her that chance. She studied her part of Mar l am Butterfly with the composer. PuT-ini, who wrote of Japan from his home in Italy, and yet caught the very atmosphere, spirit., and colouring of the land of the cherry blossom. "Does it remind one of 'Jl.ulame Chrysanthemum ?' " asks Mdlln. Sorel. "Not so far as the story goes, but yet, he lias the atmosphere. - ' A.ll interruption occurs' here. Tyro workmen knock , n t the door. Madame Sore! wishes to have a curtain put up in the room. Tho.v explain the difficulty of the plastered walls; they evince a desire to consult. Madame offers advice in French. They look helplessly at the daughter, but from her 110 help comes. "You ni'jst

know better than I," she says; "you know how to do that sort of thing, -' G cluuite." It is an excellent answer, but tlio men disconsolately depart in search of something more illuminating, and -Mdlle. Sorol smiles brilliantly. Signorina Pampari. In Signorina Maria Pampari, who plays the role of lUimi in "La Boheme," is to be found a soprano who has achieved unusual distinction in her own land, and in other countries as well. Of the dark Italian type, with a somewhat melancholy expression of face when in repose, her features light up vividly when she becomes interested while expressive gestures add to the meaning of the things slio says. Though so young, for she is only twenty-two, Signorina l'anipari has already dono big work in Italy, making her debut in a prima donna role at La Scala, 111 .Milan, .when she was only twenty, and then without any rehearsal beforehand. An Italian audience, as ono may imagine, is an intensely critical one, for they go night after, night, season after season constantly, and know almost every, note of the different operas produced before tlieni. Bad, inartistic work is protested against, and the singer is removed instead of .finishing out a long engagement, as is done in many other countries, but,' on the other hand, the singer who calls forth cries of "Brava! Brava!" knows that ho has-achieved, something worth while. It is a very stimulating atmosphere for the artist.

The leading soprano roles in "Lohen- [ grin," "Cavaileria Rusticana," "Pagliacci" and "Madalena Andrea Chenicr" have been sung by Signorina Pampari, and she has created roles in other operas with Signor Zerga, in Venice and in other cities. In Vcnico she sang as Mimi in "La Boheme" with Signor Zerga, with whom she will sing while in NewZealand, and from Venice she went to Arezzo, and shortly afterwards she was engaged to go to Switzerland. Signorina Pampari has no conversational English at her command, though sho understands much of what is said and yet, strange to say, her pronunciation of the lines in Mimi's aria, which she recited for the benefit of her interviewer, was beautifully distinct. One is somewhat apt to think that singing or speaking in a language that, is foreign does not allow an artist to appear to full advantage, but with a perfect memorisation and a clear understanding of '.the role, the difficulties vanish. Signorina Pampari, who studied at a conservatoire with distinction, qomes of a musically gifted family. Hor brother and her sister, both younger than herself. 1 have already done exceedingly well, particularly her sister, who is a harpist.