CALVE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 913, 5 September 1910, Page 8

CALVE.

AND A REMARKABLE TENOR. BRILLIANT SCENE AT THE TOWN' HALL. ' Calve, the eminent operatic artist whom the world has applauded for a quarter of a century, made a triumphant first appearance in Wellington at the Town Hall on Saturday evening. The audience, which filled ever)' part of tho great hall, including the choir seats', was a most brilliant one, and it must be conceded - at the outset' that such splendid- enthusiasm as was witnessed could only be induced by the presence; of pre-eminent talent. If ono may make,bold to.name those elements which have raised Madame. Calve to the unique position she holds in the higher operatic world, it could be said,. that they are, firstly, individuality; secondly her art; and, thirdly, her vocal qualities. It. is not as a . singer, purely and simply, that .Calve achieved her high position, though she possessed, and still possesses,, a voice of great beauty and, power..' It was as an. artist, and, not so much as an artist really, : as that her art is dominated by' such a remarkable individuality which, had she espoused the drama instead of opera, would have, made her equally famous in parts corresponding to those she ' has made peculiarly her.owii'in the realm .of grand: opera.' Temperamentally Calve' is .a blaze. In the fare moments of repose it. is impossible to shut out the impression that' these /are just; the essential periods of between the emotional shocks, almost'. volcanic in '■• nature, which 'she /adminsters With such galvanic effect:' Her/moments of temperamental- sunshine are golden iu-, deed, but it, is in tho' presentment .of the darker. moods—storms of searing passion, and sweeping. scorn— that, she ploughs the deepest furrows/' in. ..the' emotions, of, her' audience. She is known; to-the: world as'a,soprano.■'. Slid: is she is everything.V- If the'singer were simply asked to sing tho lower middle •C, and ... an ; expert, was; consulted - as ,; to' • the'"i:c{ual-'. ity, : he 1 would,.- .in- ' nine_ ' cases, out.' of ' ten, : . pronounce ,it con-' traltd; if it, wds tho middle F,-h© would declare- it pure mezzo-soprano; and were- it the top A, 'he- would ; say soprano without a doubt. Such,is the wonder of;. Oalve's, rango .. of . quality. True, her voice has not ----tlie! > sanie crystalliuo Jmrity or .flawless.?freshnessof Mclba's; ,it :is a- .shade-coarser in fibre, and broader in: strength, whilst overwhelming all,is.that intense Latin glow, entirely, absent in the ,: Victorian, .singer, such a necessary adjunct to the'equipment; of "an. artist;- essaying themodorn Italian repertoire. ; The artist and the/woman leapt' right into,the heart;', of the audience on Saturday nighty .and the".impress of her,''great: art ,is likely ; : to, prove iiidolibkiW '. '.' -The prdgramme "on, Saturday evening was. well selected. Calvo opened' in the stately .invocation, ''O /Ma Lyre Immortelle," ' from' .'Gounod's first" opera, "Sappho." ■■■ Ibwas'purely a,vocal cfi'ort, and ;asvsuch -sen'ed :to display the' vibrant yet , mellifluent / quality; -.'-'hno 1 • control,' and the, perfect, . niaiiagoment of :the mezza voce, 1 of 'a-voice of rare capacity. "As ah encore she sang Gounod's' /"Serenade," at a speed somewhat .'uhconventionah' : Tho bracketed item was 'the- beautiful';" My.soli," -frpm-; David's "Pearl of Brazil.", Charmed, with;the number,, more was ■•:demanded,..•;'.and Madame'respojided with': a' 'delightful, interpretation ' of'' 'C'omiu''.' Thro':. '; the' Bye;"; elaborated: with. charming ; ex-' pression' 'and'•■ In the ' "King of/ and "Jewel.Song",' aria from Gounod's "Faust"'(the.opera in which';'ishe' ij mhde', Calvo threw restraint: to the winds, ■ and acted ,as thongli' she;were in,the.fair'German, garden and there, dazzling : lier/eye's, .was/'the. casket of jewels left by, love.smitten Faust.. Though the number was sung in \ French, Calve's, talent.. for conveying every shado of meaning madd the language : a :matter of indifference." —all: was undefstodd perfectly/ As:an. oucoroshe Sang the "Habanera"/from Bizet's /"Carmen." .To- ; hear, this, number, sung,by any brdinarily good prima donna ..is interesting; to hear'Calvo:sing it is a.complete realisa-: tion df./thoycharacter/.of Carmen, / for theVsinger is. the, greatest - "Carmen"/ of this of any other time. Her:wanton witche'ry, alluring insouciance,, and .fla-shes of lovo. and scorn, were ■ the. .product of sure art matured to' per-, ilection under, tho- eyes of. the, world's strictest critics.'' She was,accorded .an ovation. In response she sang a pretty littlo Provencal. "Shepherd's ..Song."/ .Calve's .final '-'appearance was ■'. with •Signor Gasparri, in.theyreprisal.- duotfrom. Mascagni's ".' "Cavalleria yßustieana.'.';/.'.Here'.both of, these,, Mupfirb artists' imagined, for the nonce, that ,they were on, the operatic stage instead of the concert .platform, and gave the public a fine taste of, their qualities as, plaj'ers. While pleading with Turrido for .the: love that is-.lloVvn, -the deserted Santuzza '(of which role. Calvo,-lias the world's'original), smothering .•'tho.y.fury of' a woman. scorned ,' .entreats the way'ward lover -with all. the subtle, arts of. womankind to return to his allegiance. The morelsho pleads the less.he heeds,, /luitil.after, da'ngeroti's flashes on .both sides Turrido hurls .'her from him, sing-, ing,. "No More I Love Thee." Tho brilliant -intensityof the little scene, the: vocal and dramatic.thrills with whifch-it abounds,, and the. rare'; capacity'of both .artists, aroused the audience to great heights-of enthusiasm, in' which volleys .of independent ;cheers 'mingled; with' roars of applause. It was a great finish to a 'concert. < . Signor Gasparri .has been' mnntiduiid •as incidental to-the ■'"Cavalleria" duet 11.0 is probably—and this.' is' said advisedly—the: . finest •''... tenor New' Zealand -has'' heard for twenty-years past, His. tone is puro and vibrant.; and. the quality robust of. the-,finest, texture. The voice is sympathetic, too,' and under' such admirable control that; his singing, whether it is'a double fortii' note on the top A p'f"a. soft note through almost closed lips an octavo; lower,, is as near' effortless'as possible. He. in aided'with a : striking personality; and handsome mobile features which count •for so much in an operatic tenor. Hih items were Tosti's romance, "Non t'amo' Piu,".'the/'picturesque ; recitativo ' and aria, "On, with the Motley," from "I Pagliacci'.' (Leoncavallo). In response to a storm of applause ho, sang the pretty little song "Bu'on Notte"* ("Good-Night"), by Cimmoro. ' His next ossayv/as the romance "Cielo c Mar" ("Heaven and ; Earth"), , from Ponchielli's opera', "La Giaconda;" a florid/number of great, musical heauty and imagination. As an encore he sang tho "Primavora", of Tarondelli, and, onco more recalled, produced a charming old, Neapolitan son£ called'"Maria." .' The only other artist in ' the little company: is M. Jacques Pintel. solo pianist and accompanist, whose playing gavo pleasure, to all. Ho is a brilfiant executant, and has a fine appreciation for Liszt, in which he excelled on Saturday evening. His numbers „ included Chopin's Ballade ■in A flat, a Chopin waltz, Liszt's "Rhapsodic" (No.'B), and his- "Polonaise." ■■'"■'•'■".-. Messrs: J. and N. Tait, to whom the . music-loving public are indebted for the visit of Calve and Signor Gasparri,'announce that they have made arrange--ments to' give two mora'concerts on the return of -the company from tho south. Those will take-place' at the Opera House, on Saturday, September 17, and Tuesday, September 20.