MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1342, 20 January 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

0 (By Thole Clef.) T-'ranz Lehar's Latest. "Eva," the last new operetta by Franz Leliar, was produced on November 21 at tho same theatre in Vienna (Theatre an tier Wicn), which originally witnessed the triumph of his "Merry Widow," and later of "The Count of Luxemburg/' Tho premiere formed a brilliant social function, and as much as X'lo and .£2O each was paid for good seats. Lchar himself conducted, and a signal success was scored with charming music, much of which is in a sentimental vein. Mr. George Edwardes, who Was present, immediately secured the English rights for Daly's Theatre, so that the new work is certain lo reach Australia. Thp libretto is by Dr. Willner and M. Robert Bodanzk.v, authors of Lehar's "Count of Luxemburg" and Dr. Leo Fall's "Tho Dollar Princess." Eva, the new heroine, is celebrating her 20th birthday in a Brussels glass factory, where tils foreman, Larousso, her fosterfather. explains that a mystery surrounds her birth," and that he knows only that lier mother was a beautiful Pole. Fva, though popular with the factory girls, is not of them, end has longings for 'a wircr and more brilliant sphere of life. In the next srer.e. Octave Flaubert, a Parisian man about town, is introduced to the hands as the new proprietor, having inherited the business from his uncle. Ho chums up with his second book-k:cpor Prunelle-! and they <-iug a comic duet iimn the fragility of glass and happiness. Then his school-friend. Dagobert, drives un from Paris in a taxi-cab "vith the niqu.mt Pipri. flving from a. brutal husbaud—a (light she pc'ietnated not :ro: r before with Octave! However. Octav" is now much taken by the beauty of Eva, and when a whole partv of his fa«t. citv friends give a supper he coaxes li.-a to ioin them. As the ('"-vers a r- e locked 'l,e iealous factory hand*, headed by Lar,y.t-<e break ■them in; but Octavo nneils the storm by presenting Eva as his 'i.mcoe. On learning from him later that this was merely a rn=e for the moment, Eva rscapes through the window. In the third act, before the Palace of tho Dr.c de Mnrny, in flic Bois do Boulogne, Eva ■dugs a delightful fong, explaining that in order lo forget Octave she is "going the once" in Paris wjit.h Pir-si; there is a big final duet . of ! mutual recrimination between the lovers; and both are reconciled as tho curtain falls. A New Singer. Mile. Eva Gauthicr. a Franco-Cana-dian mezzo, is arranging for a brief starring tour of Australia this winter, which is likely to be remembered as a contralto season, not a single soprano having yet been announced. The new artist has been making groat. sutvcf-Ts in the Straits Settlements. India, China, and the East, and is now in Java, where she was giving concerts in November, 1910, and then returned for a further season in mil. _ This news has been brought here by ,lhr. W. J. E. Van Tfiemsdyk. a first lieutenant in the Netherlands cavalry, who will return to Ba'avin and Padalarang nfymt a fortnight henco with encouraging reports aa lo the musical field available for a singer of distinction. Mile. Gaulliier, who was trained in Paris by M. liouhv, through the assistance of Lord Str.itheona, "iipnorled Mine. Albnni throughout Great Britain, tho United States, and Canada as a contralto, but: mad" her operatic debut in Italy at the Theatre Guildi. Pavia a.s a lyric soprano in the role of Mieaola. At the Hague and Rotterdam the press notices allude to her as "a worm, full me:'.zo. of beautiful quality, and very extended range." Mile. Gauthicr, who has been decorated by the Oueen of Denmark, is very prelty and petite. If i>- probable lal she will reach Au.~tv.ilia in April or May. Alter those month- throe more lunimis contraltos arc due here—Jlme.v lie Cisne.ro-', Is il l:'].v Luna. and. Era Myiotl, and Uw Quinlau _Gxand. Ojpcra, Qampsjiy ifl aleo expcctcd,