MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1485, 6 July 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

(Bi Treble Clef.) Cisneros in Sydney. The opening concerts of Mme. Elenora do Cisneros in Sydney were entirely successful. The combination of artists, consisting of tho diva herself, the tenor M. Paul Dufault, and the 'cellist, Mr. James Liebling, makes a complete concert trio, most satisfying to music lovers. Mine, do Cisneros exhibited her powers at each concert in an extended raugo of songs o'nd arias. M. Paul Dufault sang botli in I'Vench and in -English with faultless intonation and richness ami llexibility. Mr. Liebling's 'cello playing was superb, combining skill with splendid tono production, and his Stradivarius is one of the noblest instruments every heard in Australia. In her first concert, Mme. de Cisneros gave a prominent place to the songs of Hugo Wolf, and introduced a cycle of rare old Irish ballads. Her arias in her opening concerts were brilliant ones selected fro mhalf a dozen composers. The "Sydney Morning Herald" summed up her impression as follows: "The personality was encompassed by the same enchantment as before, and as far as tho diva herself is concerned, concert audiences will have almost the same satisfaction in that way as the frequenters of thetheatres had during the opera treason when she was introduced to Australia." M. Paul Dufault, the Canadian tenor, who accompanies Mine, de Cisneros in her tour, also achieved a success in Sydney. "His voice (says tho critic of the 'Sydney Morning Herald') is strong, pure, anil true. His production is easy and natural, and the vizbrant voice notes of the upper register ring through tho hall as cuearly as the call of a silver trumpet." A New Grand Opera. A new opera by the English composer, Isidore <le Lara, was produced at tho Theatre do la Gailo, Paris, on the afternoon of April 20, entitled "Nail." Tho scene is laid in Northern Africa, and the theme is the love story of a desert gipsy who is woccd by a powerful Emir, but loves an outlawed bandit. There is a' tragic denouement when the latter is killed, the heroine poisoning herself. Tho opera is superbly mounted and admirably interpreted, Mdlle. Mereutie filling the title role. The music is dramatic and full of colour, and is probably tho best work which tlio composer has yet produced.

Tho public verdict is entirely favourable. - The principals were called beforo the curtain several times nffcr each act.

Isidore dp I.nra, it will bo interesting to Wcllingtonians to know, is tho widow of tho late Mr. Thomo9 Kingston, Iho well-known aclor, who headed several AYilliamson companies through New; Zealand. ' Hitherto Madame has been known to the musical world a» a brilliant pianist. "Firm's" New Conductor. Mr. Jackson Bvlcs, the musical director of "Tho Blue Bird.'' at Melbourne Theatre Roval, was tho leader of the orchestra of the Beecham Opera Company, r.ow appearing in Melbourne under Iho proprietorship and direction of Mr. Thomas Quinlan. A narrative of Mr. Bvles's student days at the lioyal Collogo of Music, London, sounds like a chapter from "La Boheme." "My instrument,' ho says, "was tho violin, and' some-times I would get work to do as a substitute in an orchestra. This used to augment my pocket money, which was 10s. a week over and abovo my living expenses. That would bo spent on the day it was received; Ono night, after playing for a friend, I found myself two pence shy of a tramfaro home, so I took my violin from its caso and. played a nocturne outsido a hotel. I was rewarded with just the required sum. Some.nights, a batch of us would borrow a street organ. We would bring out the best singera \we could muster, and a couplo of us with violins, and go to a good quarter of the city and sing and play in the streets. You would be surprised at the money we made this way. Sometimes from a big block of flats wo would get a shower of silver. I have seen £1 collected from ono throw likb this." The Versatility of John Coates. "A man whoso career is being watched by tho whole musical world," was what was written in a London periodical of the leading tenor of the Quinlan Opera Company but a few years ago. And the musical world has not watched in vain. Tho sturdy and talented Yorkshire vocalist— for Mr. Coates was born, near Bradfordhas gone on from success to success, until he has become the leading representative English tenor. Mr. Coates was reared in an atmosphere of singing. His father was a choirmaster and his mother was tho possessor of a fino soprano voice, and in nor young days sang before the late Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort.

Throughout, his boyhood Mr. .Coates fang a.s a chorister, and received from bis undo a solid grounding in the art of singing. The death of his father came before young Coates had reached his twelfth 'year, and, left to fight the battle of life wholly unassisted, he quickly formed an attachment for comic opera. ' It was at tho Savoy that ho appeared with great success in "Utopia" and "Mirotte," and afterwards all the stages of the London theatres devoted to light opera know his presence.

From comic opera Mr. Coates passed to moro serious undertakings. Grand opera and oratorio found in him as fine an exponent as comic opera had already done. It is characteristic of Mr. Coates that his versatility in tilings musical appears well nigh limitless. In Germany he appeared with immense success both in grand opera and at several notable concerts.

At Hanover Siegfried Wagner went specially (o hear him, and afterwards invited him to sing at Bayreiith. Manv souvenirs of lioth his tours in the Fatherland ami in America are nmong his cherished possessions. Whilst; appearing in grand opera at Boslon he was (he recipient of n large, American flag mode of (he finest silk and handsomely decorated. J'o his versatility ns a vocalist lie adds a facility for ncquirinu' foreign He has sung "l'ansl" in four different ('•ngues, and possesses n wonderful mnslery over French, German, and Italian. Madame Kirkby Lunn. Madame Kirkby Lunn is perhaps one of the most versatile of artists now appearing in England, for (ho famous contralto is equally nt home on tho oporatic stage, ns sho is on the concert platform. In such roles as Dalila, in St. Saoos's opera "Samson ot Dalila," and ns Amneris. the Assyrian priiuess in Verdi's "Aida," lier interpretation has come to he accepted at Covent Garden ns the highest. Madame Kirkby Lunn is finally sue'cssful in Wagnerian pnrls, and during (he present season she lias sung with success in tho Ifheingold and oilier opera*. On the concert platform in. England Madame Kirkby Lunn has been brilliantly successful during the past five or six' vears. She has appeared at tho Koval' Albert Hall, (Jueer.V Hall, and UeehsUiu- Hall, nn many occasions, in ornlurio performances, in ballad concerts, and in rccilals; and it i; said that she sings more frequently Ilian any o'hor singer in England. Her roice is a rich contralto, which is notable chiefly for iU beautiful mloiir. The AusttaUuia.n tour covatneiKH in. Mel. bourne, on. August 2*.