MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1551, 21 September 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

I F B T Treble Clef.7 "Sweet and Gracious, With a Noble Con- ! tralto Voice," Kirkby Lunn, Hie eminent English contralto, appears to have made a. genuine "it in Sydney. The first notice of her concert there in tlio "Sydney Morning Herald" was prefaced as follows:— "A sweet and gracious singer, with a noble contralto voice, and an interpretative style and vocal method calculated to make connoisseurs delirious with admiration, wus welcomed at the Town Hall last , night in the person of Louisa Kirkby Lunn. The name loss known to the mass of cqucert-goers than many of her predecessors—Mines. Patey, Sterling, Cole, and Butt maybe men lionet! from amongst inaiij—the artist herself triumphed majestically. Enthusiasm van high throughout the. evening—how could it be other-, wise? Everyone in tho hall felt assured of hearing'.a-'really fine voice, but they were delighted to find it much more than, that. It proved to bo one/of those 1 orpins'" of sympathetic ,richne?s in the .lower register, which also embrace an extensive high range,'and yc-t do, so without losing the true contralto timbre, that are heard but rarely;.in ,eoch ■'century of. musical record. Tot greater limn, such a voice was the supreme art, the perfect judgment with which it was employed." -'

Return of Do Reszke. It is a surprising bit of news that Jean do Reszke has decided to face the footlights again. The great tenor has accepted an oder.from Mr. Andreas Dippel for twenty appearances with the ChicagoPhiladelphia Opera Company. The con-, tract includes performances at the Metropolitan Opera, New. York. . . < . Jean de B-eszko was born at .Warsaw in. . 1852. Bartou ' M'Guckin, the. operatic tenor who retired' soon after his ■' visit to Australia, Sir Frederic Cowen, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, and Eniile Sanret, tho violinist, caiho into the world the- same .year. Making his debut .at Venice in 1874, the Polish tenor became a favourite- in Italy, 'Spain, Germany; France, England, and America. Ho was "the tenor king" in England when Madame Jlelba made her first appearance there in 1888. On many * occasions the great artist who is returning to tht- stage in'his sixtieth year was associated with the brilliant Australian at Covent Garden. .When ho took up Wngnerian opera, Jean de Keszke put all tho German tenors in the shade. His triumphs were in "Tristan and Isolde," "The Mcistersingcr," "Lohengrin," "Siegfried," and "Tho Walkuro." - , .Twelve years ago the all-conquering tenor retired. A wealthy man, apart from his operatic earnings, he started a singing school in Paris as a hobby. Of this operatic school he is still the director. His elder brother Ednard (born 1855), famous in hi.-* day as an openilic basso, 'retired about fivo years ago.

Singer's Sudden Death. , London papers on July 2.5 chronicled tho sudden death- of Miss Christine Gomez, the young singer—-.lie was oiily 25— dropped dead while singing at a concert at Koker, fcmnderland. Miss Gomez, a gifted soprano, was u pupil of .Mr. Egbert liob:rts for three or four years. !<he was prima-donna of Turner's Opera Company for some time. The soprano w;k the youngest datighfer of the well-known sculptor and modeller, .Mr. Aimclo H.*ck; .She was singing on aria from Saint-Saens , opera, "Samson and Delilah," when she died. Mis> Gomez was, principal girl hist winter in a- provincial pantomime. It will be recollected {-.bat Madame laley died just after ?hc lnd sun? "On the Hanks of Allan-Water." The concluding words of (he song, "There a corp-c lay she, -, were (.lio-la.-t that passed the lips of tho great English contralto. Walking trom the concert platform to.her dress-ing-room she collapsed, and died witlio.ut regaining consciousness.

Notes. Xcu-s from Amnrica relate; to the completion of an opera by Walter Daimosch upon "Cyrano do Bergerac," a fine libretto having been prepared from Edm'nud Rostand's poetic, drama by W. J. Henderson. The French author has raised objections, as the law docs not protect his rights; .but Mr. Damroich announces that no will voluntarily share the pc'rforining royalties.' Amatn, the Italian baritone, is already studying the name-part, and Mine. Destinn has. lioxnna already well in hand. The work will be produced at the. Metropolitan Opera House in English, in which connection the composer asserts that the two principals will afford "A gladsome surprise." John Zerga, who is now referred to under the Italian form of his Christian name as Giovanni, has married Maria Pampari, the young soprano who made occasional appearances here as Jlimi and Hicaela during the first production .cr "Madame Butterfly" with Bel Sore], and subsequently Amy Castles, in the namepart. Both artisie have now settled permanently.in Boston, U.S.A.. after seasons in Italy, Switzerland, and elsewhere, and refer with some pride to (heir visit to Australia, -wlieco Signoi- Zerga "created Piukerton at tin- special recommendation of Tito Ricordi."

Miss J,alla Miranda, late of Hie Qiiinlan Opera Co., «.iilod from Melbourne for I , ranee on Wednesday afternoon last by R.M.S. Orama, to proceed direct to The Hague, where she has been summoned by cablegram from the Chamberlain of- the Queen of IFollaml to a-==ist at the »ala performance to celebrate Ihiv opening of the' new Royal Oupi'a- Hnii.-c. ■■ It way- at The Hapiie Hial Mi>> .Miranda made hn.r first appearance in' opera, and she lias pver since been a favourite with the Kcval family ;