DEFAULT RECFTALS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1983, 13 February 1914, Page 8

DEFAULT RECFTALS.

J ' ANOTHER FINE CONCERT; $ t , ' ~ i Enthusiasm of.no ordinary character ' ran high at the Opera House last even- • ing, the creator'thereof being the disI tinguished French tenor, Mr. Paul " Dufault, of whoso opu>jnt art audiences never tire. There is something eiigag- ' inrjly magnetic in the , personality of this ' gifted sjnger which induces unwonted " admiration not only -for his polished " vocalism but for the man himself, the ' secret of which lies probably in the • rare degree_ of restraint he always ex ercises, a virtue which, in English eyes at all events, is significant of mental i strength. This poise is always apparent • in tho happy talent he-has for putting '• himself into tho correct mood for each • song lie sings. ' Before the -first note is i eung he appears tq don tlio spirit of the : song that is to follow, as a cloak, and in : so" doing becomes' at once the expression • of its'meaning. This facile ..versatility ; enables him to cover a wide range of i song with equal success—his fine voice ! and method,of using it. in combination with a' richly-dramatic temperament, , i does the rest. Last evening he rose to, ■ the heights in the inspiring aria "Lenfi J Mo Your Aid" (from, Gounod's ppera,' I "The ; Queen of Sbeba"), which tho •■ siiie'er invested , with rare distinction. - ' Since his last appearance, here,' Mr. > D.ufriult has developed quite : a habit of i emphasising.his meaning with;modified gestures, and even action. . It is very' effective on many occasions, but when used,-for examolp, in the exposition of a simple ballad it becomes a trifle theatrical, and .discounts; its effect in 1 the more dramatic numbers. Mr.' Du- \ fault's effort was acclaimed at tlie conclusion of the aria, and the siiigor had to append that delicate vocal poosy, "Sylveline" (Sinding), and after that again "In a Garden" (Hollpy). Later Mr. Dufault sane most artistically a bracket of very beautiful songs. The most striking of these was "How's My Boy?" (Homer), a song with a real dramatic thrill, .which brpught.a lump to the throat and moisture to the eye. It is a mother asking a sailor how fares her boy, who has gone down to eternity in a foundered ship. The sailor speaks of tho ship, of_ tin crew, of the disappearance of all in the deep, but still the wild cry of the woman goes up —"How's mv boy?" Mr. Dufault's singing of the song was vividly, emo-i tional, and ho was" accorded an ovation. . To the delight of all ho repeated hip. snlcndid singing of • "Au Pays" (Holmes) Other songs, all delmhtfulk interpreted, were "A , "Spirit Flower" (Tipton), "Si Je Ponnais Mourir" (Barbirolli). "Inter Nos , " (M'Fayden), "J'ai Pleuro on Reve" (Hue), and as a final encore Huhn's defiant song. "Invietus" (words by W. E. Henley). Mr. Ernest Toy, who was in excellent form, played a charming "Madrigal" by Sihionetti, which was bracketed .with the familiar "Humorcskc" of , Dvorak, in which he was a shade under true pitch. Victor Herbert's "Serenade" was the encore number. Tho violinist revealed his form in tho arduous Sarasate Fantasia on, Gounod's "Faust," a number, which like all Sarasato's arrangements, is richly embellished with different flights into the harmonies, and doubled-stopped passages of an intricate character. Mr. Toy came through the test —for it is a test—with flying colours, but was too exhausted to accept tho recall so\ enthusiastically offered. Lat<!r he played Wieinowski's "Vabo Caprice," and a final encoro "Le Cygne" (St., Saens). Miss Pauline Bindley, a talented soprano with a future, ■ rovels in . florid music. She sang the "Falie Folie" aria from "La Traviata," with no, apparent effort, covering, the difficult passages with ease, and a certain measure of finish. Later she may gain-with experience the art of colouring her work more delicately, and -so accentuating its dramatic aspect. t As an encoro to tho aria she sang "Dreams" (Warner). Her later songs were "Mother Dear" (Jefferson), '/A. Maid.Sings Light" (Macdtwell), "April Morn" (Batten), and "Philosophy." The accompaniments were each and all played with pronounced artistio distinction by Mr. Harold Whittle. TO-NIGHT'S PROGRAMME. The third'concert .of. the Dufault'-' season will take.place,, at.the Opera House to-night. Mr. Dufault's numbers will include the favourite tenor aria "Celeste Aida." He will also give -a musical sotting of Kirigsley's well-known poem, "Lorraine, Lorraine, . Lorrce," which is said to bo most, heart-moving. The other numbers will consist of French and English ballads, ranging from grave to gay. With Miss-Bindley, Mr. Dufault will sing the c]uet,'"Breezcs of Night."' Miss Paulino Bindley's numbers will include the great aria from the second act of ','Madamo Butterfly,"' which will bo sung.in English, and a group of ballads. Ernest-Toy's numbers will include Haiiser's 'JHurigarian Rhapsody." The, final concert of the Dufault season will be given at tho Opera House to-morrow night.