MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1990, 21 February 1914, Page 12

MUSIC.

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The Pains of Opera. Wo had oaten the olives of peaco and the nlmoikls of concord, so thtfe Was nothing the to do but talk, and Paul Oisfault, the cultured French-Caiiadtan teirar, talks wflli, a-iid always sense. After hearing liim i» tho whalo range t>? song nfc ins eouimafid I had conceived that Default would : feo yery find in grand opera iu the Wles within his range—even tho casual observer will liavo noted that tlio tenor iiover readied for « top C (good full A wag tho ape* of his ran go) possessing, as he does tlvat rafo dramatic uplift and magnetic tc-ns-pcrainentftl qualities that gryp an audi* cnee. Haying this In my mind I. asked the toner if he had any ambition to appear in grntid opftra. ''Ambition, yes—lmt desiro to follow itj no, You seOj to be anything of ii real success in ajiiern, the forie rnngo is absohitoly essential, and I am hot lyric. That is te say that tho directors of the M&tr&poHtoi Qpern H!oviso in Now York insist that a tener shall h-avo aMg top C. His enlinciirtioii may lie bad, be may b<? a {xliysicul atijchroiUfSm, he hwy even be, and ffeguently is, a bad actor., but, jf ho has the .trig top C lie gets his chanect I did Jiavo, aii idea of going ifi for opera at oiio iimo, but nl'tcr msnj talks -ivtth my masters— the last one in partieular, }Ir. Victor Moretl, of New York, formerly one of the groates-t of Freticli operatic baritows —I decided , that. J, would, do much better, aiid lead ft ferjipTJtf lite by adhering to my cohctft gji4 oratorio werJv. "Had 1 gone in for it I would pfot* ably have Found my reperteifo restricted to four or five oparas. syhicli may or may not be p-rcduccd aurifig a ssison, I might oVe-H bo etJgagcd to sing those parts, but it Would pifobabjy he on tho i basis of annual salaty. The Metropolitan has a bk sta£E o.n .animal Salary, • singing s, lead once <jr tvico daring.» season, and filling secondary roles at others. Sometimes they do not get n chanco to sing at all. 1 have, known a French tenor hailed as a tseve* comernfter singing m an-opera, though ho had been attached to,.t|e stiiffl fsf ■nine season's—he h«4 been forgotten. Of course, there is the German iepei> toirq that I newicL -Biiig—-but for now long? *Diat is tsio question. Five at six' pars, perhaps. Tho music is within my seldom estends higher than A—but it keeps .you Jjump i«§ away between 13 lUrd; A Until yottr l*oieo is toTii to sliTcds, "or becomes brassy and unmusical. No, no—l have thought the whole busfjijess out very eu-refally, and I will not- leave the eojicort platform for tho stage. I find, m.y work very interesting, and if the puMie find it interesting, too—well, Ithat is all tight.

'"Hard work does not fere© tbi* voice higher, as tnany suppose. It is just W»e other way. Oswuso, when h& came first to New York, had a bcatstiful lyric Mice—pure and swe&t. Now, it is still a wonderful orgaii, bat big aad robust. He siiigs the Italian rcpertafre, but- tlie ariits which he sings so wonderfully, and with such impeccable cmmeiiHkm--to iny mind tlio- groundwork of a) ; I good singing—a«* now tfahsposed jijipf a tone lower than the original koy, .showing the tendency of tbc : voice +;*>'lo«"or with age and work. Oh, I could namw dozens of imwrs who- have Icilliad their vfticos by attomptihg to lftuch.' Joan do β-esko, tlu> greatest of tlwm atl, went to pieces in bk*iftg aWrty at the W:ajgfteriHn rales, anil -Sinife Reeves—'well, he pould not siflK at b.1.1 when I jieard fiini. Ho was praetteafly apcaking ilvo wo:rds. I We lwn# flgo coiijo to the bolief tliflt a ftida should fi,ud otifc csaetly wl.ia-t hifj cfliiro'ass i.s,.Mi(j"'jyerl?,Qni.r' is'ifjiin" \t~-r. . H'o'fk,"worii, at to»*> proihretloit, eufmciaWon aiid proifflnbifttion, the ]mipnagesj aiul interprotatioh. If 'ho does so he will gi*e tte jiuffic botter t-alue than by straki.ng fw a thriiling tap C, and will gain a goo.cl deal more pleasure out of his art."

Diffatilt's Intentions. It is possible thafc frttfati'tt may- give an.ntli.er concert in Wellington prior to his departure from,Xevi' Zealand. Hfl is now working, northwards to Auckland, after which lifr \rij] probably return, playing S'ftveivji towns in tlio smith, and Tmsibly the fch.ief towns of tho West Const. The;* lie ,wiji go on in Tasmania, VUfrlaid?, Nety South' Walts, QnMiislancl, and back to America. After si tow; of America ho proposes te visit Eitclaml and tSw Conthieiit. "1 tlo really like this ctmiiiry," said Default, ;'I hare felt. So well Tictoj ahd everyone is 50 kind and considerate. I am afraid 1 ain beginning to dread gohig bads to America with it's. winters ami its stera-hca-t ami roasting summers. Such changes of efima.tear© so Tough on the voice, flntl ilijs climate ■is pretty nearly peufcet. Who jhiows? —some (lay I msiy. .come bade to settle hero. I would Ifko too very 3nttcll-.it wotiltt bo sirerinoinp nrtieli ii circ wny, b«t. it woulil not W without its cow* ' ponsations. Your life is mor<?"nat»ml ewt here. ■ Tli.p-re We Hone of the sickly fli'ti-fcinlities fhat traiis-figi)™ life fa tM big citfcs. Yon iire more like real peoand not the. slaves of stmpwl whims ftiitl w>rse tJiat cofrtrlc the real jey of j living,"

Miss ffis cfe Calfos'flage. Writing of Jfisa Iris dc Cairgs-Hcgo, tho tflloiitod pianist, who is to toiir Nfriv ZeaJafia with JJ-dte. Ajitonia Poioros, .tho 'TioHitzcr Aniftiger' , ' of ftlirttafy 12, IM-O, said:— •. • ' "The ospeotations doiTcerii.ihp; t.lie pianist .were not only "Completely and yrUotty fi)fflile4, but 'far e.scewlmt. What llift artist gave belonger neither to her youthful -apjierirnnse o.r iigo, bnt stood oni p'ro-ini'iMHitly as a fimt-cbss perforniancC; which botli Jii feciTiniejtid and coiioeptiofl pi ay rank with W()rk '«( experienced artisH, Aitcatly in tfee opening; of the Q-vUtfr caneerto, the .voting U&y ii.atl an opportunity through) her liighJ.y dfrVcloped tcoiiiiiq-ilo &ni\ fiuisli of. shwmg a.ftrm.. strong teyth and a dear manijiuiation «f flje runeaittj arpog-gioii. fenefthdly was this notable in the- liisjst Eimpsodio Ko. 12, wljpfein wivs dissplrtyM brilßflScey causJifg tte ah-eady an.imaterl public to -overwii.olni her with ■α-ppiaijjja, and after feppatodl.y recalling her Would not rest until an extra number had been given." ..

Who Is i(i& Entertainer? People who know Harold Bawr t the ■brilliivij.fc ph»io. virtuoso, who is to visit Austj'atja this year, deckrc that it is difficult to lionise that nmsieal genius. Bauer is. atas'o ell tilings a modest man, and any person snspGfltod ef il desiro to nvftko a fuss of him is loeketl upon with spinothiiig approaching 4is* like. Not feng age, tlio wife of ojio of England's merchant princes., who innfcos a point -of collecting (ions, tried to g<.'t IJrmior; to ftftpcnx at cme ef her evenings, Ite jwtc fa him On the matter showed little vitfcrstnndlnf; -csf tko fceluigs of geniuses, for slio fiuwkly aslc«ii tho benefit of his- services pfofessionuTly, mwvtioniijg, of eoursft, n moil' fee, nfid flildoti, as if (JUrphasise tlsft iijipof'fnnco of tlio <rf«risiou, tlint a ccrtni:ii Lofd Soraud-'SO "ivoti)d he there," Btroer's repfy fp tl.i« lady's rcqtifjst ! ■ft-its pelitel.v iroijioai: "Dear Ifatlauun— j Asftrt freni the fart Hint 1 stall be ottierwiso ciigngscl <in thft WMWig yon ; ineiilioii. 1 i'ofn , that 1 shall be u.milslo. to bo present owi-Mg to hfling oppressed' by « aoubt as to whiitliei , . 1 afti to :ofi-tm-iaiu LarA Efc-aad-so or liis lordship * s ojitwtain Bre."