Rehearsals in Full Swing

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 96, 14 July 1927, Page 16

Rehearsals in Full Swing

THE AMATEUR SEASON OPERATIC SOCIETIES BUSY

With the winter season now well advanced operatic societies throughout New Zealand are now in full swing with their winter activities. In some cases performances have alreadv been given.

Tht> old musical comedy favourite, “The Arcadians,” which was so successfully staged by the Auckland Society last year, is proving a popular vehicle this season, it being adopted by both the Wanganui and Hawera societies who are now busily preparing. In both towns Mr. Theo Tresize will be the producer. In selecting “Katinka” for its next offering the Hamilton Operatic Society is making quite an ambitious attempt. Although a very popular Williamson production it is by no means an easy production to stage. Reports of successful rehearsals lately received, however, indicate that very satisfactory progress is being made. Last year this society had a great success with “The Runaway Girl.” The Oamaru Society, which last year presented “The Country Girl” has hired the “Belle of New York ’ scenery and costumes from the Stratford Society, which very successfully staged it last year.

The Timaru Operatic Society which was very successfully resusicated with “The Pirates of Penzance” and “Florodora” is now producing “Our Miss Gibbs, a piece that was also successfully produced in Auckland a few seasons ago. Following its Timaru presentation, “Floradora” was presented early this year by the Wellington Operatic Society.

Timaru is in the happy, or unhappy position, of possessing two operatic societies, and the second company which last year staged “Rip Van Winkle” is preparing this season for the production of “Boccacio.”

In addition to the organisations mentioned the Masterton Society is producing “The Sunshine Girl,” and the Otorohanga Society “San Toy.” The Greymouth Operatic Society recently gave three performances of “Mariette,” an original musical comedy. The takings for three nights amounted to £ 635.

During the present season the Auckland Operatic Society will devote itself to “La Mascotte” and “The Belle of New York.” The company is now busy at work on the former which is to be staged early in September. During 1927 it seems apparent that very few Gilbert and Sullivan productions will be handled, the majority of societies displaying a marked tendency modern musical comedy.

What should prove a very instructive and entertaining evening will take place at the Operatic Society’s Hall in Grafton Road on Monday evening, when the fortnightly gramaphone concert will be given. The demonstrators will be Mr. J. M. Prentice (Uncle Jack), who will conduct an “Aida” recital, and Mr. F. I. Ryan. The latter will present a selected programme in support of a contention that between the extremes of jazz and the classics a strong demand exists in the concert halls for good ballads and songs. A well varied programme should result. A new invention likely to be of great importance in the educational field is reported by the Victor Talking Machine Company, as an addition to the Orthophonic Victrola. It is an apparatus for automatically changing records, so that twelve records may be inserted in the machine and played one after the other, without further attention from the operator. After a disc has been played a mechanical hand removes this one and transfers it to a velvet lined drawer, leaving the next to be played. Thus a whole symphony may be heard without interruption. In school work, particularly, this device should prove of great practical value. One of the most famous songs in the repertories of bass-baritone singers is “Largo al Factotum della Citta” (“Room for the Factotum”). Sung by Figaro, in Rossini’s opera, “The Barber of Seville.” It has been recorded by Pasquale Amato (H.M.V., D.B. 155); Titta Ruffo (H.M.V., D.B. 405, D.B. 502, No. 2 catalogue; Emilo de Oegorza (H.M.V., D.B. 183): Guiseppe de Luca (H.M.V., D.B. 217): Apollo Granforte (H.M.V., D.B. 834); Lewys James (H.M.V., D 237); by Peter Dawson (H.M.V., C. 1007). Among the new electric recordings made entirely in Australia is one by Walter Kirby, “Ben Bolt” (Trilby), by Kneass, and “A Hundred Moonlit Miles

Away” (L. Cranmer Byng). Walter Kirby is undoubtedly the best tenor New Zealand has ever produced, and his English and Continental experiences have combined to make his name a household word in musical circles in Australia and New Zealand. His fine voice, splendid enunciation and artistic phrasing are capitally recorded in the charming old air, “Ben Bolt,” which is sung by Trilby in the last act of the well-known play. ‘ A Hundred Moonlit Miles Away” is a very attractive song, enhanced by the tenor’s unaffected singing and refinement of style. Both songs are superbly recorded. * * * On the gramophone Ignaz Friedman is particularly well served. To hear his Columbia recordings is to appreciate something of his actual presence in the room. Among those may be mentioned Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” (Llßllß-19). This deeply impressive recording gives an entirely new aspect of the familiar “Moonlight Sonata.” Friedman invests it with a glimpse of the poet behind the pianist that has something awe-inspiring about it. Friedman was chosen from the world’s pianists to play at the Beethoven Centenary in Vienna last March and his success was so enormous that he was nominated Austrian Kammer-virtuose. “Mio Signore” (“No, My Lord”) —and “Orae per sempre addio” (“And now for ever farewell”). From Verdi’s “Othello,” Act 2, has been sung by Zenatello and Noto, and recorded during the actual performance of the opera at Covent Garden on June 17, 1926. In the first part of the second act, lago cunningly weaves his plots; Othello appears, as Cassio, on lago’s advice, is interviewing Desdemona. “Mio signore,” said the treacherous Ancient, and drop by drop he pours the poison of suspicion into his master’s ear. There is a gap between the two sides of the record, and by the time We reach the recitative leading up to “Orae per sempre addio” the Moor is almost persuaded of his wife’s faithlessness; lago pretends to exercise a restraining influence while subtly adding fuel to the fire. The music, splendidly interpreted by Zenatello and Noto, magnificently portrays the rising anger of the half-savage Othello and the diabolical hatred of lago. The result is a record of some distinction. “Lilac” (Rachmaninoff) and “Berceuse” (“Cradle Song,” Gretchaninoff), are sung in Russian by Dimitri Suninoff for H.M.V. Records by this celebrated Russian tenor are few and far between. These two are remarkably soothing and beautiful songs, artistically interpreted by the great Russian tenor. The melody of the “Berceuse” is particularly expressive and lovely. The wonderful records issued recently of movements from Bach's “Mass in B Minor” are supplemented by a record of the magnificent “Sanctus.” The record was made during an actual public performance of the “Mass” given by the Royal Choral Society in the Royal Albert Hall, London. The “Sanctus” is an excellent example of Bach’s melodic and contrapuntal styles. The opening passages are mainly simple and melodic, but the concluding portion (beginning on side two) is fugal. Bach’s complex weaving of “parts” is produced with remarkable clearness and faithfulness to detail; no mean feat when the large size of the choir and the intricate polyphony are remembered The recording of the great “Gloria” is wonderful.

Cedric Sharpe’s arrangements of old English folk dances may not have a very wide appeal, but they should certainly be heard rather than passed by, for many of them are really delightful. Among them are “Nancy’s Fancy”— “Tink-a-Tink” (C 1263), “Flowers of Edinburgh” “Christchurch Bells” (Cl 264), “Childgrove”—"Sage Leaf” (C 1265), “Mr. Beveridge’s Maggot”— “Jack’s Maggot” (C 1266), “Galopede”— “We Won’t Go Home Till Morning” (B 5071). “Lads a Bunchum”—“Bean Setting” (85072), “Glorishears”—“Shepherd’s Hey” (85073), “Country Gardens”—“Bobbing Joe” (85074).