Frances Alda’s Varied Career

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 150, 15 September 1927, Page 16

Frances Alda’s Varied Career

EXTENSIVE REPERTOIRE Madame Frances Alda, who is to give her first New Zealand recital at Auckland on Tuesday, September 27, has had a remarkable career. Her experience with the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, is unique. She has sung leading roles there for 18 seasons, and on the completion of the present tour, will return to New York for 30 performances next season. At the Metropolitan Opera House Madame Alda has sung in more than 40 operas in association with such famous artists as the late Enrico Caruso, Journet, Scotti. Ruffo and Chaliapin. Madame Alda’s European debut was made at the Opera Comique in Paris in Massenet’s “Manon,” which she had studied under the direction of the composer while she was still a pupil of Marchesi. A few months later she sang the title role of Charpentier’s “Louise” at La Scala, Milan, and soon afterwards went to New York. This singer has toured extensively in concert work, and every year pays a visit to Europe. Madame Alda’s accompanist is Max Rabinowitsh, who was here with Chaliapin. He will also appear as a soloist. Miss Gertrude Johnson, the Melbourne soprano, has received highly favourable notices for her recent recital at Wigmore Hall, London. She is described by “The Times” critic as “a very skilful singer, who showed a beautifully controlled tone in Handel’s ‘O Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me?’ ” The reviewer adds that Bach’s “Phoebus ancl Pan” aria was very neatly sung, and that in Mozart’s “L’ Amero,” the artist’s vocalisation was very true and clean. * as %&%2;x& %sk % % ?k xm &

$6 vr. rk %£ $6 & It is more than probable that when the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company (due in New Zealand about Christmas) completes its tour of the Dominion it will be disbanded and not be reconstituted for many years. This is to be regretted, for a revival of these clever musical satires, the work of two of England’s greatest songsters, librettists and dramatic autho rs, could surely be made at more frequent intervals. It is not an easy task, however, to gather together an effective combination to do full justice to these enchanting musical extravaganzas. It took the firm many long months to engage the principals and chorus for the present tour; indeed at one time the task appeared to be hopeless, until by a fortuitous chain of circumstance, two important engagements were made, and other necessary details arranged. “Ruddigore,” which will probably be the opening opera, possesses a unique attraction for music-lovers, and both Gilbert and Sullivan regretted that through circumstances over which they had no control (the Government’s fear that offence would be given to a certain nation), one of their best works had to be withdrawn. The following cast has been selected for the Wellington Choral Society’s presentation of “Aida”: —Miss K. Campion (Aida), Miss M. Caldow (Amneris), Mr. Hubert Carter (Radames), Mr. Harrison Cook (Ramfis), and Mr. Barry Coney (Amonasro). “Bedouin Song” (Foote). “Where’er You Walk” (Handel). Zonophone, A 314. These two titles were recorded at an actual public performance in New York city by the full gathering of the Glee Clubs, a choir of over 2,500 trained male voices. It is interesting to note the superiority of these rcjcords to similar attempts made by recording community singing. In the case of this trained choir each piece is perfectly executed, whereas the difficulty of controlling singing has yet to be overcome, the present results being very crude.

“Ruddigore,” so long omitted from the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire in this part of the world, is a burlesque of old-time melodrama, and Gilbert employs his vein of humour to excellent purpose in the story of the baronet who seeks to escape the curse resting upon his ancestral line by masquerading as the simple Robin Oakapple, a farmer, but is obliged to take the succession, and with it the obligation to perpetrate a crime daily. His failure to discharge this duty leads to the famous spectacle in the picture gallery of the castle of Ruddigore, when the ancestors of Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd step down from their frames and engage in the cheerful task of subjecting him to torture until he desperately agrees to carry out their wishes, whereupon they join in the exultant chorus, “A sturdy fellow, after all, this latest Ruddigore!/*