THE MASTER MUSICIAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 174, 13 October 1927, Page 14

THE MASTER MUSICIAN

CiREAT SINGERS S. PAST & PRESENT T

FLORENCE AUSTRAL AND ELSA STRALIA

clain^ s to ha ' e produced many noted singers, and these™ 6 Austral an<! MadaTne Elsa Stralia are not the least of D . F *° rei,c J c Austral was born in the same suburb of Melbourne WjJSBJm I —Richmond—as the unforgettable Melba. Her first appearance ! n Rnsland was at Coven I Garden in May, 1922, as Brunnbilde. This followed an eminently successful American tour, during which many glowing notices were won, after an illness which nearly cost her her life She had been engaged last January for three concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and during her journey there she caught influenza. At the second concert she sang with a temperature of 104 degrees. She was tfien seriously ill, complications ensuing with mastoid trouble. Her life was at one time m danger. After eight weeks’ illness she went to Boston, and was called upon to sing in place of Madame Hulda Lashanska at one of the Wolfsohn senes of symphony concerts. After the concert her name was mentioned by the critics m company with Schumann-Heink, Sembrich, Lehmann, and Termna. Madame Austral did not enter the Conccrvatorium of Music at Melbourne until she was 18 years of age, and she had then decided to study the piano as well as singing. She was compelled to give up piano playing which caused neuritis in her hands, and then, she stated: “I had to learn everything all at once and catch up with girls who had studied singing all their lives.” Her principal vocal teacher was Madame YViedermann, of Vienna, a noted opera singer, who had been a pupil of Mathilde Marehesi. After eighteen months at the Melbourne Conservatorium Madame Austral went to London, and was coached by Mr Hermann Grunebaum, the Covcnt Garden coach for German opera. Her voice quickly brought her to the notice of Mr Albert Coates and others in authority, and on the advice of Mr Henry Higgins she took (lie name of Florence Austral for her operatic debut in the “Valkyre” on May 16, 1922, her real name being Florence Mary Wilson. In her first season she sang as Aida, Isolde, Elsa, Elizabeth, and all the Brunnhildes of ‘‘The Ring.” Of these Isolde is her favourite role. Madame Austra* has sung at the Cineinnati Festival (in company with John McCormack) in 1925, and she was engaged for the same festival for May, 1927. In England she has sung at the Handel Festival twice, the Leeds, Worcester and Norwich festivals, and in the Verdi “Requiem” at the Crystal Palace in 1923. ELSA STRALIA. Mme. Stralia was born in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, a city which bears the reputation of being the most cultured community in the Commonwealth. She comes of musical stock, her father being a well-known baritone and her mother a pianist of note. Her musical studies were begun at the Marsha 1! Hall Conservatory in Melbourne and her first term brought her a .ehotar.hip which encouraged her definitely to adopt a professional career. Her debut in concert took place a short time afterwards with the Sydney Philharmonic Society, the leading choral organisation of Australia, in the Town Hall, Sydney. Her success was so great and her natural gifts so narked that on the advice of prominent musicians and critics she decided :o further her studies in Italy. # A!me Stralia’s triumphs in Italy led to her subsequent engagement at die Royal Opera, Covcnt Garden, London. She at once became a great favourite with the English public and remained a member of the company

until it was disbanded upon the outbreak of war. Hei deliu* took place in the role of Donna Elvira in “Dor Giovanni” with John McCormack and Antonib Scott as her associate artists. Her first appearance as Aid: came when she was called to take the place of Mme Destinn on a few minutes* notice. She took ‘her audi cure by storm and was acclaimed one of the greates exponents of the role ever heard in London. Durin; the several seasons that she remained at Covent Gar den she sang leading soprano roles in “Cavallerii Rusticana,” “Prince Igor,” “Tannhauser,” “Th Masked Ball” and other operas, and when the oper; house was closed her admirers flocked to hear her in i

house was closed her admirers flocked to hear her in many concerts at Albert Hall and Queen’s Hall. She also made several tours of the leading cities of the United Kingdom. The exceptional honour was paid her of being called twice to Paris to sing with the famous Lemoureux Orchestra under the baton of Chevillard, who paid her a glowing tribute. On the advice of Titta Ruffo, with whom she had sung, Mme. Stralia went to America in 1922. In New York she immediately placed herself in The hands of the eminent voice specialist of international fame, Yeatman Griffith. A later introduction to Walter Damrosch led to her being engaged for 12 appearances with the New York Symphony Orchestra. After hearing her Mr Damrosch said: “I have not heard such a voice since Lilli Lehmann sang.” Albert Coates, widely known in America as guest conductor of The New York Symphony, has more than once declared Mme. Stralia to have “the greatest voice in England,” an opinion shared by Sir Thomas Beecham, Percy Pitt and other noted authorities.