Overwhelmed By Aspiring Singers

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 180, 20 October 1927, Page 16

Overwhelmed By Aspiring Singers

HISLOP TURNED PALE

HEARING 201 VOICES While Joseph Hislop, the famous British tenor coming to New Zealand in November, was in Sydney, arrangements were made by Messrs. J. and N. Tait (under whose management the Australian and New Zealand tours are being made) for him to give an audition to aspiring singers. Hislop was more than willing, but he little knew what he had let himself in for. For the first audition no less than 201 singers were nominated —a whole army of them descended on the famous tenor, like the Assyrians of old. There were tenors and basses, sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, contraltos and baritones, and they bombarded Hislop with slabs of Gounod, blasts of Verdi, and whole mountainsides of Puccini. It is recorded that, beyond paling a little toward the end of the audition, and occasionally shifting in his seat. Hislop stood the test very well, showing few signs of emotion. After all, he admitted, he had brought it on himself when, in a burst of enthusiasm, he had offered to pick out two potential stars from the aviary of Australian singing birds for engagement with J. C. Williamson for the coming grand opera season. As a result, the great dreams of at least two of the singers will come true, and they will appear in the great company coming. Hislop said he had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “The pleasure I had in listening to the good voices more than repaid me for the time spent in listening to the inferior ones. On the whole, the standard was quite satisfactory.”

Mozart, during 1780-SI, and Wagner, in 1864-65, had rather ungrateful treatment, owing to petty jealousies, in Munich, Bavaria, but of late years amends have been made, and "both great composers idolised. From July 26 to August 2 this year 12 performances of Mozart’s operas and 14 of Wagner’s were given to crowded audiences in the Munich State Theatre. Seven eminent conductors and 54 soloists .were engaged, the chorus numbered 74, and the orchestra 130. Mr. F. Meade Norton, a Sydney artist, who was present at several of the operas, says that the productions in every particular were perfect. A note on the programmes reads: “Munich has tried to atone for her sins against Mozart and Wagner, only, it is true, after their deaths. Here every yearthousands from all ends of the earth pay tribute to the greatest geniuses of musical and dramatic art of all time.”

Five records in the art album with descriptive notes, recently issued by Columbia, give an excellent recording of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7.'* Twice did Beethoven compose two symphonies within the space of 12 months, the Seventh and Eighth in 1812, and the Fifth and Sixth four years earlier. The Finale may be called the outstanding feature of the Seventh Symphony, for it is wonderfully characteristic of one side of Beethoven’s nature, his love of humour. Beethoven marks the second movement Allegretto, and its theme was originally written for the Quartet in C op. 59, No. 3). Weingarlner, who has conducted the recording of this symphony, is the surviving member of a trio of master conductors and Beethoven specialists, the other two being Hands Ritcher and Arthur Nikisch.

Quite one of the jolliest things of its kind is “Christmas Bay With the Savoy Orpheans” (H.M.V., B-5157), whereon one finds a representation of a full day’s merry-making, from being awakened early by the singers to the evening’s party and dancing.

It is interesting to compare the recent H.M.V. records of the Schubert “Unfinished” Symphony with those of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C Minor, played by Sir Landon Ronald and the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra. Of all symphonies these two are probably the most widely popular. In a recent book by Mr. Brent Smith. “Schubert: The Symphonies,” it is maintained that the “Unfinished” has had more fervent admirers than even Beethoven’s C Minor. This is probably true, but there can be little doubt that the Beethoven is an incomparably greater work. For all its beauty the Schubert wears a little thin in places.

A famous comedian, Nicholas Adams, is presented by Columbia in “Perlmutter as an M.P.” “Potash and Perumutter” may be passing out of our memories, but will always remain as one of the world’s great comedies. Nicholas Adams is one of the comical Jewish pair—Augustus Yorke is the other —who toured the world with this famous piece, and he has written this little fantasy on the same lines of humour. Richly funny, sometimes satirical but always kindly, it makes a most unusual and welcome record.

The great love duet, “Otello,” Act 1, Verdi, has been sung by H. Spain, soprano, and G. Zenatello, tenor. H.M.V. Verdi was at the height of his powers when he wrote “Otello.” The pure melodic style which flowered in “Rigoletto” and “Aida” was still fur- 4 ther developed along lines obviously suggested by a deep enthusiasm for Wagner. As a result we have a great operatic masterpiece. The great love duet recorded here comes from the closing pages of the first act. Zenatello’s singing of the exacting tenor role —it was written with an eye to Tamagno as its creator and Verdi made allowances for that stentorian voice—is well-known to Covent Garden audiences, for he was appearing in the role only last season. Madame Spani is, however, a newcomer to our lists. She is one of the finest of the Italian dramatic sopranos of the day, with a full, round voice of exceptionally pleasing quality. This superb record will be eagerly welcomed by all admirers —-and there, "surely, are many* of fine singing and true melody. Edna Thomas’s latest Columbia recordings include “Kentucky Babe” and “Street Cries of New Orleans.” Those who remember the great success of Edna Thomas over here a few months back are always eager to welcome her new recordings. This one will in no way disappoint them, even though she departs from her favourite negro spirituals. What an actress she is with her voice. With extraordinary skill she impersonates the type she is supposed to represent, and the same time giving fine singing throughout.

Truly magnificent is the presentation of “And the Glory,” also the “Amen” Chorus—a sort of Alpha and Omega of Handel’s “Messiah” all on one record (D-1135). Sung by the Royal Choral Society, conducted by Dr. Malcolm Sargent, of Leicester, in the Albert Hall, London, on April 2 last, the very spirit of the performance seems to have been caught. Some gramophones may not quite be able to cope with this mighty effort. The truth is that certain of these latest electrical recordings test very severely many gramophones that are otherwise quite adequate. This, of course, does not apply to the new H.M.V. No. 4 sound-box machines, which were made specially for the electrical process soundings. Two beautiful songs, “Passing By” (Purcell) and “Drink to Me Only” (Jonson), sung by Alfred O’Shea, tenor, for Columbia, have been recorded. Alfred O’Shea, who has been scoring great success in Australia recently, sings with great charm in these two songs. The Australian tenor really has a very beautiful voice, which he uses with great taste, and his singing is very expressive and sj r mpathetic. He sings these two of the most beautiful love songs ever written as though he really were in love. “Passing By” is particularly beautiful. The recording is Australian and beautifully clear-