GIANNINI ARRIVES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 799, 21 October 1929, Page 1

GIANNINI ARRIVES

ITALIAN SOPRANO ENJOYED PICNICS IN AUSTRALIA SINGER'S GREAT SUCCESS "This is spring—oh, so lovely.” Dusolina Giannini, the Italian soprano, stood outside a city flower shop today, her arms full of flowers. There were bright blue cornflowers and glowing marigolds, irises and primroses and the last of the daffodils. Giannini loves them. Her first thought on reaching Auckland this morning by the Niagara was to buy some flowers for “Mamma” and herself. Miss Giannini, as she prefers to be called, Mias just . concluded a tour of Australia, and she considers that it has been the most wonderful adventure of her busy life. Among her happiest memories are picnics in the Australian bush, when she helped to grill chops over a wood fire. This, for a young woman who has spent her life in the capitals of the world, was a delicious adventure. Miss Giannini would rather talk of the wonderful appreciation of Australian audiences than about herself.

“What I like about them is that they do understand music,” she said this morning when discussing her tour. “What can I tell you about myself?

"What can you write about me?” laughed the charming little Italian. “Write about your own country—it is so lovely—and I’ve seen only a corner of it. This is England, you know, and I love England,” she said as she admired some of the blue cornflowers in her arms. Miss Giannini is an Italian who has never even been to Italy, though she has sung in London and most of the capitals of the Continent of Europe. She was born in Philadelphia, of Italian parents, and has been singing since she was a little girl.

“My father was a great tenor,” she said. “He used to make me stand or, a table and sing and sing. I loved it.” She has been singing in public only for six years, but during that time the world’s critics have paid her compliments so richly flowered that they might have turned her head. But no—compliments have not disturbed the outlook of a charming and sensitive young woman. In March, 1923, Dusolina Giannini made her debut in New York on the concert platform. A year later she appeared in London for the first time and received a wonderful reception. Then came her appearance in grand opera. She sang “Aida” in London in 1928. but before that she had made a big impression among the American critics. In the last few years she has sung in a meritorious list of operas including “Aida,” “Madame Butterfly,” “Cavalleria Rusticana,” “Forza del Destino,” “Otello.” “Manon Lescaut” and “Don Giovanni.” “1 sing in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.” she said, “and now I am learning Russian. That is the ambition of my life —to sing in Russian, and I want to learn the language before 1 go there next year. Yes, I have signed an agreement to sing in Russia.” Miss Giannini is accompanied on the tour by her mother. Also with the party are Miss Molly Bernstein, pianist, and Mr. S. Deutsch, violinist. The New Zealand tour of Miss Giannini will open at the Town Hall tomorrow evening.