CAPPELLI.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1918, Page 5

CAPPELLI.

AN INSTANTANEOUS SUCCESS. ; The appearance of Signor Tino-C'ap- . pclli on the concert platform in New Ply« ', mouth last night was an event quite ' unique in the history of the town. Cap- , pelll will be remembered, as the principal tenor in the Gonzalez Grand Opera Company, which toured, the Dominion about two years ago. Ho then won golden opinions amongst those who were privileged to hear him. Few tenors trained in the operatic school, and with a voice - of the calibre of Cappclli's, have taken the platform as concert singers, in the sense in which English audiences understand that term. In Italy the concert, as we know it, has no place in the field of music, Which, in the better class, is divided into opera and orchestral concerts, iu which the master symphonies"' have a permanent place. The ballad concert is generally favored. Cappelli'B success, therefore, is a double one, for ho . has succeeded in overcoming his own na- J tional traditions, and adapting himself , to the exacting demands of British ens-! , torn. In his concert last night Signer..' Cappelli achieved another triumph, and': the applause which his first number 1 evoked gathered momentum as the pro.'.* gramme proceeded, till at the end it h was a tumult which would not easily..' subside. His voice is of that quality;:;'' rarely heard. Eich and musical to a de-< v gree, full of pathos, of fine timbre, andTj his high quality rises in rich vibntncy,"J which is positively thrilling. His first H song was the romanza "Heaven aad'l Ocean," from Ponchielli's "La Gioconda," J which he interpreted with, a passion that ' thoroughly enraptured the audience. • Bracketed with this was .Puccini's "Never '■ Did I Behold," a work full of beauty v and sung with exquisite grace. Ii"or en- \ cores he gave "Lolita" (Bum-Peceia) ' and "Quista e Quida," from Verdi's °Bi-'' .. goletto." In the second part CappeDi 's sang with tenderness in expression tho "; beautiful "Flower Song" from Bizet's I "Carmen," and Puccini's "Your Tiny. - Hand is Frozen," and is response to the insistent demands of tho audience he . gave "La Donna e Mobile" (Verdi) and ■ "Mattinato" (Leoncavallo). The assisting artists are of a\dass in ' keeping with the standard set by the ' incomparable Cappelli. Chief amongst . them is Signor Lucien Cesaroni, who possesses a bass voice of rich quality, wide range, and rare flexibility, which 1 he uses with exquisite skill and artistry. He was accorded a reception equally as ' enthusiastic as that given to the tenor. * He opened the programme with, Verdi's -i "Infelice e tu Credevi," which he sang---with case and finish. His encore number -.! was Balfe's "From Rushy Beds." Li the " second half he sang with charm and win- '' someness Verdi's "Corre del Ciel Pre- .j cipita," bracketed with Schumann's "I s Will Not Grieve," both of which were given with rich and deep emotion. He f was recalled, and sang "The, MarseU- , •' laise," "Obstination" (Fontenaflles), and ~ Bohm's "Still as the Night." Miss Veronica Bedford (sopTano) has a voice of wide range, her upper quality being dis- ■' tinctly superior to her lower notes. She, ; suffers somewhat by comparison with ■ the other members of the party, but is : none the less a finished singer. Her first item was Landon Ronald's "Down in the ' Forest," in which she was scarcely at . her best. He encore was more gijeoesE" ful, the beautiful "Sometimes in Summer," by Bennett, suiting her much bet* ■ ter. Later she sang "Spring's Awaken-* ing" (Sanderson), a florid work in which she excelled. Her encore number was ■ Brahm's "The Smith."

John Amadio, the now eminent flautist, s completed ijhe party. The Hate is, per- £ haps, the most pleasing of the wood-. I wind instruments, and in the hands of '■■ Amadio it becomes positively human, ■■.• expressing passion and emotion,, high * ecstasy and deep desolation. His work '? last night simply transported the audi' ence, wlio listened with rapt attention '■'■ to every note. In the first part he played \ Brahm's "The Sandman," and "Pagas >} nini's Witches' Dance," by Bucher, in, f which he proved himself a perfect wiz* < ard. His encore was a fantaßie of na* ' tional airs, in which ho also requisitioned \ the piccolo. In response to a further call " : he gave an unaccompanied study written to represent two flutes, in which the re- ; suit was excellent, the accompaniment '■ being maintained with a syncopated effect throughout. In the second part he ' played Sain Saen's popular melody, "La ■ Cygne," more commonly heard as a 'cello ~ solo, but which suffered nothing by its 5 transcription for the flute, the notes of ; the dying bird being well represented. ( He also played Briccialdi's caprice "Wind ' f i in the Trees," and the "Carnivalß de \ Venise." i

Mr. Harold Whittle, a pianist of uncommon ability, maintained the heavy role of accompanist with the acme of artistry, and did much to ensure the success of the recital.

Altogether the concert was probably •■ one of the best ever heard in New Ply- ; mouth, or, indeed, in any other town 'in j. the Dominion. There was a large audi- ') ence, and the proceedings were marked' ''; by unusual enthusiasm. To-night the! •:': party will appear again in their final' ■ \i concert, when an entirely new pro- ■ gramme will be submitted.