DOLORES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1919, Page 4

DOLORES.

AN ENJOYABLE RECITAL. The audience that Mademoiselle Autou.a Dolores faced at Kveryuody's Thejure last uijjhl was a tribute to the undyiii" popuaarity of the famous t'renco soprano, and an evidence of the uleaaaut recollections associated with her I&6V visii to New I'lyiuoiitli dive years ago. It is "iveu to few exponents of the divine ait to accomplish, with such consummate ease, the task of carrying through, unaided, a programme of audi length and such a high order. When it is Elated that her listed items numbered 13, and that encores brought the total number of songs up to i'J, some idea of the demands which such a recital must make upon Mademoiselle may be imagined; yet from start to finish there was not a suggestion of effort on her part. The most exacting excerpts frow classic opera wero given with the same ease and charm aa were the simplest ballads, for the singing of Which the French diva has become so renowned. The freshness of her voice has lost nothing in the intervening years, and the charm of her manner grows more win-

'iime and endearing. As an exponent of hi <■ chosen art Dolores defies the critics, ami brings them in adoration ~to her feci. Her portrayal of the human passions and emotions is most convincing. The most striking instance of her wonderful power in this direction last night was in her presentation of Verdi's "Ave Mario," from the 4th act of the opera "Otello." Her declamatory power and depth -of feeling in this number were something to he remembered- The applause which hurst forth at the conclusion of the deep and sonorous tones of the final "Amen - ' seemed almost sacrilege.

"Mademoiselle's opening bracket contained three delightful little meifldiet, and the playful manner in which she treated Hook's "Kclio, Tell Jfe" Wan delightful, the echo effect? being most clnsively produced. 'One of the heaviest items of the programme was a double brneVet. which included "Berceuse" and Tonjours a Toi'' (Tsehaikowsky). and •'The Tear and the Lark" (Rubenstein), which wa? ako ono of Mademoiselle's finest nroductiona of the evening. She ini"e a delightfully refreshing presentation of the 'Valso Pong" from Gounod'* "Romeo and Juliet," and for an encore sang an uncommonly pleasing "Hindu Song" (Reinsky-Korsakoff). Her final numbers were from the American composer MacDowell. and included "In the Woods" and "Long Ago," and CowenV popular ballad "The Swallows." Mademoiselle's encores included several request items, amongst them being "It Was a Lover and His I.ass," "Feme, Sweet Home," "Comin' Thro" the Rye" and "Love Was Onee a Little Boy" IXiring the evening a beautiful bouquet was presented to Dolores by some of her admirers. Trie climax of the recital was reached when, after her final number, in response to the demands of an insatiable audience, the diva canw back and sang "The Marseillaite," at the first chords of which the whole audience rose and atood while the number was given—as it can only be given by, one belonging to the country whose gong it is. When Ihe applause had subsided at its conclusion Mademoiselle, in one word, graciously invited the audience to join in the National Anthem. The whole recital was one of the finetf lessons which lovers of the vocal art and amateurs in its exercise cduld listen to. Mr. Harold Smith's artistic treatnsnt of the accompaniments was an embellishment of the programme. He also played several solos with much delicacy of expression, and he well deserveS tho compliment of the double encore which the audience insisted upon. His programme numbers wero "Barcarolle" and 'Etincelles" (Moskowaki), and "An Irish Reel" (Stanford), and for encores lie gave "Berceuse" (Rachmaninoff), "Dwarf's March" (Greig), and "Nigger Dance" (Cyril Scott). The party appears at Waitara tonight.