MR OSCAR NATZKE

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21362, 5 March 1941, Page 6

MR OSCAR NATZKE

CONCERT IN HAMILTON LARGE AUDIENCE THRILLED SCENES OF ENTHUSIASM Scenes of great enthusiasm took place in the Hamilton Theatre Royal last night, when a concert was given by Mr Oscar Natzke, bass, Mr Kenneth Neate, tenor, and Mr Henri Penn, pianist, under the direction of Mr D. D. O’Connor. There was a large audience, and it was quickly proved that the old adage, “A prophet hath no honour in his own country,” did not apply to Mr Natzke, for he was applauded enthusiastically, while his associates were greeted with equal warmth. Altogether it was a night of rare delight for music-lovers. It is difficult to avoid superlatives when referring to Oscar Natzke. He has so much—a voice of unusual range, wonderful beauty, quality of tone and almost uncanny flexibility, striking gifts of interpretation, highly declamatory at times, tender at others and bringing out all the humour in the lighter items; a likeable personality and poise and repose in his platform manner. Could a singer have more gifts? It is doubtful. Mr Natzke’s first bracket consisted of “Suore che riposate” from “Robert the Devil” (Meyerbeer) and “When a Maiden Takes Your Fancy” from “II Seraglio” (Mozart) with excerpts from “The Barber of Seville” and “The Marriage of Figaro” as encore items. Later he sang a group in English, the striking “Treacnery” (Brahms) “Honour and Arms” (Handel) and “O Could I But Express in Song (Malashkin). Recalled again and again, he sang the whimsical “Women, O Women,” the defiant “Invictus,” “The Wandering Player,” “The Song of the Flea,” and those songs which stir the heart in these times, “There’ll Always be an England” and “For England.” Popular Tenor and Pianist Mr Kenneth Neate, an Australian tenor with a very fine \oice and a pleasing personality, won much popularity with the audience. He opened with “Ombra mai fu” from “Xerxes” (Handel) and “O Paradis” from “L’Africaine” (Meyerbeer), and later sang "Songs My Mother Taught Me” (Dvorak), “Silent Night” (Rachmaninov) and Malotte’s beautLfcil setting of “The Lord’s Prayer.” Enthusiastically recalled, Mr Neate responded with “Morning,” “You Are My Heart’s Delight” “To a Messenger” (an unusual combination of an old poem and a very modern setting), and other numbers. The third member of the party. Mr Henri Penn, is a gifted pianist, and, besides proving a perfect accompanist, gave much pleasure with his solo items, the Impromptu in E Flat (Schubert), the well-named Wild Man’s Dance Dy the Australian composer Roy Agnew, and a striking Caprice by himself. Percy Grainger’s “Country Gardens,” “Butterfly,” and a Chopin Prelude were given as recall items. It is seldom that duets for tenor and bass are heard in New Zealand, j therefore “In This Solemn Hour,” | from “La Forza del Destino” (Verdi), j by Messrs Natzke and Neate, was particularly interesting and enjoyable, j “The Two Beggars” followed, and a j memorable concert closed with “The ■ Two Gendarmes,” given with delici- : ous humour by the two gifted sing- 1 ers. It was a weii-Gatisfied audience that left the theatre.