PERSONALITIES of the week

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 20, 30 November 1934, Page 8

PERSONALITIES

of the week

BEATRICE’S NIGHTINGALES DATED 1739, the ’cello played on by Beatrice Harrison is a Peter Guarnerius, the only one existing in the world. This instrument formerly belonged to Baron Krupp, and was with his collection of instruments at Moscow. It afterwards passed into the possessin of a Belgian wine merchant who was compelled to part with it and Miss Harrison was able to purchase it for £2000. For tone, colour and varnish this instrument is perfect No wonder the birds tune up when they hear its enchanted tones. Miss Harrison counts among her most successful concerts those she gave-for the nightingales in her Oxted (Surrey) garden. The little feathered musicians were roused to their most beautiful songs by the music of this :marveilous ’cello. BEST DRESSED. NF of the most attractive singers of to-day, who shares with Jeritza the distinction of being the best-dressed operatice star in the world, is Conchita Supervia. Her initial success wag as Rosina in Rossini’s."The Barber of Seville," and this-role she sang in the original. setting-i.e., for coloratura contralto, a most nnusual voice. Rossini’s own wife was the original Rosina, and the part was written specially for her. The singing of Supervia a few years ago created an absolute sensation. London was ston at her feet. She loves England, and her néw home is in Sussex, where she cultivates choice blooms, and wins prizes with her chrysanthemums. ‘She hag superstitions, and will never appear on the platform without the odd little mascots she sews inside her frocks. PIGEON BREEDER. . ORWN in 1888, Sydney Coltham, tenor, was a boy of eight when he joined the Canterbury Cathedral Choir, and. was soon promoted by the then principal organist, Dr. Longhurst. Coltham’s voice was one of peculiar character, in the fact that it never broke. At 14 he gave up singing treble and at

fifteen he sang tenor. .At the age of eighteen he was appointed lay clerk at Canterbury. This must surely be a record. He is also a violinist, and acted as Violin master at Canterbury Cathedrval School. Later the tenor went to Westminster Abbey. As a soloist at all the leading festivals he enjoys great success. His chief hobby is pigeon breeding, and his birds have taken prizes; as a side-line he plays the *cello. IRISH BLOOD. TR .HAMILTON HARTY’S genius as a conductor has a little obscured his genius as a composer, and as an

accompanist. Yet it was in the Iatter capacity that he’ made his name When he went to London in 1900, and it was as a composer that he achieved fame in the decade immediately following. As early as 1901 a trio by him won a prize at the Dublin Feis Ceoil, and such characteristic works as the "Comedy Oveiture" "With the Wild Geese," the "Violin Concerto in

D Minor,’ and "The Mystic Trumpeter" proclaimed him a composer with something very definite to say. Asan accompanist his remarkable performance in Constant Lambert’s "Rio Grande" is well known. BREATH CONTROL. URING a rehearsal when Ivar Andresen, the famous Norwegian basso, was preparing the role of Hagen in Wagner’s "Gotterdammer ung" at Bayreuth, he sang a long sustained passage in one breath, the control of which was most remarkable. -The conductor, Dr. Muck, was quite worried and exclaimed, "If this fellow does not breathe quickly I shall choke!" From an early age Andresen showed an inclination to go on the ' stage, Eventually he left his native eity, Oslo, and was sent to Stockholm in order to study singing under Gills ‘W. Bratt, one of the leading professors of the city. In 1919 he joined the Royal Opera. of Stockholm, where he yemained until 1927, when he moved to Dresden, FROM PIANO TO VIOLA. [_JONEL TERTIS (born at West Hartlepool in 1876) began by béing a pianist. "My first platform appearance (in velvet and lace collar) was in 1882," Mr. Tertis tells us, "when { was six years old. I took up the viola in 1898 in the following manner: A fellow student at the R.A.M, wanted

to play string quartets, and there was no viola player to be found-they were a rare species at that time. He asked me if I would. I did so, and with two other students formed a quartet. Three weeks later we played to Sir Alexander Mackenzie, then the principal of the R.A.M. When we had finished he asked me how long I had been at it. { told him, and he replied, ‘Well, in my cpinion, you will never regret it" I never have."

DRUM-MAJOR "tT was the dream of my childhood." Alexander Kipuis tell us, "to march at the head of a troupe as ‘drum-major,’ dressed in a smart uniform. In fact, I began to study with a view to becoming a conductor, at the Warsaw School of Music. But soon things changed. My voice became stronger, and one evening an impressario advised me to devote myself entirely to singing.’ As the possibilities

— in Russia for this sort of study were at that time very bad, I took my leave und found myself with my large amount of luggage-I had a suitease with linen and a vocabulary dictionary -on the platform of the station, not having made up my mind where to go, Berlin or Vienna. That had to be decided quickly. it just happened that a train was due for Germany, and I got a ticket and travelled to Berlin. I was never sorry for having made this decision," , FRIEND OF GRIEG AX¥THUR DB GREEF, best known to us as a brilliant solo pianist on the records, is also a composer of some distinction. Born at Louvain, he studied first al the Brussels Conservatoire, and afterwards was a pupil of Liszt at Weimar. Already at the age of 23 he was pianoforte professor at the same musical college, but his duties there have not prevented his under. taking wide concert tours, in the course of which he has not only achieved many notable successes, but has also won for himself the warm-hearted affection and esteem of musicians everywhere. Grieg, for example, was one of his staunch friends, and for many years de Greef was regarded as, above all others, the authoritative player of the Grieg Concerto. His own compositions include a Pianoforte Concerto in C, aud works for orchestra, ADAM IN PLUS FOURS WHILE travelling to Bedford to sing in Haydn’s "Oreation," the suitcase of Keith Falkner, the baritone soloist, was stolen, so that he had to appear and sing the part of "Adam" in modern dress-plus-fours. Not many singers have played cricket for their county, but this distinction is enjoyed by Mr, Falkner, who plays for M.0.0. also. His tuition in his profession has been most thorough-his tutors include Sir Hugh Allen, Albert Garcia, Plunket Greene, Lierhammer jn Vienna, Madame Dossert in Paris, and Gruze-

bach in Berlin. In 1917 he joined up and became a pilot in the R.N.AS., from which he was demobilised soon aiter the war. FLEAS ‘fT AM gaining more publicity oyer my talk, ‘All About Fleas,’ which 1 vm giving from 2YA on December 7, than I have gained from all my other studies combined," laughed Miss Bilee: Plant, entomologist at the Dominion Museum, when asked whether her fleas were cultured or uncultured ones. "I laven’t any fleas at all, not even dead cnes! Everyone thinks my talk is a huge joke. As a matter of fact, the subject is intensely interesting. Most people think that baby fleas.are just winiatures of their parents. They’re

not at all," and Miss Plant’s interviewer received some most surprising information about these little custon«rs, information that will doubtless Lrovide a great deal of entertainmen* 10 listeners-in, Later on, Miss Plant is aiving a talk over the air entitled. "Cockroaches." This dark-eyed and curly-haired little delightful lady is giving up her position at the Musenm very soon, in view of her forthcoming inarriage to Mr. D, ©. Fussell, who i: well-known as secretary of the Reserve Bank. Miss Plant intends carrying ot! with her career, which is already briltliant. She gained her M.Sc. degree at Victoria College, where she _ studied zoology and gained first-class honours und was awarded a scholarship.