MEMORIES ON PARADE

Radio Record, 3 June 1938, Page 12

MEMORIES ON PARADE

Opera Singer Gives the "Record" His Lively Reminiscences

Written by

EMILE

fEMORABLE nights in the opera?" | Frederick Collier, Australian operatic lassbaritone, who arrived in New Zealand fast week for a six weeks’ tour under engagement to the NBS, stretched out his big frame in his chair. His mind was travelling back over his operatic career ever since that time he had won all the prizes in his classes, and then the aggregate at the Great South Street Competitions iu Ballarat at the ave of 21. The local boy had made good. Since Then THERE had been a long journey iu vpera since then, , uud some exciting days and nights. There had been first the singing iu Melbuurue-doing ull the things the local man does-in converts aud oratorio. ‘Then came a spell as concert manager to the Australian branch of the musie publishers, W. Chappell and Ce., ani un engagement under J. C. Williamson's in 1919 and 2 tour to New Zealand in 1920, After that came the tour of Australia as ussisting urtist

tO tue great diva, wellie Melba, and after that, in 1921, England. N£xt came 12 years in English opera, six of them with the British National Opera Company. Singing his first role of Hscaniillo in "Carmen"; singing as Wotan in Wagner's "Valkyries," and as Hagen in "Gotterdammerung," singing altogether in 80 operas. That time he sang in. Melba’s farewell performance in opera at Covent

Garden had been memorable. She was over GO, and her voice had been as clear as uv bell. Those nights of the grand season at Royal Opera in Covent Garden had been memorable too. YHERE had been singing under Beecham. "Le electrified one, you felt you had to do your best under him. He was all the time tense. a live wire conductor." ‘ Frederick Collier hud sung, tov. under the Germat conductors, Robert Hager aud Bruno Walter, Walter lad been quite different from Beecham. He dit things in 2 quiet way and got his effects without effort.

Goossens had been like that, but not Belezzi, the Italian conductor, who was a great producer as well. Ile was like Beecham, the vital type. There had been the other great conductors, Perey Pitt aud Maleolm: Sargent and Cvates. — Especially Coates, a massive tan six feet two in height. JP had always been inspiring for Irederick Collier, a big man himself, to sing to the baton of this other big man. Coates had been such a worker, a great Wagnuerian man, who looked like a giaut standing in front of one with his baton. As Frederick Collier sung the role of Hagen. the sinister role, Coates seemed to be playing the part with him. His Lips Moved "you could see his lips going, all the time, as he mouthed the words with you."

LL that had been memorable, aud so had Frederick Collier's first dinner With the Euglish Music Sociely, sitting between two famous English composers, Sir) Charles Stanford aud Arthur Somerville, in. 1924. when he had just arrived , London, aud finding thevu human just as he was hinself, Frederick Collier remembered, too, the time he wus playing with New Zealand's Rosina Buekman in Mne-

land in Tristan aud Isolde." and Rosina Buckman, waving a foreh, had caught fire until a stage-band bad thrown a bag over her. Onee when he had been playing in "Tosea" with Amy Castles, the Australian soprano, she had leaned over a table to take up the knife to kill Searpia when her vinglets caught fire from the candle flame. There had been a tense moment in the theatre until she took of her ringlets, fortunately false. "TYE PEMORABLE nights?" said Frederick Collier, aud began fo chuckle. "This next story is against myself." (Continued on. page 41.)

MI EMORABLE nights at the opera meant much to Frederick Collier. It meant singing with Melba in a farewell. . . work- | ing with world famous conductors. . . and it meant, too, o Jeffery Farnoll fight on the stage in which two singers warmed up so much that one "drew claret’’ from the | other's nose, and the other pitched him from the ring. . .