This concert by the LSO was intended to publicise Sir Thomas Beecham's pet project the 'Imperial League of Opera', intended to extract funds from the general public. It seems that, Sir Thomas generally made a witty speech to help things along. Unfortunately on this occasion he was ill and so no speech occurred, as the orchestra's leader took over conducting duties.
The bright idea never really got going either, with even the big cities failing to cough up the cash that Sir Thomas had hoped for.
The four singers all had excellent reputations but don't seem to have done much opera in Britain.
In those far off days, a century ago, the big London orchestras were frequent visitors to the 'provinces', with Dundee just one of many regular tour dates.
Additional tour dates to be confirmed.
A Dundee Perspective
Dundee Courier & Advertiser: Thursday, 8 March 1928
London Symphony Orchestra - Operatic Concert in Dundee
'Sir Thomas Beecham's absence from last night's operatic concert (the last of the International Celebrity series) in the Caird Hall, Dundee, seemed naturally a great disappointment when the announcement of his indisposition was first made. The audience, however, appeared quickly to recover from any dismay it might have felt, the concert ending amidst unusual enthusiasm.
'The promised speech on the Imperial League of Opera did not materialise. Apart from this, the original progrmme, plus an extra duet to fill in the time allotted for the speech, was carried through by Mme Guglielmetti, soprano; Mme Offers, contralto; M Enrico di Mezzei, tenor; and M Zaporojets, bass; with the London Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Mr H Wynne Reeves, who deputised for Sir Thomas.
'The music down for performance by the orchestra showed a sharp contrast to that allotted to the singers. On the one hand we had slight, delicate trifles from forgotten operas by Handel, Paisiello and Méhul, and on the other a selection of arias most of which were as familiar as the orchestral items were strange. But if the balance of the programme was not perfect, it certainly was, all in all, most enjoyable.
'The orchestra did some polished work in the opening Handel group, Mr Reeves showing himself to be sensitive to the delicate beauties of the music. The Musette from Il Pastor Fido had flowing rhythm and fine tone from the strings, the pianissimo close being very lovely. The overture to Teseo had rare rhythmic vigour and some very satisfying playing in the perky passages for woodwinds, while the jolly Bourree from Rodrigo was as crisp as you like, having many delicately-graded shades of tone.
'The Grétry 'Air de Ballet' was quite exquisitely treated, its limpid and plaintive melody being played so beautifully by the muted strings that a repeat of it was demanded. The colours in Méhul's 'La Chasse' were no doubt primary ones, but, though the treatment of the programme seems rather naive to us nowadays, it is a rousing affair, and was brilliantly played. The excerpt from Paisiello's Nina was also wholly charming.
'The soloists were a fine group.
'Mme Guglielmetti knows all that there is to know about coloratura work, showing in her singing a mastery of all the wiles and tricks. The mechanism of the voice is as perfect as makes no matter, the voice itself of wide range and fine quality. But there was about this lady's work a certain coldness, and the interest was even more confined to the technical than is usual with singers of her type. She gave us perfect execution of the runs, roulades, and staccato passages of the Donizetti aria, and plenty of bird-like chirps in Meyerbeer's 'Ombra leggiera,' sung as an encore.
'There was nothing of frigidity about the singing of Mme Offers. She sings with the utmost emotional and dramatic force, and with a voice of beautiful warm quality and great power, especially in its higher register. Gounod's 'Plus grand dans son obscurité' was given by her a most impassioned rendering, and her singing of Verdi's 'O Don Fatale' had all the proper fire and intensity. She used a mezza voce of lovely quality in the more restrained middle section of this aria. Altogether she is a remarkably fine dramatic artiste.
'M di Mezzei has his charming lyric tenor well under control - in fact he is too well controlled altogether - judging by his 'Flower Song,' which was very restrained and contemplative. There was much to admire in his 'Recondita Armonia.' sung as an encore, and his work in the Rigoletto duet with Mme Guglielmetti was splendid.
'M Zaporojetz has one of those phenomenal bass voices that only Russia seems able to produce. Its power and resonance in the lower register is marvellous, and its quality in the higher notes is nearly always beautiful (the singer, however, never seemed entirely at ease up there). Mozart's 'Qui Sdegno' was superbly sung, and the encore, the Volga Boat Song, served to display M Zaporojetz's wonderful organ in all its volume and impressiveness. His reverberating low notes in the Russian version that he gave us of 'Drinking' were quite remarkable.
'The concert ended with a brilliant performance of the quartet from Rigoletto, sung by the four soloists. It had to be repeated.'
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