1936-07-27 — Page 18

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPHI, MONDAY, JULY 27, 1936.

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The

Hongkong Telegraph.

MONDAY, JULY 27, 1036.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

AND PEACE

There is an interesting argu- ment contained in the ammual report of the International Labour Office, in which it is contended that war is not caus- Jed wholly or mainly by lust for Įterritory or booty or prestige: [but that it is caused also by low standards of living, by the feel- ing of economic insecurity, and by the desire for moral or so. cial emancipation. There is, without doubt, an indissoluble connection between peace and social justice, and it is pertin- fent in this regard to point out that the political crisis pro- voked by the re-entry of Ger- man troops into the Rhineland at once called forth suggestions [for_n_world__economic__confer- Thus, it will be seen, the remedy for présent world un- rest is not to be found wholly in political pacts or frontier recti- fications, or even by disarma- ment conferences, which do not touch the real source of the rouble. In the view of the Director of the ILO., the only

ence.

Covent

Gardon saw the close of the most successful opera season. for many years. In this article Spike Hughes discusses the season, the singers and-- the public.

OR many, opera seasons now Fred has stood at the corner of . Florni-street. And James-street, Covent Garden.

This year, after 25 years in the police force, Fred is retiring. Last night was his last time directing limousines along the straight and,narrow street that leads to the opera.

And Fred could not have chosen a finer season in which to retire.

Every season" as the term is applied generally) has always been the most brillant since the war."*

But the 1036 opera season really has been unusual, and its brillance something more than a gogli writer's cliché. Even the Covent Garden management is pleased.

The first and most obvious

çx- planation of six weeks of packed louses the paradoxical one of Court mourning. So many social engagements have been cancelled, they say, that there was only the opera left to be seen at,

Only "the opera?

The success of the season, 1 would surgest,

is due to une thing. and one Bling only opera is an attraction again.

Oh, not just for the box-holders and the Wagnerlies who would l the place even If the performances started at six by the morning, but for the stand-in-liners who climb to the gallery, and for the prost publie whose link with Covent Garden is a radio set,

☆

T is not long since the opera season was divided Into two parts. The German period opened it and played to full houses: the Italian operas followed, and though a minority of the critics felt they could sit back and enjoy them-·· selves, the public stayed away in great numbers.

When first, a year ago, German and Italian operas were mixed up Wagner-Rossini" festival the same lack of support for the Italian works was less obvious, but stiil only too real.

But the enterprise of those Rossini operas

ras with their gay tunes, their speed and the in- mented Conchita Supervin singing

known did what is them "started something."

As

In their first season they shook the audience out of its Teutonic- fed boredness--not much, but still perceptibly.

Ring Down the CURTAIN

of opera full of times that demand Rood singing and audiences that prefer to islen at a reasonable hour Instead of just after (early) lea, But s

member of the andlence he did see how, at last, In the grand opera season of 1030, the pubile flocked to hear the type of music of which he had done a considerable share of boosting.

It has been a graduni, tiring pro- cess, this revival of Italian opera, but it has arrived.

It will stay when people finally are no longer amazed that "even the Italian performances are sold out.

Polities, fortunately, play only a small part-in music; in this country none at all. So that the situation 15 strangely frontcal.If you consider how welcome this year singers have been whose native country would, rather than use an English phrase, even find another word for "sport." If it could, which it can't.

W

*

TTH the public in such a frame of mind, then, that it turned out in the same numbers for the second night's "Rigoletta ' as it had. done for the opening "Meister- 'siriger," It only needed thing to keep it in this frame of mind: Good singers of Italian

opera.

one

And that is just what Covent Garden provided.

In the first scene of "Rigoletta,". Glacomo Lauri-Volpi opened his

Geoffrey Toye, lately managing director of Covent Garden, did not remain-an-executive long-enough-mouth and sang “Questa o guolia." To put it bluntly, it was' the right to reap his own personal reward

HolsC. for his propaganda in favour of Itallan opera-hi favour, that is,

GAVE

WORLD £2,000,000,000

Johannesburg, July 21,

way out of present troubles is WHAT was the secret of the by restoring, as far as may be, man who, by discovering the the free exchange of goods, ser-Witwatersrand goldfield, gave the world £2,000,000,000 and then vanished?

vices, money and population upon which pre-war prosperity was founded-not simply by an impossible attempt to turn back the hands of the clock, but by a readjustment of method with the same

ultimate objective.

After half

name a century his now stands revealed for the first time, but that is all...who he really was, his life story, and bis fate may for ever be shrouded in mystery.

SOLD HIS CLAIM

*

It was after inquiries find confirmed Harrison's affidavit that the farm land

was proclaimed and the Rand gold-

field came into official existence.

Search of the archives at Pretoria by Mr. James Gray, & Fellow of the Instituto of Chemistry, has yielded Economic warfare leads to in- the fact that the man who found the evitable disaster. But as peace rich conglomerates of the main reef is impossible without social jus- Australian digger

at Langlaate in April, 1886, was an named George tice, so social justice is impos-incrison.

has unearthed a inte Mr. Gray sible without peuce. The mor- which the owner of the Langlante al and military ideals are farm wrote to President Kruger in totally incompatible. Happily, July, 1880, naming Harrison as the finder, and an affidavit made by Har- there are certain cicar economic rison at Pretoria, in which he sald he |gains reported from most coun- believed that payable gold had been discovered. A petition from people tries during last year, but the on the field also named Harrison. hard core of unemployment re- mains. Views of economists are gradually, changing in re- gard to the real nature of the problem; more and more is the theory of under-consumption gaining ground, and although

of some of the theories this school of thought are somewhat extravagant, it remains, 'true

He may have had private reasons that expansionist policies have for shunning publlcity-and it is a proved more successful than curious coineldence that about this time one of the Australian States was deflation. The real problem só asking for information of the where far as industrial justice is con-abouts of a man named George Har

rikon. cerned is to ensure that the economics in wages effected by Imechanical improvements do co-ordination, and until such Inot reduce the volume of the co-ordination is made a reality available consuming power. It we may expect to see continuing is clear that the root cause of friction, with possibilities al- the failure of national schemes ways present which might flare is the absence of international up into serious trouble."

LANE, CRAWFORD'S

DURING THE SALE THE STORE WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 5.30 P.M. DAILY.

Harrison received a discoverer's claim-which he promptly sold. Then he vanished from the pages of Rand history, lle never claimed credit for the discovery when other names were put forward, and the old ploneers of the Rand have no knowledge of his fate.

Covent Garden had found its

SIDE GLANCES

by

Spike

Hughes

first "class" tenor since Gigli was last here.

Opera, people are apt to forget, is not a question of production. Singing must come first. When

with you have a good cast homogeneous style then you can start on production."

A

Too often in these days the eye- is pleased so that the car is de- ceived, and there is the same un- satisfactory feeling in hearing a "produced "opera with a poor casi as there is in riding in a superbly furnished Pullman that runs cracked wheels.

on

This season the Covent Garden Pullman has had its wheels looked after more carefully than for many years.

The management has gone out of its way, what is more, to provide bright shiny new wheels.

It has been a season of bril- Hant newconmez--Klestça Flag- stad, Thorborg.

The curtain falis al Covent Garden.

houses of Italy who should have been here (nt a low fee tool sing- Ing parts given to artists whose only real qualification for an International season wag their in- lernational inck of style.

One point emerges from this sea- son's Covent Garden opera: the management must not be afraid to set about building a repertoire next year that will show of the bril- Hance of its newcomers.

All any

—LAGSTAD can

opera house any time she likes. Her Wagner singing has been lovely, so lovely and unusual indeed that people - Jave forgotten that Lelder is a great Wagnerian, too, which is out of all proportion.

But there is one part simply cry- ing out for Flagstad-Norma in Bellini's opera. I know that she knows the part; she told me her- self.

**

"Thia glorious volce would make a box-office

of "Norma success whenever Covent Garden chooses to put it on, and the public would be Just That

much better acquainted with some of the lovellest music ever written, Wettergren

Margherita Perras is another hinger who made an impressive Arst appearance this season..............AS... Gilda in Rigoletto" she gave a new, unconventional reading of the part, acted Gilda as an in- genuous, bewildered slip of a girl instead of a range-conscious prima donna.

Lemnitz, Porras-all women.

Does that mean there is a short- -2RB. 01-F003-men-ainger? IL.does not, We have had Laurt Volpi and Pinza, but there are any num- ber of singers in the small opera

By George Clark

"You never take me any place until one of your old col lege friends comes to town, and then you try to give the impression we're constantly on the go."

The Health bulletin of Eastern Negapatam 1 case, Talicurin 14 cases, ports for the week ended July 18 Chittagong 3 cases, Bangkok 2 cases: shows the following cases of In-Small-pox-Bombay 11

Chacs, Cal- fcetious disenses: Pingue-Bassein | cuttn 13 cases, Karachi 1 case, Moul- 3 cases, Colombo 2 cases. Cholera.- mein 6 cases, Prom-lenk 1 case, Calcutta 3 cases, Madras 4 cases,Shanghai B cases.

WETTER-

ERTRUD GREN. 15 soprano whose few ap- pearances as Amneris in “Aldn were exquisite examples of a lovely voice and a fine stage presence.

At the New York Metropolltan this season she brought the house down with her performance of "Carmen."

There is no reason why she should not do the same here next year.

"Brilliant" season or not, it L least 1030 will be memorable for having Introduced five new singers. each of whom has not only made good in her own right but has proved the best of her type for many years. For apart from Flag- stad. Wettergren and Perras, Thor- borg In the Ring" and Lemnitz Rosenkavaller" have both given performances that set even the staldest critics looking for nice new adjectives.

Already plans are being made for How who next year's

repertory. decides when and what and the casting of which opera 1 do not know, but after the success of this season and the grent part played In that success by these five new- comera, it would be only fair to give each of them a "jam" part in 1937 as a reward.

T

HESE. are the new stars of opera. The star system is not really such abad thing as is sometimes thought, In opera it has the double advantage of drawing the public and providing the best sing- ing. And to everybody is happy.

The public, too, has played Its share in the galety the opera season. It wasn't the gallery's fault that Lauri-Valp! didn't re- peat "La Donna è Mablie."

This enthusiasm is an admirable sign, Arias are meant to bo applauded.

The More than this, though. other night the last bars of "La :Bohême were audible. Not until the curtain was right down was And that there any applause. really is somethingi