Viewing page 24 of 41
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
[[newspaper clipping]] Fine Opera Gala Well Received by Audience By Jim Moran Globe Staff Member The De Paur Opera Gala presented a varied and well received program of selections from three light and possibly middle-weight operas as the second of the Dodge City community Concert Association's presentation of the 1956-57 season yesterday afternoon in the City Auditorium. The troupe, composed of 25 Negro singers and an orchestra of about the same size, first put on a part of "Four Saints in Three Acts" by Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson. Conductor Leonard De Paur indicated in a brief speech before the performance that reactions differ widely upon hearing this unusual work. Most of the audience seem to find it,, in spite of some fine singing in it, more odd than anything else. However, there was nothing doubtful about the audience's reception of the second of the three offerings. This was a scene, complete with acting as well as singing, plucked bodily from "Carmen Jones," the new story and lyrics which Oscar Hammerstein II grafted on to the immortal music of Georges Bizet. This portion of "Carmen Jones" compares almost exactly, in songs presented and in story development, with the second act of the grand opera "Carmen." It contains the famed "Toreador" song, now a prize fighter's battle song, sung by Baritone Soloist Lawrence Winters It has a fine tenor number, sung by Luther Saxon, as Corporal Joe attempts to smooth the ruffled feathers of his love, Carmen Jones. Possibly the finest of all was the was the great quintet with Soprano Soloist Inez Matthews, Berniece Hall, Joy Mearimore McLean, Walter Brown and Clyde Turner sharing the singing honors. ^[[box]] Miss Hall also sang the exciting "Rhythm of the Drums" number which opens the scene. ^[[MY SONG!!]] ^[[/box]] The troupe's treatment of George Gershwin's beloved "Porgy and Bess" was quite different. They simply took practically all the musical numbers from the show and sang them, giving only a faint hint of story development. Miss Matthews led off with the well-known "Summertime" and Mr. Winter's had several fine songs, including "I Got Plenty of Nothing," and "It Ain't Necessarily So," backed up in the latter with some fine choral work from the group. High point of "Porgy and Bess" probably was a splendid duet by Miss Matthews and Mr. Winters as they rendered "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." Mr. De Paur said after the show that the Opera Gala, which is a successor to his famed Infantry Chorus is in the early stages of a 13week tour which will take singers into most ports of the United States and ino Canada before hey get back to New York in April. [[/newspaper clipping]] [[newspaper clipping]] [[underline]]REVIEWER FINDS:[[/underline]] Opera Captivates De Paur Group, New on Road, Mixes Voices By CONRAD FINK Well, it happened again. The Twin Cities again Tuesday night were treated to a program of music certainly among the best on tour this season. The de Paur Opera Gala, a magnificent blend of outstanding voices, captured the hearts of the near-capacity audience at the Scottish Rite Temple, home of excellent musical presentations this year. Conductor Leonard De Paur will always have difficulty with audiences who remember his de Paur Infantry Chorus. But if those audiences are ever treated to this operatic venture, the Opera Gala, the old chorus will be allowed to remain in its niche in choral history. Male Chorus Familiar "I've at last return to something I started in – the theater," said Mr. De Paur. The new company has been on the road two weeks. Any regrets about dissolving the infantry chorus? None from Mr. de Paur, but "the people are so used to what I was doing – the male chorus." Excerpts from three operas were served up in admirable fashion: "Four Saints in Three Acts," "Carmen Jones," and "Porgy and Bess." The powerful baritone of Lawrence Winters shone throughout the performance. And what adjectives can add to the brilliance of soprano Inez Matthews? But sorely missed in part III, "Porgy and Bess," was Luther Saxon, a tenor with a voice like a bell and a man who projected a tremendous amount of emotion and feeling into the other selections of the program. "Carmen Jones" Best As Corporal Joe, the bedeviled lover of Carmen, Saxon lived up to all his advance notices. Saxon is, incidentally, one of the original members of the infantry chorus. Act I, Scene 3 of "Carmen Jones" was undoubtedly the best of the program. "Porgy and Bess" followed, a close second. "Four Saints in Three Acts" was difficult to follow, especially because of Gertrude Stein's libretto. Though the program may plead "please do not try to understand the words of this opera literally...," it is impossible to not try. For those who have run across "a rose is a rose is a rose," her vehicle to popular "acclaim," "Libretto by Gertrude Stein," is a red flag. It Just Takes Time Challenged to understand what Miss Stein has written, this reviewer attempted and missed too much of the wonderful music. But nothing was missed in "Carmen Jones," when fight manager Rum ([[Walter P?]]) to go with Stein are a soft chair, fireplace and lots of time, not the fleeting moment of the stage. But nothing can detract from the superb performance Tuesday night. The audience expressed its enthusiasm with loud and continued applause. The fifty-five strong company "wowed 'em in Bloomington." The Amateur Musical Club, sponsor of the appearance, added another feather to its cap. [[/newspaper clipping]] [[concert series program]] [[image: photograph of face of middle-aged woman]] Zorah Berry presents DE PAUR OPERA GALA Zorah Berry Concert Series 1956-1957 KLEINHANS MUSIC HALL TUESDAY EVENING JANUARY EIGHTH NINETEEN FIFTY-SEVEN [[/concert series program]] [[end page]] [[start page]] [[concert program]] [[The?]] Community Concert Association Presents DE PAUR'S OPERA GALA LEONARD DE PAUR, Conductor Featuring LAWRENCE WINTERS, Baritone INEZ MATTHEWS, Soprano LUTHER SAXON, Tenor JOY MEARIMORE MCLEAN, WALTER P. BROWN, BERNIECE HALL CLYDE TURNER GEORGE MARSHALL CHORUS and ORCHESTRA Assistant Conductor: RICHARD DUNN 1956 [[right justified]] 1957 [[double line across page]] Leonard De Paur, whose career started in the theatre, is best-known in the musical world for his amazing achievement with the De Paur Infantry Chorus, a group which emerged from a war-time association into one of the most popular concert attractions of all time. In nine consecutive seasons the chorus scored a record of over 1500 concerts. Now half its members are integrated into the Opera Gala bringing with them a matchless standard of choral excellence. Starring in the DE PAUR OPERA GALA is Lawrence Winters, on leave from the New York City Opera, where he is leading baritone. Winters, who was the alternate "Porgy" in the original production of the Gershwin masterpiece, comes to the Gala pressure from European triumphs as guest artist with the Hamburg State and Royal Stockholm Operas. Completing the trio of soloists are Inez Matthews, the soprano star of the Broadway productions of both "Carmen Jones" and "Four Saints in Three Acts," and Luther Saxon, tenor soloist of the De Paur Infantry Chorus, who appeared in the original "Carmen Jones." [[double line across page]] COMMUNITY CONCERTS INC. affiliated with COLUMBIA ARTISTS MANAGEMENT INC. 113 West 57th Street [[midline dot]] New York 19, N.Y. [[decorative design between two lines across page]] [[/concert program]] [[concert program]] [[image: rectangular logo incorporating "GREAT ARTISTS SERIES", a G clef, and a hand with conductor's baton]] [[text surrounded by decorative border]] Mr. Roland Chesley presents DE PAUR'S OPERA GALA Featuring LAWRENCE WINTERS, Baritone INEZ MATTHEWS, Soprano LUTHER SAXON, Tenor JOY MEARIMORE MCLEAN, WALTER P. BROWN, BERNIECE HALL CLYDE TURNER GEORGE MARSHALL CHORUS and ORCHESTRA 1956 [[right justified]] 1957 [[/concert program]]
Transcription Notes:
This project has been reopened for a thorough review. Please take time to review each element of the page carefully before submitting. Best practice is to include a double return between each individual clipping and to use double brackets to indicate the type ( [[newspaper clipping]], [[postcard]], [[plane ticket]], etc.) See "About the Project" for more information.
