Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 17, 1971, Winnipeg, Manitoba A View Fly Loloi Waltl Gibson group shows opera ambition three weeks ago we listened to the opera the merry wives of Windsor and last week end we listened to the University performance of Purcell s dido and Aeneas. The third opera to be presented was Smetana s t h e bartered Bride which opened on thursday evening at the playhouse before a Small audience. It was presented by the Winnipeg opera company whose musical director is Peter Calvert. This was undoubtedly the most ambitious of the three that we have heard in that it was produced in a theatre with a professional orchestra. It has been 27 years since last we heard a performance of it in Brussels Sung in French and it is still a work of great Charm and much humor. Smetana s score is full of Melody and the choruses and dances Are captivating. Perhaps a word Abou opera in general would not by amiss. Opera is a highly specialized form of Art which displays the vocal talents of those who per form in it. It is very expensive but it is also very a Landorous. Singers in opera require three things. First Talent to sing and act and look we on stage. Second experience. Third Long and arduous training the great opera companies always Are looking for have Large voices to against Large orchestras t is indeed the prerogative professional but there is no other Endeavor that seemingly encourages the Amateur to have a go the achievements of this company on its pening night were varied but Oie can always forgive certain jitters. If How Ever one applied the require ments aforementioned to the principals one would say that there was one nost promising voice among the ladies that of Irene Corne As Marenka and two attractive but Small voices among the Nen those of Wolfgang Oeste As Jenik and Grant Neil As Visek. Bart Hicks in the smaller role of Krusina produced a Verj pleasant tone j Beverley Mazer As a Gypsy dancer has a charming voice but it is very Small. She looked Well and moved vivaciously. Mrs. Corne is very attractive on stage but occasionally Flat tens when singing with others. She makes a bit too much use of her hands in act one. Decal the marriage broker was played by Bruce Mac Donald whose tone is a bit dry but he has great enthusiasm and is very much alive. He tends to Over act and use his umbrella rather like an orchestral conductor and he overemphasized everything he sings. On the whole the chorus Sang Well but being Short of men it sounded rather like a ladies chorus. The costumes looked at Tractive and so did the sets. Some of the dancing was charming but some of the Pat terns were ragged. The most unsatisfactory Fea Ture was the orchestra. As Well As being very under rehearsed it simply could not Cope with the score of this opera because Smetana requires at least eight Wood wind and four horns. How can three Wood wind and one Horn make the music sound As it was written surely the musical director must have realized that there were gaping holes in the wind chords and nothing was done to fill the gaps. A piano or harmonium would have been infinitely bet Ter than nothing at All. The strings were badly balanced and rarely did we hear much from the lower strings. The accompaniment to the Reci natives was really quite bad. We rarely have watched a con Ductor work harder and achieve less. Surely those flailing move ments must have been very disturbing to the audience directly behind. The third act was probably the Best. Those ensembles in act two could be very Nice if the singers would listen to each other and give us better Dic Tion. The performance is to be repeated tonight and saturday and we feel sure that it will improve. Five local initiatives projects Given approval a Community service employ ing eight persons in Dauphin is included in the latest list of Manitoba projects approved under the Federal government s local initiatives program. A Canada manpower press release says the project of the Community betterment group will provide a baby sitting ser vice Aid to senior citizens handicapped persons and others a Community directory service rummage and Magazine pickup and delivery and lunch hour supervision o f kindergarten children. The group will receive about in Federal funds under the program. The children s theatre. Winnipeg will receive about under the local initiatives pro Gram for its project. Five per sons will perform plays for Chil Dren in greater Winnipeg at schools libraries hospitals and institutions. Neighbourhood service centres Winnipeg will operate a program to assist senior Citi Zens and Low income families in Winnipeg s Urban renewal area ii by making essential re pairs to their Homes. Fifteen workers will be hired for the project. The Federal contribution will be about Circle film productions Winnipeg will document other projects under the Federal program As Well As film the work involved at the regional local initiatives program unit itself. The group will receive about and will hire nine persons. The knights of Columbus Manitoba state Council. Winnipeg will receive about under the program to assist with the work involved in the 1972 knights of Columbus in door games in Winnipeg in Jan uary. Thirteen persons will be hired for this project. Alter the games four persons will be employed to prepare for next year s track meet. Support for All projects under the local initiatives program administered by the Federal department of manpower and immigration ends May 31. 1972. Divorces decreed absolute the following 17 divorces have been decreed absolute by the Manitoba court of Queen s Bench Marlyn Marie Enright from Joseph Lawrence Enright mar ried in Winnipeg june 6, 1970. Florence Louise Carrothers from Jack Hilbert Carrothers married in Winnipeg june 14, 1952. Emilia Mary Klimczak from Edmund Klimczak mar ried in Ituna sask., May 1944. Robert Dorothy Jenkins i from Robert Henry married in St. James Man., aug. Christine Ligthbody Williams from Douglas win Ston Williams married in Winnipeg aug. 8, 1942. Shirley Marion Benson from Wallace Benson married in River Hills Man., june 5, 1965. Ruth Alice Gilmer from Rich Ard Greg Gilmer married in Winnipeg oct. 14, 1954. Rose Ann Berkowski from Ralph Berkowski married in Hamilton ont., june 18, 1949. Stephen Best from Florence Irene Best married in Winnipeg Jan. 27, 1940. Louise Jane Clark from Ber Nal Robert Clark married in Winnipeg Jan. 12, 1954. Parme Lia Trudeau from Victor tru Deau married in St. Boniface Man., july 31, 1954. Erik Kiester Petenes from Elisa Beth Rose Petersen married in Nerre Borup Denmark May 19, 1962. John Edward roadhouse from Julia Irene roadhouse married in Winnipeg dec. 15, 1962. Donelda Ruth Page from William Jack Page married in Vancouver b.c., May 25, 1958. Robert Paul Suttorp from Eileen Marie Suttorp married in Beausejour Man., aug. 1., 1970. Thelma Mccombs from Rich Ard Mccombe married in dry Den ont., feb. 5, 1951. Vivian Marie Baldwin from Sydney a thur Baldwin married in inter National Falls Minnesota March 21, 1949. Winnipeg free press Friday. December 17. 1971 Blind artists hold Christmas program the Canadian Council of the Blind will hold its annual Christmas program by Blind artists at . Saturday in National Institute for the Blind 1041 Portage Avenue. Dudley Patterson of radio Sta Tion Job will be guest of the mennonites to hold Christmas choral the e 1 m w o o d mennonite Brethren Church will annual Christmas do t it. Ill. I4tv-145 Henderson High will feature the Church s 55-voice choir and will include traditional German carols and Handel s Dettinger the with full orchestra. Australia to accept planes Canberra Reuter Australia which deferred delivery of 24f-111 fighter bombers from the United states during a i three year controversy Over the i swing Wing aircraft announced i thursday it will go ahead with i the million Deal. J the critical Wing Box Assem Bly of the trouble plagued us j Personic Jet was tested to a de i Striction Point simulating six times the plane s Normal opera Tion life Clearing the Way for australian acceptance. Failure of the Wing Box in . Air Force Falls had caused grounding of the air Craft on several occasions. This led to modifications. Deaths Brodersen George l., 60, of 859 Grosvenor Avenue suite 33. Cockrell mrs. William 24, of 512 London East Kildonan. De Graaf mrs. Rennie 59, of North Kil Donan. Frieser mrs. Katherine 81. Of Steinbach Man., widow of Cornelius 1c. Friesen. Giguere Paul 55, of Mon Treal que. Hall mrs. Norman 81, of 555 Lanark Street suite 301. Halldorson Thorhallur 81. Of 705 Martin Avenue. Hall1day, Margaret Jane of Rossburn Man. H1ndmarsh, Albert Cooper 57, of Vancouver. . Mackenzie. John Mcleod. 79. Of 366 Quappelle Avenue. Suite 305. Prince. Mrs. Walter j 57. Of 616 Talbot Avenue. Shatz mrs. Pearl. 73, of Cal Gary Alta. Squires Stanley Frederick 55 of 953 Ilasco i Avenue East Kildonan. Storkey mrs. Edward Emi 77, of 512 London Street. Suite 8. East Kildonan. Wasyliw Michael 59, of 363 Manitoba Avenue. Westby James Thomas of Mississauga ont. Sci dish Gustave Joseph g2, of 128 Stranmillis Avenue St. Vital. Yoxall Ernest. 85, of Russell. Man. For further information please Sec classified death notices makes a Nice change. If you re a Beer Drinker and you fee like having a malt liquor for a change try a Manitoba 200. Brewed to Mark Manitoba s entry into its 2nd Hun dred years. Brewed in Manitoba for Manitoban. Brewed with Labatt s traditional concern for High Quality. Manitoba 200 combines the smooth Meirow taste of our other famous brews with the higher alcohol Content of malt liquor. At Labatt s we. Say if Manitoban Are going to have a malt liquor it s got to be the Best. And it is. Manitoba s strongest malt liquor a merry Xmas to your student with an Olympia typewriter with Over 2000 Olympia s presently in use in Winnipeg schools he or she is probably using one now this Smith Corona mrs. Pedlar smiled when she got from sky 58 Ballet Bingo 3 is for tomorrow s game on sky Oil. Rex Rel Good neighbor metro drag scores town toy sote shop cosy Poy Fow food stores i Wwilson stores. Beety of Ltd Ato of Ecsy fee Werf to. Whf fre few str Fer or. Or Olympia Monica Olympia sf33 ask about our rent to own plan for reconditioned typewriters no interest of carrying si0 per month Underwood a makes reconditioned Type Waters pmed frown ome teas guarantee Standard modes 39.50 new plan to Peri office equipment per at Cave fret parking at open str 9 your Chang cd phone 786-4611 anytime ;