Evening star., 1947-02-17
Capacity Audience Hears Pima
In Recital at Constitution Hall
By Alice Eversmon

Ezio Piffza gave a song recital yes
sterday afternoon in Constitution
Hall that brought full measure OF
enjoyment to a capacity audience
There is hardly singer before the
public today who presents his pro-
gram so modestly and with such in
sobtrusive artistry and conviction. It
is singing that one listens to with
pleasure, for the Metropolitan Opera
baSso's voice is one Of the finest OF
this generation and the artist him.
self is a born singer.
Whatever Mr.. Pima sings one
hears first the rich, vibrant tone and
then how easily it varies in color
with the infection of every word. He
is an artist without mannerismS and
with simple address. But his magic
lies in the skillfully yelled tones, in
the carrying power of his pianissimo
and in the released volume OF the
full voice. These are the things the
audience sits back and enjoys with
no need to have the artistry of ac-
complishment pointed out to it.
1t was a serious program that Mr..
Pima sang with the greater portion
devoted to works of composers Of the
18th, 17th and 18th centuries. Two
by Monteverdi, the Oblivion soave''
from "LIncoronazione di Poppea'
and the "LaSciatenni Morire" from
,"Arianna," were among the finest
The tragic tone of the aria from
"Arianna," Monteverdi's second
opera. with the text limited to the
repetition of the two words, and the
lullaby from his last work, "L'Incor-
onazione," were splendid vehicles for
the deep, full timber of Mr.. Pinza's
voice to be heard at it's best.
There was also the nobly styled
"Qui Sdegno Non S'Accende" from
.Mozart's THE Magic Flute" and the
beautifully mournful I'm questa
.tomba oscura" by Beethoven, both
delivered in broad and dignifed
form but the latter particularly
moving by the sentiment Mr.. Pima
infused into it. The seldom heard
aria, "Sous les pieds dune femme
from Gounod's 1.-The Queen OF
-Sheba" drew out the richness of the
basso's lowest notes and also his
dramatic feeling which displayed
again, in lighter vein, in "Se vuol
ballare" from Mozart's lie Nozze
di Figaro"
= The arias by the early composers
were interspersed with songs from
that period including Sartis "Lungi
dal caro- bene," Legrenzi's gay "Che
fiero costume" Paisiellos Mel cor
piu non mi sento" and Giordani's
caro- milo ben" given as encore
after the enthusiastic reception OF
the artists singing of "Se vuol
ballare."
Mr.. Pima has at his command q
perfect bel canto, admirably suited
to the classic selections and en-
ployed with equal skill in the mo-
dern. He sang again Bouvals Lies
Nuages" Bruneau's "L'Heureux Va
gabond," Forsyths "The Bell-Man"
and Tschaikowsky The Pilgrim S
Song" heard in former programs
by him, with continued beauty of
tone and with communicating SEN
timent. The concluding numbers,
Respighi's "Nebbie," Cimara'
"Fiocca la neve" and the two Vene-
tian folk songs, 'L'Amor xe una
ptentaza" and In Mezo al mar" are
favorites of the singer for he has
programmed them frequently.
rs While the beauty of Mr.. Pinza's
performance is rewarding enough,
his programs from year to year
have not enough variety. The same
numbers find their place on the
printed list each season and his
excursions into novelties are con-
fined to those of the centuries men,
toned. There is so much that