Evening star., 1949-03-21
By Alice Eversmon

Smiling debonair James Melton
drew a full house for his recital
In Constitution Hall yesterday
afternoon and enthusiasm was the
keynote of his listeners response
throughout the program. With this
concert the Sunday series of the
Dorothy Hodgkin Dorsey Bureau
came to an end. AS Mrs. Dorsey
retires from the management at
the end of the season. Mr.. Mel
ton mentioned this and paid trib-
ute to her in glowing terms. 1t was
all part of that honey atmosphere
the Metropolitan Opera tenor
creates so skillfully and in which
his explanation of some of the
numbers serve as link between
himself and the audience.
A Melton recital has two angles
of consideration. The first is his
audience appeal derived from the
quality of his voice, the songs he
sings and his unaffected friendli-
ness. He. brings sincerity to his
presentations and he gives Of his
talent freely and generously. He
has mastered the art of giving
pleasure with his singing and he
does this legitimately and without
pretense. Not all of our most pro-
found artists can do as much.
Greatly gifted with an unusual
ly fine voice and with the poten-
TALLY of making it convey the
highest musical ideas, it is pity
that Mr.. Melton does not 60 fur
ther. No matter how varied in
type is the music he programs, 1t
all sounds the same. He has one
quality of tone, open and rather
white in timbre, and the words
of the texts find no appropriate
changes of color for their express
sion. Only in the ariaS, "Tombe
degli avi miei". from Donizetti's
Lucia di Lammermoor. Wal
ter's Prize Song" from Wagner's
Die Meistersinger' and "Chanson
d'Ossian" from Massenet's "Wer-
ther," was an attempt made to
give variety through tinting. At
times yesterday. shrillness crept
into the loud tones and his
"scooping" attack at the begin
ming of phrases is habit he has
long had.
From among his songs, Aren-
sky's But Lately in Dance I En-
braced Her" Debussy's "Mando-
line" and Hahn's lie Printemps"
were most notable in vocal effects
1.-The Sunrise Call a traditional
song of the Zuni Indians, ar
ranged by Carlos Troyer, was SO
well adapted to Mr.. Melton's
voice and he sang it so excellently
that it proved to be the high
point of the program. The artist
had heard the song from the
tribes chieftain.
Encores sprinkled the program
and were given at the end. Schu-
bert's "Serenade" was among
them and the Ave Maria writ
ten to the music of the Inter
mezzo" from Mascagnis "Caval-
leria Rusticana." Mr.. Melton an
nounced it as the AVE Maria
from the opera but no such num-
Der is in the score. An encore also
was requested from Carroll Hollis
ter. who, besides the fine accom-
paniments he provided for the
singer, playing them all from
memory, gave further evidence OF
his pianistic ability in three finely
presented solos.
Recital by Iren Mark.
One of the most brilliant piano
recitals heard in the National
Gallery of Art was given last
night by Iren Mark. During the
two years she has been absent
from this city, the Hungarian
artist has grown immeasurably IN
all elements of her playing, and
tnterpretively and technically she
showed herself sn unusual pianis-
tic personality.
The great volume she COM
mands so easily never loses the
initial sparkle that is Identified
with her tone. Her strong fingers
are fleet and accurate in passage