The following is an article written by Henning Viljoen, and taken from Scenaria magazine (November 1987)
ROSE ALPER, soprano
Rose Alper, also known as Mrs Lionel Magid, is a South African lyrical soprano who celebrates her 85th birthday this month (Nov-87). As a singer she had an illustrious career in England as principal soloist of the Carl Rosa Company, but her international singing career was cut short through the outbreak of the Second World War, when she returned to her family in South Africa. During the 1940s, local audiences had the pleasure of hearing as Violetta, Gilda, Antonia and Marguerite in operas produced by John Connell in collaboration with African Consolidated Theatres and the National Opera Company.
Rose Alper was born on 9 November 1902 in Cape Town. She grew up in Pretoria where she received her first singing lessons from Madame Ball. After moving to Durban, Rogan Caney became her vocal coach. When she decided to further her studies in England in 1920, Caney gave her a letter of introduction to audition for Professor Frederic King to enrol at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She considers herself to be very fortunate to have won the Campbell-Clarke Scholarship, because at that stage she did not have the same musical background as the other contestants. Despite the fact that she could not even sight-read, she got the scholarship that enabled her to study at the Academy for four years.
Her first major role at the Royal Academy was Pamina (together with fellow South African Bruce Anderson, who sang the role of Sarastro). After hearing her Pamina, Sir Nigel Playfair of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, invited her to understudy the part of Clarissa in Lionel and Clarissa.
On completion of her studies at the Royal Academy, she returned home to do a tour for African Theatres. This homecoming, intended as a holiday, led to a stay of several years during which time she married Lionel Magid.
In 1937 she was invited back to London to become a member of the Carl Rosa Opera Company, making her official debut as Olympia and Antonia in The Tales of Hoffmann, at the People’s Palace in the East End of London. This, however, was preceded by her unofficial debut, when she had to take over the role of Violetta in one performance of La Traviata, for an indisposed Luella Paiken. Of the fourteen different roles she has sung at the Carl Rosa Opera, Miss Alper considers her Violetta, Gilda and Marguerite to be her most successful portrayals.
Of her performance of Violetta, the London Music Correspondent for the Cape Times (1937) wrote: “We have never heard a good Violetta in London since Rosa Ponselle, and Miss Alper is, I think, the artist to restore this charming and vivid work to the repertoire… With the exception of a performance by Helen Jepson of the Metropolitan Opera, I have never seen a Violetta to compare with Miss Alper. She has beauty, she moves well, and her singing is always that of a real artist.”
After portrayals of Adele and Violetta the Bournemouth Echo (1938) wrote: “Carl Rosa’s new soprano Rose Alper brought such lively characterisation and vocal adaptability to the part of Adele that it was not easy to believe that on the previous evening she had been an impressive Violetta in Traviata.”
Her debut as Gilda was hailed by the Birmingham Post (1938) as follows: “Rose Alper certainly has a gift above the average, and if one adds that she looked the ideal Gilda, enough has been said to indicate that she did very well indeed to go on with her career.”
Of her portrayal of Marguerite, the Pretoria News (1945) wrote: “Rose Alper, as Marguerite, acted and sang with charm and sincerity. In some scenes she was outstanding.”
Die Burger (1945) commented in a similar vein: “Rose Alper was die glanspunt. Sy was beter as ooit tevore. Nie net haar sang nie, maar ook haar spel was skitterend.” [“Rose Alper was the highlight. She was better than ever before. Not only her singing, but her acting was brilliant.”]
Cornet di Falsetto wrote in Trek (1948): “I can single out Rose Alper as fully satisfying. She understands perfectly how to make good use of her well trained voice, combining sure intonation with thorough musicality and acting as Marguerite in Faust.”
In 1964 she made two guest appearances as Antonia in NAPAC’s [Natal Performing Arts Council] production of The Tales of Hoffmann, which also marked her farewell from the stage. Apart from opera, she also did many concert tours and broadcast programmes. She was the first person to sing Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs in South Africa.
After retiring from stage, Rose Alper took an active role in furthering the interest of opera, especially in Durban. She has been a member of the Opera Committee of NAPAC since its inception in 1962 and a life patron of NAPAC Opera. She is also on the award winning committee of the Nederburg Opera Prize Awards and granted the Rose Alper Award for the most promising young singer at NAPAC. Previous winners of this award were Margie Jones, Garth Greerson, Linda Bukhosini, and John van der Ross.
