The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-01-27
.rrMsER AND TECHNIQUE"
High sOldl Art Criticism on the Pash
Troupe-A San Francisco Critic VINO
Wanted Ten Per Cent. Soul.

wanted Ten Per Cent. Soul.
The critic OF the San Francisco Post thus
writes OF recent performance OF the Patti
troupe in that city: On arriving at the
Grand Opera-House the other evening, we
were panied and surprised at being refused
n private box, and handed some back seats
i'm the gallery instead. This circumstance
at once shook our faith in the success OF
the ENTERPRISE. How in the world Signor
Chizzola expected TO score success With
out reserving all the best seats for the dead
heads Is, indeed. remarkable. Things are
coming TO a pretty pass, truly. III was
with sad forebodings, therefore. tDat
we took our seats behind two Jewesses
in crimson silk and wearing schooner
rugged Duchess OF Devonsbire bats, and
next 10 an Italian who cracked peanuts all
the evening without Offering us one. Mr..
Toedt led off with a stunning hit TO first
we mean be sang in good style Romanza
BY the late DIR. List, whom we gathered
from the reverse OF the programme to be an
employe OF the Chickering Piano Factory,
or something OF that sort. Mr.. TOedt IS a
Young very young-man, and II he taxes
the advice OF one who has practiced every
Tuesday night with the Alameda Glee Club
for two years he will get over bis bad habit
OF shutting one eve while he shakes ont his
low notes from the lungs. IL looks like he
was taking aim at the gallery, and
creates much nervousness in that Sec
ton. Besides this, he slants his r0u-
ladies' q little nor'west, which gives a
throatv quality 10 his voice and which
this painstaking arts; will be the first to re-
gret when his salary is lowered. Mr.. kei-
ten followed with a Nocturne Espagnole.
Mr.. Ketten comes TO Us much lauded on acc
count If his fLeer.ring, which we cannot
understand. Ii is a small, oh.color cluster,
and can hardly he seen from the back seats.
He hammers bis tunes out with much yig0r.
but has an unpleasant way Of sitting about
two yards from bis piano. rs though afraid
IL would claw back when be treads OH It's
tail. He has also queer habit Of drifting
up 10 windward and betting the living
dayligbts out Of the loud end OF the IN
strument. His school has been much praised,
but we should think Mr. Ketten could make
more money playing dance-music for the
"Jolly-Ten Soeiable," the HeliOtrope
Club" ETC., than by teaching school. BY
collecting bis coin before the dancing be-
gan he could be sure OF So most every
night, besides supper. We will speak to
the society-man OF the CAL about il in The
morning. lie should learn TO play more
gently. His hands are said 10 resemble
those OF the catcher OF the Red.Stock-
ing nine from the vindictive manner in
which he wbacks the keys; and the fact
that the damage done TO the piano used Is
taken out OF his salary after each perform
ance probably accounts for his alternate d
appearance. Sisnor Ciampi-Cellai Is gen
teman " no took advantage Of having Two
parents to appropriate both their names
Sjgnor &. E.. is a baritone, with an en-
preston indicative Of an unsuccessful
wrestle with one OF our regular hotel pa
tent rubber sirlOins. There is lots OF wood
1.-THE French call il timbre) in the Signor's
voice, but TIN. effect OF his singing is pfacti
cally destroyed by the singular hungrness
Of his appearance. lie resembles >tarya-
ton set TO music, as it were, and the
simple minded countryman who SHE'D
him meal ticket from the gallery
last evening should not have been
fired out Most any kind-hearted person
would have done it. Mr. dc Munckey-or
Mr.. Patti. as he is best knOwn-did some
good saving on the big fiddle for so small
man. His phrasing is much TOO broad,
except in stsccato passages. where it mar
rows somewhat and becomes sharp at both
ends. IL IL were not for Mr.. PATHS unior-
tunate bibulary weakness, which cOmpel>
him 10 stand on cracker-bOX, 20 as to be
out of The reach OF the rats and things
while playing. he would have bright fn-
ture, aud coin money most on any ferry boat.
In il tins tagging around on ail.night moon
light sercnades that is just playing the
deuce with most of our best iidders, and
that's fact. or CarlOtta Patti herself We
regret we can say very little in praise. Her
first number, symphony in B-gorra. by
dear old Jim Beethoven, was gwen With
much apparent nervousness. In facl, this
well.kBown soprano I'VE think she is Il so.
prano) seemed To realize that she stood in
the pre,ence Of one OF those cultured and
critical san Francisco audiences we read
about, many Of whom had walked in fr0m
Hayes valley and Lagupa street purpose
The result was that her knees Knocked to-
gether with such force AZ TO throw the ac-
commandment, cut several times. Her voice
has several paramount faults, and We
will endeavOr TO reader our mean
ing clear 10 our uDpr0fcssi0Dat read
ers by using as few musical phrases
as possible. In the FIRST place. her technique
is bad, besides being too small. When a
brana-new technique can now be had for 50,
and a good second. hand one, holding over
two quarts, for 81 IS, there is no excuse for
this. OF course we all knOW-ali We
critics-that there are no tears in Mrs. de
Munckey's voice, which Is the zeal reason
for her having TO wet her whistle so early
and often. There Is marked deficiency in
breadth and depth and thickness in her
upper register, which does not admit the
air freely in consequence, and far OF
nearness, a sort OF inanimate after-taste,
so to speak. in the diminuendo OF her
flats, particularly her French flats. Her
singular mannerism Of holding her chin
lopsided during her ups is 10 bad form,
and the drst thing she knows one OF her
sharps will come out edgeways and cut her
throat. Then she opens her mouth too much
and too often when she sings, which makes
her chest notes mouthy and her mouth
notes chesty. II would be much better, TO
say nothing OF more artistic, II she were 20
open only one side OF her mouth at time.
This would save wear and tear Of her teeth,
and at the same time give the other corner
time TO rest and brace up. She exerts herself
too much In her trlls, and II would save both
breath and expense IL she had them here
after done behind the scenes by boy with
q dog whistle or something. Her method Is
admittedly good--we refer TO her method IN
refusing an exclusively usher enc0re--but
probably after oil her chief lack ls soul. We
regret TO say IL, and thereby cut down her
wages one half; but Carioita does not sing
from the heart, nor the liver either, but
altogether from the lighs-ihe footllghts.
THIS il sad, and g. T.. I've mean the singer,
not the X. R.) bad better take something
for Il vt once. On o two-dollar ticket we
ought to get at least 10 per cent. soul.
N ~s-fot~.o n tsiarlV CtpsIl nno Far