Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-23


second the dramatic scene. Ocean, thou
Mighty Monster" from Weber's "Oberon;.
and, third, the glowing. passionate "Liebestod''
scene from WagDer's Tristan und Bolde-
three of the mightiest creations of the three
greatest German opera composers. She took
the house by storm on her first appearance,
and, after half dozen or more enthusiastic re-
calls, was compelled to repeat the Mozart air.
MRS. Lehmann-Kaliseh possesses a soprano
of truly remarkable power, roundness and
beauty of tone. 1t seems to have been strength
ened and enriched by the four years (spent on
the heaviest Wagnerian rolls y since the season
of lSS4-5 when the writer often enjoyed her de-
lightful singing and acting in the lighter
held down in the Royal Opera Of
Berlin. But more remarkable than her voice
are the priceless qualities of head and heart
she brings to her work. Her early career as a
coLorGtur singer and her later experience in
Wagner's declamatory school have produced
in her the most
FEL1CIToUs COMBINATION
of the qualities requisite in the Don Clio
vanni'' number; there was the utmost warm th
in dramatic defamation, Joined to breadth,
poise and dignity Of style that were simply
classical. Similarly, the "Oberon'' and the
Tristan" numbers were each delivered with
lust the appropriate style and mood. The
having heard one of the very greAtest of living
sopranos interpret those three MASTERPIECES in
a single evening.
Mr. Jules Perotti is starred" on the festival
list next after Mrs. Lehmann- Kalisch. He. too,
created furore In the audience last night
with his phenomenal high G. His Is a very ex-
ceptional tenor voice, more nearly rivalling
that of Merzwinski than any other that has
been heard here for a number of years. He
does not, however, approach the Polish tenor
in the artistic finish and refinement of his
singing the lovely romance from
the "Huguenots" was more shouted than sung.
A word Of praise was earned by the artistic
viola playing of Mr.. Bendix In that striking
oblgato which Meyerbeer wrote for the now
nearly obsolete viol damour, one of his favor
ite instruments. In the 'Trovatore" stretta
Poratti was
COMPLETELY AT HOME;
he carried it through with the utmost dash and
abandon, and delivered the ut de poftrine with
electrifying effect. He, too, was compelled to
repeat his selection-which, by the way, is the
proper response, if any, to make to an encore.
The only other soloist with separate piece
displayed in the familiar 'Dio Possente," from
Faust" baritone of considerable volume
and range and of delightful timbre. He sang
in a manly, artistic and impassioned manner
that deserved the hearty applause he won.
Mrs. Herbert-Foers ster Miss Won Doenhoff and
Mr., ,Ricketson ass sumed very creditably the solo
parts in the two chora! works.
These were both by composers personally
3
TIE Deum, as now performed on larger scale,
realizes quite fully the promise of its
former less complete performances. Its choral
effects are massive and dignifed; the voices
are handled in musicianly fashion, though the
intervals and the high range are merciless to
the singers The solo parts seem more effec-
tive in church than in concert, partly, no doubt
because overborne by the orchestra. The in
strumentation contains not few good effects
but will bear some revision yet. Except for
certain pardonable slips in intonation the
chorus
SANG ITS PART EXCELLENTLY.
More snap and vigor would have improved
some passages though. Mr.. Retter conducted
in person and received a most fattering recep-
tion.
Mr.. Horace Wadham Nicholrs short cantata,
"A Cloister Scene" was exceedingly unfortun-
ate. No organ of tn e proper pitch could be
had? and there had been such slight rehearsal
with chorus and orchestra that at the last mo-
ment Mr. Seidl requested Mr.. Retter to con-
duct the work as the chorus had rehearsed
under him beforehand. More depressing still,
in effect, was the extreme lateness of the hour
at which the cantata was begun. The weari-
ness and restlessness of the audience communi-
Gated itself to the stage and the re-
suit was a listless ragged performance
Tv which ths es it Tsud ID be gGOsb bt to d5g
tone that pervades most of the cantata
should have caused its insertion earlier
in the programme; 1t would not
have been a suitable finale in any
event. Through it all, however, many points
of deep musicianship. dramatic construction
and lyric beauty were discoverable-quite
enough to make the totally inadequate per-
tOrmance all the more disappointing to the
many interested in the work of the former
Pittsburg organist and composer. C. WIS.