St. Paul daily globe., 1895-11-28
APPEARANCE OF THE FAMOUS
SONGsTRESs AT THE PEO-
PLE,S CHURCH.
TWO THOUSAND HEAR HER.
HER BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND
MARVELLOUS TECHNIQUE
ASTOUND THEM.
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR.
Nine. ScaIchf and Other Artists
Are Heard-A Fashionable
Audience Present.

Madame Melba, the famed song
stress of two worlds, sang at the
Peoples church last night in the
presence of the most distinguished
audience that has assembled in st.
Paul for a long, long time. 1t was
an audience that represented not
alone the wealth and culture of the
community, but the refined musical
taste and discernment so essential to
the keenest and fullest enjoyment of
the music of the masters. A delight
full programme, interpreted by great
artists before such an assemblage
must afford the supremest enjoy
ment. Those who did not hear this
concert cannot imagine what they
lost.
Worthy Of detailed comment as
each Of the fourteen numbers COM
prising the programme certainly is,
Madame Melba commands all atten-
tion for the present. 1t is a fore
gone conclusion that no greater trib-
ute can be paid to her voice and
her art than she has already received
time and again at the hands of the
people, the musicians and the re-
viewers of the largest cities in the
world. But that is no reason why
we should be content or able to re-
strain the impulse to add to the en-
comiums that have been showered
upon this peerless cantatrice.
To attempt to describe in words
the voice of Melba is about as hope
less an undertaking as it would be
to endeavor to reproduce it in sound.
Words are sufficient to convey the
information that it is a soprano voice
but what a soprano! Words fail
here. Adjectives are futile. To say
that Melba's voice is absolutely pure
in quality, melodious, sweet and al
ways true is but feeble expression
of the virtues of that voice. Its tones
are clear as crystal, brilliant as dia-
mondS. They are rich with the
music they pour forth, eloquent with
the feeling that that music inspires.
So much, and it is indeed very little,
for the voice of this wonderful artist.
If it is impossible to print the sound
of her voice, so that the reader Of
this article may run it through a
phonograph and hear an echo of the
divine Melba, it is not beyond the
power of words to describe her mar
velous technique, her artistic phras-
ing and the phenomenal facility of
her execution. Her trills, unlike those
of many famous artists, are rippleS
of music. Her cadenzaS are airy
flights of musical fancy. Madame
Melba demonstrated her technique
brilliantly in her first selection, which
was the mad scene from Lucia"
At the conclusion of this exquisite
and most eXacting composition, the
songstress was rewarded with a tre-
mendous outburst of applause, which
continued until she responded with
that sweet, familiar ballad believe
Me if All Those Endearing Young
Charms" which, Of course, she sang
in English.
Nine. Melba's other solo numbers
were the aria ~"Ah fors e lui," from
''Traviata," and Arditi's waltz, LIE
Saran Rose" Nine. Melba also par
ticipated in the great quartette from
"Rigoletto," which was the final
number on the programme.
Nine. Melba received admirable as
sistance from Nine. Scalchi, a great
artistic, Mile. Desvignes, Mr.. Cam
panari, baritone, and Mr.. DAubigne,
tenor. The instrumental music was
supplied by fine orchestra of thir-
ty men, under the competent direc-
ton of Landon Ronald. The orches-
ira was stationed on each side of
the platform, and partially hidden
by lofty palms and lilies.
The concert opened with the de-
lightful Tampa" overture, which,
like the civilian Telr' overture,
played later in the evening, was in
terpreted with splendid expression.
Mile. Desvignes followed with an
aria from Saint Saens' Samson
and Delila," after which Mr. Cam
panari, the baritone, sang the pro-
logue of "I Pagliacci" in a master
ly style that earned him an encore
Then Nine. Scalchi, whose sing
ing has delighted worlds of peo-
PIE, dppSdIeu dHu sang NODll
Signor," from "The Huguenots."
She, too, received an enthusiastic
encore.
Mr.. D'Aubigne sang Gounods Aria
from LA Refine de Saba,'' and then
Nine. Melba made her first appearance.
1t should be said in passing that the
great prima donna is also endowed
with a prepossessing presence.
Mr.. Campanari sang the Figaro
from the Barber of Seville" with
splendid spirit. After the Tell over
ture, came Madame Melba's second
number, after which Nine. Scalchi
sang the Aria "Che faro from Glucks
"Orpheus," and Mr.. D'Aubigne sang
LA Donna Motile'' from "Rigoletto."
The final number was the quartet
from "Rigoletto," which was splendid
ly interpreted by Mines. Melba and
Scalchi and Messrs. D'Aubigne and
Campanari.
Those of the audience who saw fit