The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-27

for Ian pneueer, WnlCn IL by lar tno
most ambitious attempt the Tavary
company has made, and the one In
which they are the lesat successful.
One or two of the male okoruEss, nota-
bly the septette in the fret act, q solo by
Elizabeth, in which she iptercedes for
Tannhauser, the chorus that follows.
snd the song of the Evening Star. mag
nifcently sung by Mr.. Msrtsna as
Wolfranx, 10 sill that rsdeems 1t from
being hopsleasly bad. Most Of the en-
psmble music. on which 30 much de-
ponds in Wagner. Was ragged; and
even the orchestra, harpless and with
drummer that beat with fervor Of that
official in tho Salvation Army,
was mot up to its usual de.
gree of excellence. The strings did
good work all through, but the wood
wind was uneven and the Venus motif.
On which the whole action hsngs, was
not clearly brought until the very end OF
the last eet. Venus herself, clad in
pink Chinese silk. wac adorable, OF
course. but Wsgnet's Venus motif Is
much more Irresistible, and Tannhaueer
would find pardon in many breasts for
yielding to it's magnetic fasninatlons.
As il was rendered last night, however,
there were escetica that fole that he
might have resisted before he did.
EIizsbeth was not all she might be
made to be, in Marie Tavary'a hands,
either histrionioally or muHieslly. Mime.
Tavary's Italian method is much better
adapted to Italian music.
william Msrtens was the strongest
redeeming feature. The quality OF his
voice and his uss of 1t are better adapted
TO Wagner than any Of the others in the
company, and he sang in 9ermsn. which
ia what German music 10 written for;
inst az italian musio is written for that
language, and when it 10 transmitted in
eny other the music must suffer, OF
course, for the articulation, phrasing,
the whole method must be changed to
fit the words and vowel sounds.
Mr.. Hamilton, as the Landgrave, had
one good solo which won him a warm
recall, and the popular march was the
best mixed chorus OF the evening.
The setting of the forest scene was
good and q most harmonious back
gtound for the pilgrims chorus. and the
costumes we're generally rather better
than in some of the other productions.
The distribution for Tannhauser was {!
Heinrich GeTs
Wfs9G yon der sch MSaeg
Herman Landgrave; ....".william \. Hamilton
Heinrich der ETed h9 q pTI
Versf uet n"...Ni Nina Bertini Humphrys
Ashepherd Soma ma K %a ma
Mobiles, Knights, Pages, Hunters, Pilgrims, Etc
~.
It may be cruel to say IL. but it is
truth, and truth Ia oftener wounding
than healing, that professional women
live too long. The actress or the opera
singer who has lost her youth, beyond
the power OF her makeup box to re-
trieve, ia simply saddening and her con-
tinued success ia apt to be the result of
o pity which may be skin to love, but
which is never any relation to sdmira-
ton.
There are some anatomical features
about elderly female actresses or singers
which the greatest dramatic or vocal
ability cannot overcome, and these are
the tendency they display to develop
mstronly attributes very much-too
much in evidence. Now Camille or o
Leonora who. it ia evident, may have
half dozen grandchildren, and whose
walk suspioiously approaches waddle,
ought to be at home knitting stockings
and making way for younger artists in
stead of turning the thoughts of the
spectators to ideas of q diet in which
welsh rarebits, bottle of porter and
teddy ON going to bed are suggested.
But perhaps there are no young artists.
The way the Janaushecks, the Clara
Morrises, the Fanny Davenporte,
the Lillian Russells and the JAR
beaus are perennially seen in big type
on the three-sheeters indicates that there
may be dearth Of professional buds,
and the full-blown rather dropping BIOS
Boms have to stay on or the theaters
would close.
Nine. Tavary ia certainly superbly
trained singer, but her voice has the
cold sexless tone which always charac-
terizes the notes of elderly singers, and
her figure ia not adapted to the pictur-
ing of the damssls who in grand opera,
love, but like Juliet find death their
bridegroom. What the musical expert
calls her attacks, are superb and her
horiture is we'll sustained and dexter.
ously performed. Her acting is slso
most commendable and full of the fire
and expression that are somewhat lacks
ing in her tones.
But on the whole the opera season has
been most enjoyable. The society peo-
pie were out in force nearly every night,
and those who 20 to operas for musc's
sake found much to commend and were
not hypercritical about the short
comings.
Both classes agreed that Miss Theo
Dorre was charming, particularly her
Carmen, and that her art as an actress
was equal to her quality "a singer.
Senior Guile carried off the honors
among the men OF the company. His
superbly schooled voice, his self posses-
sion and his vigorous acting won him
the pronounced favor of hia auditors at
DECO.
.*x
From the sublimity of art to the alb
surdity OF simple amusement ia the
step theater goers will take this week.
After Leonora comes Lottie; after Dew
ilshoof the Devilbird comee flying along.
Lottie is all right, though, and will be
warmly welcomed.
wv
Mr.. Paul Potter has dramatizsd Tril"
by for Manager A. NJ. Palmer, but even
that aetute producer has not been able
10 find an actress to- play the title role.
Yes the world is full OF Trilbys, and