Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-01-17
MR.. LAWN THIS TIME.
His Debut I'm Grand opera n Great Sue
cess---Mrs. LAWN Sang with Him.

His Debut I'm Grand opera Great Sue
cess---Mrs. LAWN Sang with Him.
from the Berlin correspondent of the Musical
Courier
A week ago to-day l was to have run
down to Stettin, where on that eventful
night both the Lawns appeared ''as guests"
in Lucia. II was the occasion of Williams
first appearance on any operate stage, and
| should have liked to be present above all
other things, but fate in the shape of I'M
| avoidable business engagements decreed
otherwise. The sweet voiced tenor pre-
ferred to try it on the Stettin dogs, and in
the company of his angelic and accustomed
partner, Mary Howe, before he would ven
ture upon the boards of the Berlin Royal
opera house, where he is to make his debut
in all probability in January. Well, the
Stettin dogs barked bravo in the most howl
ing manner, and they had the artistic
| couple before the curtain half a dozen
| times after each act, the applause being
strongest in the scene after the duet, the
sextet, Lucia's mad scene, with the high
K, and Edgardo's suicidal monologue of
the last act.
Before l quote what the official critics
had to say on the subject of their guests,
am going to commit an almost inexcusable
piece of indiscretion by letting you know
what Mary wrote to me privately about
William, and what William had to say on
the subject of his wife on the occasion in
question. The tenor says:
"Well, my debut passed off well Mamie
was in magnificent shape and had tremen-
dous success all during the evening, not
alone after the mad scene. After our duet
we were recalled three times, and so it was
all during the evening l was not at all
nervous. Tomorrow night is the Faust
performance and we will probably repeat
it on Sunday. They want us to come
back after New Years and sing Traviata
and The Barber.
"My debut started off in real prima don
ma style, for while | was out singing about
Lucias having left earth and taken the
Schnellzug for heaven some one made
himself a Christmas present of my pocket
book containing about 100 marks. There
is nothing like being born luckym
Here is what Mary Howe thinks of her
husbands operate debut: "Billy is awfully
modest about his debut He sang beauti-
fully, looked well and acted well for the
first time. am sure no one would think
he was singing on the operate stage for
the first time. He was most enthusiastical-
ly received throughout the opera and had
six hearty recalls at the close of his last
aria. He can believe that he had a most
successful debut"
Now let us see how all this compares
with what the critics have to say on the
subject. Says the Neue Stettiner Zeitung:
1.-The audience which gathered at the op-
era last night to hear the American guests,
Mary Howe and William LAWN, will scarce
ly have anticipated the exquisite enioy-
ment which awaited them, and must have
been all the more surprised TO have been
witnesses Of very rare musical event.
After the scale by which we North Ger
mans are wont to measure the art of bel
cdntO it must be acknowledged that Miss
Howe is the most perfect vocalist which
Stettin has heard in the last decade. And
this is saying a good deal if i: be remem-
bered what proud names have appeared on
our concert programs and opera house
bills. The opera was Donizettis Lucia,
which is only put on whenever same celeb
rity wants TO show herself off to the best
advantage in the title part. In the same
role Mile. Prevosti has achieved great sue
cess here; it is unavoidable therefore to
draw parallel between these two artists,
and the result can be gathered in the few
words, that while Prevosti is the greater
actress, Miss Howe is the greater singer.
She possesses the sweet charm of per-
fectly even, silvery, clear voice, with an al
most unlimited altitude; her technical
surety and gracefulness are fascinating;
in purity of intonation she surpasses the
orchestra; no tone refuses to speak, and
even the highest of all are of absolute pu-
rity of Pitch every trill is perfect, the
staccati, the runs. which are like strings of
pearls emanating from her orifce, espe-
cially the chromatic ones, are, even in the
most rapid tempo, of most astounding
beauty, each interval clear and naturally
speaking, just as if it were produced on
some instrument. To all these qualities
is Joined a perfectly steady tone. After
this one can imagine what impression the
different arias, especially the mad scene
made upon the listeners. William LAWNS
voice sounds very pleasing and shows ex-
cellent schooling, strengthened by most
pronounced musical talent. To Judge of
the musical climax reached by this couple
one had only TO listen to the duet of the
first act and in it especially the episode in
which the theme of the second part is re-
peated unisonO. Whoever has not heard
the perfect harmony of these soulful oc-
taves would think such thing impossible.
In the finale of the last act Mr.. LAWN
was equally great as actor and singer, and
he succ' eled in touching deeply the hearts
of all those who were present"
Equally enthusiastic is the judgment of
the Stettiner Abedzeitung, the Ostsee lei
tung, the Pommersche Reichspost, and the
Stettiner Zeitung
Faust was given on Thursday night in
French, and was an equally great success,
the house being crowded and enthusiastic
applause prevailing throughout. The Sun
day night repetition of Lucia, which our
artists sang in Italian, showed a sold out
house, and by telegram l am informed that
there were no less than IS recalls. Oh,
lucky unlucky number!
It's good thing that now, when every
body here is mad at Grover Cleveland and
the United States because stocks have fall
en- off some 40per cent, stock in American
artists is on the daily rising list.