The San Francisco call., 1896-02-08
OPERAS OF "YOUNG" ITALY
"Cavalleria Rusticana" and "I
Pagliacci' at the Baldwin
Theater.
Nine. Thea Dorre Gives Brilliant In.
depreciation of Santuzza'
Role.

The multitude of sins in the per-
formances of "Cavalleria Rusticana" and
II Pagliacci" last night at the Baldwin
were covered by Nine. Dorre's Santuzza,
Guille's Canio and, one must add, the
singing of Miss Anna LIGHTER as Media.
Thea Dorre bore the whole burden of
"Cavalleria Rusticana" on her own
slender shoulders. The orchestra did not
keep in tune, the tenor could neither act
nor sing, the choruses got at sea more
than once, and the conductor judging
from the way in which he hurried the
tempos. seemed to have promised to run
the opera through on scheduled time, but
with all these disadvantages to contend
against Nine. Dorre's magnificent inter
pretation of Santuzza saved "Cavalleria
Rusticana," and she alone made the
curtain fall on storm of applause.
A more ideal Santuzza than Dorre's it
would be impossible to imagine. Nature
made her or type of good looks that
artists go to Capri and Sicily to find.
1.-the dark and passionate, with the pro-
tlle OF cameo, she looked the Slcilian girl
to the life, and the effect of her natural
advantages had been enhanced by a make
up which was correct to the smallest de-
tail. The same cannot be said of the rest
of the cast, by the way. Alto was cor
the headdress of the Romano, and Tur-
ridu was neatly, although not appro-
prlately, arrayed in the costume of a
Venitian servingman of the last century.
Dorre's picturesque appearance, how
ever, was one of the least of her good
qualities. She sang SantuZza delightfully."-,
her ringing, penetrating voice filling the
theater without effort and her notes being
clear and true as a bell. Her phrasing was
that OF an artist who has an intense feel
ing of the musical import of what she
sings, and her acting could not have been
more realistic, ifellke and dramatic.
With voice and gesture Dorre threw her
self SO completely into the role of San
tuzza that her personality seemed merged
| into that of the passionate, injured girl
she was portraying.
She held her audience completely under
her spell and applause was literally show
cred upon her, but applause is only an
outcome of the emotions that ON actress
car arouse in the individual members of
| her audience. Although Dorre last night
/ showed her power to arouse plenty of
handclappIng lady seated in the stalls
paid her higher compliment when she
! exclaimed in audible tones as the actress
| fell PROSTATE with cry across the church
steps: ''She sends a thrill through me. 4"
That is just what Dorre did in Sanduzza.
She showed her power so to work upon the
sympathles of her audience as to send a
thrill through them, and the prima donna
who can do that is indeed an artist.
PAYNE Clarke did not sing in the" "Caval-
leria Rusticana," as advertised; his place
was taken by William Stephens. Max
Eugene was good, conscientious Alto
Bella Tomlfns infused a fair amount of
coquetry into the role OF Lola.
Dorre's art in "CaYalleria Rusticana"
last night found counterpart in Guille's
performance of Canio in "I PagIiacci.' u
The tenor is phySically and yOcallv ad-
mirably suited to the role, and he threw
himself into the part with passion and
pathos that carried ali before them. His
singing of 'Ride Pagliaccio," was a great
piece of art. In his clowns dress, clapping
his hands, mocking at the applause the
rustics shower on him, poor Pagliaccio's
cry of 81 laugh, and my heart IS break