St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-10
SINGER AND ACTRESS, TOO.
SHE PROVES HERSELF A CREDIT
TO A COMPANY MOST BRILL
liant.
WALTER DAMROsCH IN TRIUMPH
Moves One of st. Paurs Most Cult
ured Audiences in Close Accord
With His Light Baton.

pany. This brief chronicle of the event
may signify little to those who did not
attend the performance, but those who
were so fortunate as to hear and wit
ness the exquisite masterpiece of the
worlds supreme musical genius, will
always remember the occasion as one
fraught with the keenest of delight and
purest pleasure. In "Fidelio," which
1 believe was presented here last night
for the first time, the refined audience
beheld a sweet and noble creation, sweet
in the rich and tender sentiment of it's
delicious music, and noble in the grand
eur of it's motive. 1t is ideal, simple,
pure and true. Love is the theme, the
deep and beautiful love of a wife for
her husband, and with this for his in
SEPARATION the immortal Beethoven COM
manded his exalted genius, and yielded
precious gems Of song and harmnoy
The story of "F'idelio" has already
been published in the daily papers, and
for the convenience of the audience the
programmes contained succinct out
line of the plot, thus enabling the audi
tors follow the action of the opera
almost as closely as though it had been
presented in the English language. But
the music-that needed nc explanation.
1t was eloquent, exquisite, rapturous.
This brings us to the consideration of
the interpreters of the masters work
the Damrosch Opera company and the
orchestra of sixty pieces under
the direction of Waiter Damrosch. And
first, of the company.
Without wishing to be invidious, the
truth cCmpelS us to eXalt one member
of the company far above all of her as
sociates who appeared last night. No
operate artist who has visited st. Paul
during recent years ever created so pro-
found an impression here as did Frau
Klafsky last night. Frau Klafsky as
stunned the role of Leonore, the wife of
the imprisoned Florestan, in the dis
guiSe Of young man, calling herself
Fidelio, finally effects the rescue of her
husband. 1t was a marvellous perform
ance that of Frau Klafsky. This ad-
mirable artist is gifted with a grand
soprano voice of intense dramatic quail
ity and notable power 1t is singularly
clear and vibrant in the upper register
and withal sweet and musical. But its
great virtue lies in its imprisoned quail
ity 1t vibrates with the deepest feel
1ngs that move the human heart. 1t is
hardly necessary to add that the singer
has absolute control of her splendid
voice. Moreover, in addition to her su-
perb vocal attainments, Frau Klafsky
is finished and powerful actress She
demonstrated her exceptional histrionic
ability in the dungeon scene, where
Leonore defends her husband from the
knife of his would-be assassin. VocaIly
and dramatically, Frau Klafsky rose to
a conquering height at this point. 1t
was splendid triumph of the union of
two magnificent arts, and, when after
the baf1ed assassin had retired from
the scene, Leonore rushed to her hus-
rf1lSs in, y
JOY, the spectators were Visibly moved
by the sincerity of the acting. The
duet between husband and wife that i'm
medlately follows this situation ex-
presses the very quintessence of alb
sorblng love, SO joyous and tender is the
melody, and SO rich and fanciful the
orchestral accompaniment.
At the conclusion Of the act, Frau
klafsky received on ovation. The chr
tain was raised half a dozen times at
least, all the singers appearing in re-
spouse to the call, but the audience did
not deslst until Frau Klafsky appeared
alone. Then cries Of bravo" bravo"
proceeded from all parts of the house.
and the singer was showered with COR
geous bouquets.
or other members of the cast Herr
barron Berthald, who played Florestan.
the imprisoned nobieman, won the
seSses smooth and resonant tenor of
considerable dramatic power which
ne handles with commendable ease and
judgment. His ablest effort was the
SOLO at the opening of the second act
ana especially that portion of it which
expresses F'lorestans rapture when in
vision he beholds the countenance of
his wife Leonore
Herr Behrens was excellent in the
Of
adding much to the musical feast of
the evening. Fraulein Mattfeld. who
sang the role of Marzelline, the iailer's
daughter, is to be commended for her
sWeet-toned soprano and for her pleas
ing portrayal of the character. Herr
W1lnelm Mertens, who assumed the
role Of the villainous Pizarro. was ham
pier dramatically than vocally. his
tones in the recitative lacking definite
ness and decision.
The chorus contributed most effec
lively to the revelation of the wealth
of music that "F'idelio" is blessed with.
The gem Of the choral numbers is the
famous chorus of prisoners in the first
act as they are released from their
dungeons and taken out into the yard
for air and sunlight 1t was finely in
terpreted.
But the presentation of 'Fidelio'
could not have proved the overwhelm-
ing success that it did. were it not for
the superlative achievement of the or
chestra. Under the direction of Mr.
Damrosch these sixty musicians inter
preted the elaborate orchestral score of
the opera with a precision, a grace, a
delicacy and wealth of musical ex-
preston nothing short of enhancing
Indeed the orchestra alone served forth
musical feast Between the second
and third acts, Conductor Damrosch
and his orchestra interpreted Beeth-
ovens beautiful L4eOnore overture No. g.
It has been said that it was q refined
audience that assembled at the Metro
politan opera house last night. That is
eminently true and it might with equal
truth be added that it was likewise a
well-dressed audience brilliantly at
tired 1t was noticeable that the ladies
affected fancy waists, many of them
of exceedingly bright and pretty pat
terms. F. G. H
Among those in the audience were ex-Gov.
and Mrs. William R. Merriam. Mr.. and Mrs.
L. w. Rundlett. Mr.. and Mrs Crawford
Livingston, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C. Sawyer
Mr.. and Mrs. Herman Scheffer, Mr.. and Mrs.
Arnold Kalman. Mr.. and Mrs. Paul H. Got
zian, Mr.. and Mrs. Frank shenard, Mr. and
Mrs. John NJ Jackson, Mr.. and Mrs. Reuben
Warner. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Seymour, Mr..
and Mrs. Albert B. ovitt, Mr.: and Mrs.
lUOlHdS Diy tHc ocOit, MI anu MIS-. IL. FOR
ter Fraker. Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Wheelock, Mr..
and Mrs. Robert Rantoul. Mr.. and Mrs Rob-
ert Manufacturer. Mr.. and Mrs: Jacob Mann
heimer Mr.. and Mrs. Ben Goodkind Mr. and
Mrs Theodore L. Schumacher, Mr. and Mrs.
Cass Gilbert Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Dris-
coll, Mr.. and Mrs Kenneth Clark, Mr.. and
Mrs G. A. Severance. Mr.. and Mrs. Edward
Rogers Mr.. and Mrs. F. L. Shepley Mr. and
Mrs. Albert Scheffer. Judge and Mrs. Gerhard
Willrich. Cen and Mrs. Brooke Mr.. and Mrs.
J. E. Mcwillams, Judge and Mrs. j. W.
Lusk, Mr.. and Mrs. II. T. Drake. Mr.. and
N.Ic+a Iynr L. I