The San Francisco call., 1896-02-04

away and the coming Goad-Hooker and
Jarboe-Bul weddings may have helped to
thin out the regular frequenters. The
audience contained large number Of we'll
known people in musical and artistic cir
cles and the spontaneous applause which
always greets anything good at the
Baldwin Theater was not lacking.
Tt is difficult to say why aida" was
chosen as the opening opera, for it does
not display the company to such good ad-
vantage as some of the other works In the
repertory. Not that the performance last
night was unsatisfactory on the contrary
it was marked by some brilliant work, but
it was an uneven performance, marked by
too many ups and downs. Aida" also
proved trying to the orchestra, particu-
larly to the horns, and its requirements in
the way of grandiose scenic effects and
costumes were scarcely adequately full
filled.
The overture and the beginning of the
first scene were practically lnaudlble In
the noise of a late-arriving audience.
PAYNE Clark was the RadameS, a nd his
''Celeste Aida won him some applause,
though his rendering of the aria left a
good deal to be desired. Thea D ORE as
Amneris had not much opportunity in
the opening scene to sho W her mettle, and
, what practically saved it was Nine. Tav-
ary's excellent singing in the finale.
All through the opera, in fact, Nine.
TaTary's singing was an artistic pleasure.
Her acting vas neither passionate nor con-
vineing. She elected to use the Italian lam
guage, which she pronounces execrablv and
she adopted makeup as. novel as it was
hideous, but she redeemed everything by
her singing. Her voice was clear, ringing,
generally true-even her hig hest tones
were bell-like, and she sang without effort.
In fact Nine. Tavary proved herself to be
an accomplished vocal artist, and that
covers a multitude of shortcomings-even
a weird makeup.
But who ever heard of an Aida who Sc
"golden hair was hanging down her back"
Nine. Tavarv INDUCED in this adornment
last night, but in Difference to Aidas Afri-
can origin she had com promised for her
blonde locks by painting her face duskv
brick red, and she wore a cafe au lat
colored jersey, which did not produce the
illusion of being epidermis, and which
taken in conjunction with ily-white
hands, produced a decidedly patchwork
effect. But Nine. Tavary sang as an artist
should sing, and that is saving much, very
much for her.
Beautiful Thea Dorre did not indulge in
startling skin effects. Nature made her
brunette, and she only wore an inky wig
and some costumes which would have
been considered ravishing CONNECTIONS in
ancient Egypt. The effect was entirely
so much majesty into the part of Amneris
that she seemed to have grown inches
taller than when she played Carmen" last
year. Her acting of the willy imperious
princess who tries to wrest Radames
from poor Aida was marked by passion
and intensity. There were moments
when she rose to the height of tragedy, as
in the prison scene with the tenor, whom
she positively inspired into distinguishing
himself, feat which he had not
accomplished before during the evening.
Loud and long applause greeted the duet.
All through Aida" however, Dorre
proved herself to De brilliant actress and
singer. She sang in Italian, which she
pronounced in way that won the
"bravos" of the members of the local
Italian colony present.
A. Abrahamhoff, a new basso. dis
tlnguished himself greatly as Ramfis.
He has a fine, well-trained voice and
majestic presence. Max Eugene, another
newcomer, did well as Amonostro.
Both these singers have won distinction
in Europe.
The ensemble work in the triumph
scene was one of the best parts of the per-
formance last night. The choruses all
the orchestra did some good work, though
the brass strayed off the pitch occasion
ally.
Among those in the house were:
Box 1-Mr. Calegaris and party; A. Sbarbaro
ana family.
Box 2-H. Levy and party.
Box 4-James Elder and party.
Boxes and S-H. Barr and party.
j. NJ Tobin, Mira. Bert Wertheimer, Mr.. and
land. Mr.. and Mrs. Bert Stone, Mr.. and Mrs. F.
Won der Mehden, Mr.. and Mrs. f. Jarboe, Mr..