St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-05-14
Mary Howe LAWN in Europe.

Mrs. Mary Howe LAWN and her
brother, Lucien Howe, OF Brattle-
boro. arrived home May LIST, having
spent the past fall and winter
months in Germany where she has
filled engagements in Dresden, Lelp'
zig and Berlin and in many other
leading cities, either in concert sing
ing or in opera.
Mary Howe, as she IS known
abroad, has won added fame by her
ability as an actress as well as
singer of exceptional artistic merit,
In the cities of Stettin, Danzlg, Augs-
berg, Essen, Freiburg and lner
where she appeared in the operas OF
Lucia" "Traviata," Faust"
"Rigoetto" and Barber of Seville"
the applause and admiration OF the
audience has been enthusiastic, and
the press have heartily praised her
accomplishments as a singer and
star actress of no small magnitude.
In Germany every city OF consider
able size has its own theatre or
opera house, which is owned by the
city and for which a stock company
is engaged to give performances
throughout the season. Everybody
goes to the opera or the play as
matter of course, and Sunday night
is the great" night of the week. At
intervals during the season, as the
means at command permit, special
attractions are offered, and singers
OF celebrity are engaged to sing in
leading operate roles. These singers
are known as guests" a term CORE
spending to our American use OF the
word star" in this connection. The
engagement of the guest is some
times for one or two nights only, and
sometimes for several nights. 1t was
as a guest" therefore, that Mrs.
LAWN has sung, supported by the
regular companies in these German
cities.
From the many aattcring yet
truthful press notices in the German
papers we quote the following:
Miss Mary Howe offered as Lucia" a
performance technically so smooth and
well rounded, so true and subtle that
the great natural perfection and charm
of her voice were apparent equally witt
the will power and industry required fol
such artistic cultivation. A fresh anC
tender righteousness in all registers, ;
range so phenomenal in its extent tina
the singer is able to sustain the high {
with beautiful tone quality, and al
unerring facility in colorature, legat'
and staccato combine to effect the mos
fascinating impression upon the listener
- Danzig Zeitung
In the engagement of Miss Mary How
the theatre management offer us an arti,
tic treat quite out OF the ordinary. Mis-
Howe is in truth an artist by the grac
OF God. Such bewildering hexibilit,
purity and correctness, in combinatio
with such beautiful tone and compass
voice as possessed by Miss Howe ma
well be pronounced unique. The sing,
begin her engagement as Lucia,
part well chosen to display all the qua
ties above mentioned in the most (avo
able light. The entire audience WI
brought to a state of almost devotion
attention such as only lofty manifest
ton fart can compel at any time, al
extremely rare with a gathering n
exclusively of genuine music lovers,
Augsburg Neue Zeitung.
In theatrical circles one is very reserv
and skeptical in regard to foreign taller
even when preceded by so good a reput
ton as that of the American sopran
Miss Mary Howe, who filed her fir
engagement here last evening 1t was
youthful and interesting figure tn
appeared in the character OF Lucia
Miss Howe had no easy task to sing /
way into the sympathies Of the Ess
public. How quickly the SITUATE
changed. Ever more powerful grew t
impression until the gifted American w
so stormy and complete a triumph in I
solo scene of the third act as seldom
never has been witnessed in this c
What an iuexhaustible scale Of expr
sion in most subtle gradations Of t.
and technc, technic in the best sense
the word, as only truly great arti
possess, and which forms the perl