The San Francisco call., 1897-01-24
NORDICA CHARMS
IN MUS|C-DRAM
Her Interpretation of Brun-
hiida Arouses Many
"Bravas."
The Baldwin Theater Is Crowded
to the Doors by Music
Lovers.
A Miscellaneous Progr ANNA Precedes
the Wagner Excerpt-The
Ftrew Ii Ten ght.

| So great was the desire to hear the
| Nordica-Scalchi com mbination at the Bald
win Theater yesterday afternoon that
even the fortunate possessors of seats had
almost to fight their way to them, so great
was The crowd of music-lovers, who con-
sidered it no hardship to stand in order 10
hear the singers.
One reason Tor the great rush was. no
doubt, the general desire 10 hear the
| "Awakening of Brunhida," from "Sieg-
fried" which was performed with the as
sistance Of an augmented orchestra.
Reports have come here from time to
time of Nordica's success in Wagner
music-drama, but it would be safe to say
| that even her most ardent San Francisco
admirer was unprepared for her magniti-
cent rendering OF the "Siegfried" music
1.-The Awakening of Brunhilda" closed
| the programme and 1t was we'll 1t did, for
| the audience was so wrought up over the
music and Nordica's s singing that to have
sat still and listened TO a miscellaneous
| programme afterward would have been
| like dropping from the sublime to
! the commonplace. In the Awakening
of Brunhida," the warrior goddess is
| living in the long sleep into which she was
| put by Wotan, when Siegfried approaches
| and wakes her with kiss. Then follows
the duet which makes the finale of 'Sieg-
| fried"
! From the moment of her awakening
until the curtain went down on Brunhilda
| in Siegfrieds 8 arms, Nordica fairly cleo
| trihed her hearers by her singing and
acting.
Barron Berthald. as Siegfried, did not
! stand at all upon Nordica's plane. The
faults in the production of his really fine
| unica m whnn Ia
| singing with the heavy orchestral scoring.
| In iact, he had to do good deal of good
| Wagnerian shouting to make any showing
at all in the duet.
| In the dramatic Interpretation of Sieg-
| fried he was more at home than he was a 8
| Faust, or M4nrico. Isidore Luckstone
| conducted his orchestra very inleliigently
IN the "Slegfried" excerpt and prevented
| it from in any way overpowering the vocal
| score.
| Even in the miscellaneous portion of
| the programme Nordica was in excellent
voice yesterday, as if the idea of her COM
ing Wagner mum Der exhilarated her. She
opened with pretty little song Ecstasy"
by Mrs. Beach, followed by the charming
lullaby that Isidore Luckstone composed
for her.
The composer as we'll as Nine Nor
dica received an ovation fer this song.
The 'Spring Song" by We'll, which con-
cluQeQ ner Custer OI songs, CallSu IOrtn
such an ovation that Nine. Nordica re-
sponded with Sele's "De Basek," and as
that only whetted the taste for more, she
gave When Love is Kind"
Barron Berthald's contribution TO the
miscellaneous part of the programme was
Clay's "Pll Sing Thee Songs of Araby,"
and as an encore, Loves Sorrow"
In the former number he managed the
A more carefully than on Thursday night
and succeeded in producing the effect of
a mixed tone instead of pure falsetto.
If his phrasing had been better he would
really have sung the "Araoy" song very
we'll, but he breathed too often 10 phrase
effectively. His singing of Loves Sor-
row" was marked by a good deal OF
feeling.
Scalchi was out of voice yesterday, par
ticularly in her first song. ''Ah. rende'
me- She seemed 10 recover herself later,
however, and gave fine Interpretation OF
Seebels second aria from Gounod's
Faust" "Quando a te lieta, which is
too often omitted in the opera. A so
nata," by Tosti, followed. and the audi
ence showing thirst for more Scalchi
gave them annie Laurie"
This augmented orchestra opened the
concert with the overture to Tam