The San Francisco call., 1897-11-04
BETTER ITALIAN OPERA
The Company at the California
Theater Improved Last
Night.
Two New Singers and Some Others
Do Oreditable Work in the
Masked Ball.

Last nitht al the California Tneater
there was less audience and less wild ap-
plause than the night previous; also there
was an imm easurably better performance
on the Stage. Ii the Italian company
can MAINTAIN the pace OF last night 5
Masked Balp' there is no reason why, in
time, we shoula not forgive and forget the
"GI oconda" fiasco. There was not much
in the singing OF The Masked Ball" to re-
callit. Cioni, who is SAID to be the crack
barytone of the company, was again ILL.,,
and Francesconi again essayeo his part.
There is on~iderable good singing
10 be induced from the right man by the
music Of Rneinhart, to say nothing OF the
snares for live acting that beset this
strong character of the betrayed husband {;
but l fear Francesconi is not the right
man. His voice, which sounds as If 1t
N il ht have been a decent one before he
acquired the art of trem oloing several keys
al one time, is now beyond his control,
and his acting, l should say, has yet to
make its first appearance on any stage.
He lost us one of the big roles OF the
opera.
Then there was the trio in the first act,
sung b Amelia, Ulricha and Richard; !;
this slipped the KEY several times and
finally went al TO pieces Beyond this
the family resent blance between the sec
ond and first nights of the season was not
strong. Beatrice Franco, who enac ed the
woefuI cOntralto mother in Gioconda,"
was much easier and surer in the part OF
the fortune-teller, and a new singer, Nj lie.
G. Vic n. was not bumptious aboutlt even
if she was somewhat Inadequate to the
songful music of the page.
The real surprises OF tn night, how
\
~oprano and Collenz, the tenor. Vallini
and his orchestra would also have been
amazing Ii we had not found ouf the.r
Qualliy Tuesday night spite OF the cast
As it was, they con tirmed the first YER
dict, and 10 say that Nallini is the Kohl
moor of the company is not necessarily a
reflection on the singers even though a
score of Montanais. CollenZes and Ag-
nostinis are concealed III their ranks.
Montanari and Collenz are to be praised !;
even better than that-they are worth
moment of serious criticism.
The part of Amelia, especially in the
second act, Is not one OF sweet soprano in
dolence. 1t asks industry, fervor,
grit and absolute vocal security.
The aria that Amelia sings as she
walks the execution ground which
for political reasons Verdi's lIbrettist was
compelled 10 locate in the suburbs OF colo
Mai Bos on, Mass, in search OF the magic
herb that VIII cure he OF her illicit pas
sion for r chard the Governor, require
the best points of the Italian school of
singing. 1t clamors for theatrical decla-
nation, perfect cam able and many OF the
nuances of expression and facility that
lie between.
And while there were times when Mon
tanari's tone waveTe1 slightly and COM
ueiled one to think of the mechanical
functions of singing, yet for the most part
she played and sang 50 al 10 bring out the
happiest values Of the song And in the
big due. With Ricnard. which follows, she
wa-mei rotenly and realized the sig
nificanoe of the scene.
Collenz's Richard was less dramatic vo-
cally, but it was stirrngly acted. Col
lenz's voice is full of good notes. His
fortissimo upper tones are Legitimate and
sympalhetic, and he is very iaciIe in
bringing out the flashes of humor that
illuminate the musical character of Rich
ard. His mezzo voce is not always beauti-
ful and definite, but taken alt gether he
is 10 be prize l..
Taking the performance altogether, 1t
WAS gratifying enough for US to anticipate
with lighter hearts the fonr weeks to
come sAToN STEVENS.