The record-union., 1897-06-09
ADJUSTMENTS.

|
| Opera-house by the WILDER Comic
| Opera Company, and if anything better
| than on the first night-that is, there
was more of freedom in the graceful
movement of the melodies committed
to the chorus. 1t is tuneful opera,
full of gems, and it is sung charming
| ly, While it is staged with beauty
and effectiveness that is very pleasing
/ to good taste and very attrac-
tive to the eye The same opera
again this evening. It deserves
| full houses the remainder of
the week. 1t is very. discouraging to
the artists to have their work presented
before thinly settled seats and it is far
more for the management.
The long expected McNeill Club con-
cert was we'll attended at the Congre-
gational Church last evening. The spa
cious auditorium was very nearly filled.
! hundred more people would have
/ left no vacant seats. The programme
! was carried out as announced in the
! Record Union" yesterday, and the
| promise of which we then spoke was
| wholly realized for the club sang al
most faultleSsly, and with an informing
intelligence that gave to its work life,
spirit and that character which is COW
cred by the word effectiveness" More
than that no Interpretation of music
writing can accomplish. Perhaps the
| best work of the club, since all cannot
| be commented upon, was the encore re-
! Spouse to the fifth number. 1t was
/ the splendid song, Unfold, Ye Portals
! Everlasting. 1t was sung without
notes, and with a freedom swing and
/ feeling that lifted it up and set it
apart as something loftily grand in the
! estimation OF the singers, and the same
| effect was produced upon the minds of
the audience. Yet it was far less diff
cult than that complex composition,
| The Nun of NidaroS," which was Civ
en- splendidly, and in which Mr.. Long
bottom carried an incidental tenor solo
| With notable success. Mr.. Owens ten
or solo, The Message" was elaborate
and difficult, well given and depending
quite as much upon the feeling the
singer was able to throw into it, and
| the dramatic spirit with which it is
| necessary to invest it. as upon the
beautiful score itself. Mr.. Carroll's Il
| Dare to Love Thee" was a high
credit to a young and favored singer of
| full, strong sweet tones, now second
| tenor, but rapidly, we should say, be-
coming first. One of the gems Of the
| evening, especially pleasing and sat
! isfying, was the duet by Mr.. Phinney,
basso and Mr.. Genshlea, baritone. We
do not recall an amateur duo by vocal
| lists IN this city that has been given
more smoothly or with nicer Judgment
| That the audience demanded its repe-
| titlon testified to their estimation of
| the merit of the performance Mr.
Crocker's recitation and aria from the
Messiah" was a bass solo of special
| excellence, given with marked vigor
and distinguished by feeling CORE
! Spondent with the loftily devotional
character of the work For an encore
Mr.. Croker sang Dream On Mr.
| owens responded to a recall with the
plaintive but triumphant mo, IT'S Not
True" and Mr.. Carroll's response was
a vigorous vocal dash, full of spirit and
feeling. The star of the evening was
the mezzo-soprano Mrs. Celia Adler
keesing of San Francisco. She sang
first "Elsa's Dream from "Lahengrin,"
giving for the encore oh Happy
| Day., and in the second part "Dost
| Thou Know That Sweet Land?" from
| 'Mignon' responding with a love song
| to the encore. She is a singer of
strength, sweetness, breadth of register
and great steadiness and volume
or tone. 1t is easy to under
stand why the lady, blessed by
such a voice and fine presence,
should return to the operate stage, as
it is understood is her intention She
possesses a naturally dramatic nature,
we should say, and it is backed by a
full rich mezzo soprano, and finished
style which would seem to promise I'M
qualified success upon the operate
| boards. She has accuracy in her
method, power and reserve qualifica-
tons OF the first order. Great interest
| was felt as the number was due that
| introduced Miss Helen Howe to her.
first audience. Miss Howe is a Sac
ramentan, whose natural endoWments
have had as yet but limited opportuni-
ties for development When she shall
! be so fortunate as to be able to go to
the limit of her powers under high in
struction, we prophesy that she will
shine very brightly as musical star
! Whoever her present instructor, how
| ever, has done a great deal for her.
and with an intelligence concerning the
capabilities of her voice, that is high
ly creditable. If Miss Howe has the
physical strength to follow the course
her voice fits her for, we are perfectly
confident that she will become a sing
er OF prominence and reflect great cred
it upon the city of her birth. We con-
feSs to much surprise al her voice and
her method. The first is a strong,
rich. high soprano of broad range, and
equally clear and resonant in either
register. While it is a full sweet voice,
yet there is a delicacy about it, that,
charming as it is, suggests the posi-
bility of lack of physical strength for
hard work with the vocal organs Hers
was a notable debut, certainly The
tremolo in her tones was clearly due to
stage nervousness-we cannot say
fright since she showed self-possess-
ion; for instance, at one point
deliberately pausng and moving
to the accompanist and asking for a
certain note to be repeated to fortify
her attack. Miss Howe has attractive
presence, a voice of beauty, sweetness
and fiexibility, but still marked by the
| evidences that accompany developing
singers. Her method is a credit to her
instructor and to her own good taste.
She is wholly free from mannerisms
and affectation. Simple, earnest, be-
lieving in her voice, feeling what she
GOLD EDE'H