El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-12-07
THE SCALCHI CONCERT.
One of the Best Vocal Entertainments
Ever Given in This City.

One of the Best Vocal Entertainments
Ever Given in This City.
Nine. Scalchi's Opera and Concert
company were welcomed last night by
a very fair house, and only the altitude
of the price of admission prevented
the singers from being welcomed by "a
sea of faces" But it was q good au-
dienc", an appreciative audience, peo-
pie who knew what fine music meant,
and the singers could see that this was
the case.
The program was carried out exactly
as advertised. and with two encores,
the first part being given to concert,
the second part to the second act OF
Martha, and with the third act OF
Gouuod's Faust as the third and con-
GLIDING part. 1t may be using fray
ed, thresdworn, thread bare express
sion to say it Was rich mu-lcal
treat. But this is one OF those Occas-
sions when such q descrip-
ed conscience, and the critic
does not have to soft soap his better
Judgment in order.to invoke it. NM
Scalchi has a fine aggregation of are
tistic talent, SO that she is worshily sup
ported. AS for herself, she is SO well
known wherever opera or concert are
known or even heard of, that but +
tic in the may OF detailed
criticism is called for: The
writer be ard her in the Salt Lake
theatre six years ago, and her vel
seems hardly changed from what it
was then. Madame's voice is a heavy,
rich contra}to ting ed with that mt low
sonorOusness suggestive at once OF
cello. Her comm.n1 of the
forature work 30 characteristic OF the
Italian school. and which only an
artist can give without butchery,
seems almost as perfect as it WAS years
the evening, the finished
artist was manifest. In her concert
numb-r, Mme Scalchi was clad in
simple but rich garnet satin, low neck
and short sleeve. with mass of black
lace draped from the top of the bodice.
That lace was q regular Klondike, for
1t sustained the weight Of at least
$4,000 worth of diamonds $ nd precious
stones that glittered aud CLEANED in
the gas light with sparkling brilliancy.
Her dress in the Faust act was rich and
N ade up with excellent teste in her
role of Siebel Nine. Scalchi evi-
IDENTIFY know how to take care OF her
health, for all through the years that
she has been on the stage, she has held
her own wonderfully we'll
Madame's principal support the
sopranoi is Mile. Toulinguet, a French
vocalist of excellent lyric voice, sweet
and mellow, which gave evidence of
intelligent culture, and of which she
has in perfect command. The highest
notes were taken with apparent ease
and we'll defined clearness. However.
her style of make ups might be proved
upon. Her martha" costume savored
too much of the Grisetts to be pleasing.
1t WAS anything but poetic or romantic,
and her acting did not have that grace
ful!ness of abandon and easy CON-
posture that marked Madame Scalchi.
In the Faust part s Marguerite the
gentle, lovely, triangular artlessness
of the unsophistica.ed ma den was APP
proximated a. al only in the j-wel
scene, and even then it was not over
and above board satisfactory. But
won her concert encore. The remain
ing lady, Mile. Du Bedat, slso a French
vocalist, has pleasing vel trained
voice ard has seen considerable OF the
concert stage; but that is about all that
can be said. She appeared handsomely
gowped; but candOr cOmpels the writer,
much against his will, to calmly.
dispassionately advise that milady
wear high, yes, very high necked
plump shoulder reader? Well, for OBJ
vious reasons. Mademoiselle wore
high necked attired as Marta in Faust,
and it was an improvement. and she
did well. The male contingent was
very good, albeit cold prevent the
tenor, Thomas Mcqueen from covering
up his transition from chest to fa1setro
tones by.that presses which PAT" Haze
on the Boston Journal would call skill
full soldering. Mr.. Mcqueen sang
both lyric and dramatic last night. He
was uneven at times, as though feeling
his way in the dark a long stone fence
which could have been easily due to
his cold. But it can bs truthfully said
Mr.. Mcqueen is fine tenor, aud
wbi his acting was rot always as
vivacious as might have been hoped
easily ccndoned all histrionic defects.
His costumes were elegant and in ex-
cellent taste. Mr. Mcqueen deserve
a great big bouquet for one thing. He
sails under his own patronymic, and
not under some pachydermous foreign
cognomeu that gives one the bronchitis
to pronounce. He is just plain Mac
and is not ashamed of it. Bully for
you pard-''put it there!' The bari |
tone, Signor Alberti, is an Italian with
a voice not to be ashamed of. He sang
finely, noticeably the Carmen number, |
aud he also acted we'll, and with the |
tenor sang the male duo in the Martha |
act in a way that was glorious. The |
ensemble work was very fine. The |
good night scene in Martha and the |
luartette in Faust were gems. acd ope
could not help but wish to hear the
great Rigolette quartette from four
such singers.
There were other good and bad points
hat might be dwelt upon, but space
orbids. Suffice it to cay, the audience
cit repaid for their attending that
oncert. The singing was in French,
Spanish and Italian.