The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-21
A Brilliant Audience Attends the In
augurasiOn of a Successful
Music Season.
SOLOISTS WARMLY RECEIVED
NINE. sAPIO, MISS WALKER, WILL
LIAMS AND FFRANGCON-DAVIEs
Chorus Makes u Remarkable Hit-The
Beautiful SWAN and SkyIark"-
Wagner Programme Tonight.

The ninth Indianapolis May Music Fes-
tival opened at Tomlinson Hall last night
with as brilliant an audience as has ever
gathered on one of these annual occasions,
despite the efforts of thunder and torrents
of rain to interfere with the eclat of the
first night; and when the big audience
poured out of the hall shortly after 1890
O'Clock, the night at that time a beautiful
and clear one, there was an incessant chat
ter in the crowds as they waXed enthusl-
astic over the great festival.
1t was the chorus that bore the main
honors Of the evening, and to say that the
singing of this huge body of singers-there
were 415 by actual count-Was revelation
to the lovers of music is only putting it
mildly, for there were a great many who
believed it would be impossible to bring
such a big chorus to perfection in few
months, taking into consideration the fact
that a large percentage of the members
had not sung before in a festival chorus.
But the little man with the classical face
and very Dutch name knew what he could
do, when he prophesied that the chorus
would surprise the people, and would in
deed in no very long time be the greatest
chorus in America. The smoothness of the
concert and the 1lawlessness of the chorus
work demonstrated that the selection Of
Mr.. Van der Stucken as director of the In
dianapolis festival was a very happy hit
"a coup in fact. When the last sound Of
the Swan and the Skylark" died away,
and the musicians began packing their in
sesuments away in their cases, which were
on the platform beside them, the audience
still remained and applauded over and over
again. 1t was testimonial to the greatest
chorus Indianapolis has ever known.
Shortly before O'Clock there was almost
a cloudburst and the drenching rain con-
tinued for half hour. No doubt many
people were deferred from attending the
festival on this account, but as it was, the
audience was a large one and unusually
appreciative. There was not hitch in
any of the arrangements at the hall, as
there has been at times in previous years.
and everything, from the 1ngress and
egress of the crowds at the doors to the
placing of the lights in the hail. was all
that could be desired. An extra number of
arcs and borders of incandescents over the
stage made the interior light as day.
The audience was dressy one, light bright
colors predominating throughout the audi
eNAA~N
the gowning of the ladies was particularly
effective, the various light shades of the
dresses of the sopranos and contraltos,
grouped to either side of the gentlemen,
making gay wings to the somber black of
the male chorus. On account of the UNI
usual size of the chorus, almost "a hundred
more in number than last year, additions
were built to the stage and the chorus ex-
sides the
scenium arch.
Mr. Van der Stucken was given warm
welcome as he came forward to take up the
baton for the Bach prelude and throughout
the evening the excellent work of the or
chestra was recognized by hand clapping
tributes from the audience. No such or
chestral music has ever before been heard
at an Indianapolis festival and the SYM
pathy between it and the chorus was
marked.
The soloists of the evening Nine. De We're
Sapio, Miss Walker, Mr.. Evan Williams
and Mr. Frangcon-Davies were at their best
and were warmly received. Mr.. Williamss
beautiful tenor, in the Swan and the Sky
lark" readily retrieved what injury to
reputation his illness at last years festival
brought him, and in the pianissimo pas
SageS he USED MS VOICE III SuCl al al IlSCAS'
feeling manner as to merit special need
of applause. Mr.. Frangcon-Davies' s voice
was compared by many with that of Cam
panari who made one of the hits of the 1896
festival, and the comparison was much to
the advantage of the Weshman. Nine.
Sapio fully justified the high praise which
has been paid her
This years festival marks the first ex-
pertinent of shorter concerts and the limo
walton was appreciated. There has been
complaint heretofore that the concerts were
too long. many of them lasting close to
midnight and so this year the directors
decided to make them shorter so that the
people would so home with good taste
in their mouths"
This afternoon the second concert will be
given with Mr.. Berthald as the soloist, and
this evening the programme will be
Wagnerian one, with Miss Ella Russell, the
great American prima donna, as the prin-
cipal soloist 1t is believed by the directors
that Miss Russels singing will be one of
the sensations of the festival season as she
is an ascendant star in the musical world
ard one who has created no end of favor
able comment since her return to this coun-
try from triumphs abroad.