Kansas City journal., 1898-03-13

Grand-An week, ''Uader the Polar STAR
OrRheum-An week. Vaudeville.
Gfiliss-Monday and Tuesday nights. The Skin
4. ner Commission Company
Academy of Music-Frday evening. Fred En-
erson Brooks and the Ella Backus-Behr Concert
Company.
We are not In the habit Of expecting high
art to come In at our back door. and for
this reason there are many elements of sur
prise and novelty in the engagement Of the
Del Conte grand opera company at the
Coates this week. Ordinarily such organi-
cations come from the East and the public
Is well acquainted with the personnel and
equipment of the company before 1t reaches
this city. This one, however, comes from
the West although II halls from Milan,
Italy. 1t came to America under an en-
gagement to sing in Mexico. with guar
aztec from that government. After tour
of three months in Mexico, which was one
of continuous success, the company went
10 the California cities, where 1t was heard
for the first time in the United States. 1t
has sung in the Leading cities between here
and the coast and in Minneapolis, st. Paul,
Omaha and comes to Kansas City with un-
usually strong Endorsements for company
30 irreguiarly presented. With the single
Bishop. our own soprano, who has taken
pecuniary interest in the organization, all
Of the principals. as well as the conductors.
chorus and orchestra, are native Italians,
and they bring US the best representations
of the new Italian school of operate COM
position Two Of the operas have never
'oeen nedTQ IN tne East, dllDOuSH tnSy
have been tremendously successful in Eu-
rope.
When "Cavalleria Rusticana" was first
brought out, the musical world hailed it
with special delight for two reasons. The
veteran Verdi was too old to be expected
to compose worthy successors to his long
Elijah seemed likely to die. while there
was no musical Elisha upon whom his
mantle might naturally and properly fall:
leaf on the tree" that bore the famous old
italian operas. "Cavalleria" proved bit
of fruitage of such fresh and original fla
vor as to be indicative of a new arboreal
growth. Indeed. 1t blossomed upon the
PonchieIn stone and was .'the first fruit"
of the Of the author Of a SG
though Verdi might have no immediate
successor. in the old style, new school of
and new style Of composition might
ere long be evolved. These expectations
have been more than fulfilled. Ponchielli
antly shows how this style might impress
with 'CavaIleria Rusticana": short, but
came LeoneavaIio with II Pagiiscci" evinc-
ing the influence Of the masters teaching
but proving to be a decided step forward
in new paths. For, strong as Is Mascagni's
foreibie fore % than hcaSsiieria." This T fact a can
easily be verified, because the two works
the same evening, thus affording the best
opportunity for accurate contrast, SO their
I sboS tss or by Close ta sa5 asassd
advantage. The third Of Ponchielli's pupils
TO come to American notice is Puccini. Tn
ses is autor Was
hardly known here, even by name, and this
work. scarcely yet two years old, has
progress Of the new school, even after
hearing "Cavalleria" and "Pagliacci," as
though the latter works had not previous
Np e1roe tod 40 rfr frnr fnl6
Ia Boheme." in its short life, has al
ready been produced in as i2o European an thea a
sted no end of delight among all classes of
musical devotees. lie Boheme" was pro-
for the first time in America. Its initial
performance was at the Teatro Royal, Of
Turin, Italy. in February, 1896. Only
overwhelming success at the Imperial the
ater. of Vienna, that Puccini, its gifted
young composer amid tFemendSus cheers ;ss
eight laurel Wreaihs. The llbretto is taken
we de Boheme." and deals with the Latin
Quarter in Paris during 1880. dramatic
version of the book was presented at the
stock % company @ r1'H Under the the title q Bone
mia" There is a merry group OF friends
poet Paatsr 1a1tS rpI i and and
nckle, dashing coquette (Musette). Ru-
doipho. the poet loses his heart to Mimi
She has a raciling cough. falls into de
cline, and finally. at the end CT the fourth
act, dies in Rudolphos arms: ,r
trated by his work in ''Manon Lescaut."
and later in La Boheme." is said to give
novel effect. Formerly. the acton @ 1,uI,oI upon
mental output, and the latter be made
secondary to the melodies sung by the
characters. Puccini. on the other hand, IS
said TO make his orchestra the prime We
hicle of expression. He seems to think
through the wide range OF true color and
sort of atmosphere in which the action up
on the stage is carried on.
Manon to P1esins iSs reishrafsa ss novel s
by Liable Provost edhereS quite closely
TO the text of the book. 1t contains four
acts or tableaua Of the dfases and
unfortunate young woman.
AS presented by the Del Conte company,
the title role is sung by Signorina Montan-
ari. and the tenor part. of her lover, Des
Grieux, by Signor Agostini. than whom
IL is said. no more satisfactory embodl-
ments of the characters could be desired
Two orchestral features OF this opera
that have appealed very strongly to music
lovers are the prelude to the first act and
the intermeZZo between acts and 3, the
latter said to surpass in loveliness the
now famous Mascagni intermeZzo, and in
structural merit even that of Leoncavallo
OF the old operas OF 3"Lucia" and
Faust nothing need be said. The Sc.
lections are perhaps as strong as could
have been made. The repertory for the
week will be as follows:
Monday. la Boheme"; Tuesday. Ca
valleria Rusticana" and 81 Pagliacci'': {:
"Wednesday. Lucia di Lammermoer"
The Masked Balr'; Saturday afternoon.
..Le Boheme'. and Saturday night.
Faust"
signor Giuseppe Agostini, although a
very young man, has given evidence of the
possession Of rare powers OF vocal equip
ment and histrionic talent. Agostini Is said
10 have a voice of purest tenor quality.
1t is seldom that such an organ falls to
the possession of anyone. even those emf
nent upon tho stage His range Is not
only extensive, but in Its use he Is said
10 go into the higher octave as easily as
anywhere else.
Signorina Linda Montanari is a young So
prano, who, after the very brief period
of less than year in grand opera, is said
to have exhibited such an eminent degree
sings. and of their dramatic demands: who
Is said to sing with such purity Of tone and
correctness of method that she is ranked
among the foremost sopranos OF the ltal.
ian school Since coming to the United
States. although not the prima donna as
ment. she has become SO by popular de-
Irand and the surprising merits. It 1:
i'd that nothing coud be suggested as ar
improvement upon her role in La
has been said, the tones of her voice thrill
the heart at the time, and linger long ir
the ear like delicious memories.
Signora Cleopatra Vicini. another soprano
of the company, 10 said to have one o
the most attractive personalities that ha:
day. She is said to be as pretty as
picture. and to possess unusual vocal anc