The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-30
GRAND OPERA SEASON
OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS REALLY
FIRsT-CLAss PRODUCTIONS.
"sFaust," "Romeo and Juliet" and
Carmen to BE Sung by Artists Cell
ebrated in the Lyric World.

| SiiSh lOI three performances euneSudy
and Thursday will test the loyalty of In
dianapolis music lovers to high-class opera.
The International Grand Opera Company
is certainly coming fortified with a COM
pany of artists and an orchestra that
should enable them to give the best operate
productions ever brought to this city. Out
side Of Clementine De We're and Mary
Howe the artists are ali new to this city.
but their reputation is known in the world
OF music. and the best is rot too good to
be said OF them. In the opening perform
ance of Faust" Wednesday night, De
We're will have the role of Marguerite, and
the great contralto, Eleanore Broadfoot,
will also be in the cast. George Mitchell,
the young American tenor, now making
his first appearance in his own country,
after five years in Italy. will be the Faust,
and the great basso singer, Dado, will be
the Mephisto. For Gounods Romeo and
Juliet" which will be heard in this city
for the first time at Thursdays matinee.
there will be a still larger list of princi-
pals In addition to De We're, Broadfoot,
Mitchell and Dado will also be heard
Amelia Fields, another contralto; Henry
Gunson, another tenor; baritones Golf and
Zani. and the basso, Earl D. Parks. The
closing performance of Carmen Thurs
day night, will introduce the great dramatic
soprano of the company, Nine. Selma Kro-
mold, IN the title role. part in which
she has been repeatedly compared with the
famous Calve and classed by many as pos
sessing a superior voice. This has been
the verdict of many, both in this country
and in Europe. Mary Howe will make her
only appearance here in this opera, and
George Mitchell, whose tenor is said to
1, ia,
De Reszke, will again be heard. Faust
will be sung in Italian, but Romeo and
Juliet" and Carmen" will be given in En-
glish The orchestra of twenty-six pieces
will be under the leadership of Signor Sapio
who had the training of the chorus of forty
selected voices before the present tour was
inaugurated. Special scenery and costumes
are carried for each production.
It is not often that one can see a per-
feet production of Romeo and Juliet on
the dramatic stage, and it is still rarer that
Gounods celebrated opera is given in the
lyric form. The International Grand Opera
Company, however, has made speciality Of
this production, and the organization is
fully equipped for a perfect presentation.
1t requires some very elaborate stage set
tings, costumes and a very large cast of
characters. Every part must be admirably
sung. The opera itself was given in Paris
more than $50 times when first produced
Gounod, who was an intense admirer of the
Shakspearean form. insisted on the text be-
ing as near the original as possible, and
he has set the immortal bards words to
fitting music. The duets, the trio with the
friar and the death scene adhere closely to
the Shakspearean form. The music is said
to be the very essence Of tenderness and
passion.
The part of the heroine is wonderfully well
adapted to Clementine De Vere's style of
singing, and she is said to make it an alb
solute ideal performance. Her rendering of
the waltz in the first act is spoken of as
the most brilliant bit of vocalzation that
has been heard since Patti essayed the part.
This was the judgment of the London crit
les. De We're is eminently singer who can
warm up her audience. In places where
necessary she is as brilliant colloratura
artist as any in the world. To give the
cast completeness, which is absolutely
necessary for this one opera, the manage
ment secured George Mitchell the young
New Yorker, who has studied in Italy five
Faust and Romeo and Juliet" Aside
from making It possible to give a perfect
cast, 1t also allowed OF presenting this rare
opera in the English language
The new American tenor has created
something Of sensation. His youthful fig
ure, manly bearing and exquisite voice has
won for him an unexpected success. He is
only twenty-four years OF age, and as
the the best este on the stage. Mitchell has been
pronounced an ideal Romeo.
Selma Kronald, who will have the role of
Carmen, belongs to the special class of dra-
matte sopranos of which she and Calve
stand conspicuously at the head. Her tri-
umphs, together with those Of most Of the
singers in this organization, have been
nades in Europe. The selection Of princi-
pals will introduce many fresh young
voices. and the notices obtained by this or
ganization go to show that the little hand
full of clanish singers, who were supposed
to represent all the worthy ones in opera,
and whose struggle for dollars was the
downfall and utter ruin of the great Met
ropolitan Opera House organization in this
country, by no means constituted the sum
total Of operate stars in the world kronald
is an American. and her recent success in
Germany brought out the assertion that she
is the finest singer ever sent to that country
from America. Mary Howe, another So
prano, is we'll known here, and the con-
traltos, Eleanore Broadfoot and Louise En-
GEL are two American singers OF fine stage
appearance and splendidly equipped vocally.
Next to Mitchell, the greatest success
among the men of the International Com
pany has been scored by Signor Dado, the
italian basso, who made his first appear
anee in this country two years ago with
the Metropolitan Opera House Company.
He was Immediately engaged for tour of
South America. and has now only just re-
turned to the United States.
Signor Bellati is the chief baritone, and
will be heard only in Faust" his rival in
the company, the American, Winfred Golf,
having the leading baritone roles in Romeo
and Juliet" and Carmen" Signor Bellau
comes from the San Carlo, in Naples, Lis
bon. Florence and the principal opera
houses in Italy, while Mr.. Golf comes from
Covent Garden, London, and other prom
inent opera houses. The entire list or pr1n-
cipals is as follows:
Sopranos-Clementine De We're. Selma
Kronold, Media MORRISON, Mary II. Howe
and Mary Roebuck.
Contraltos and Mezzos-Eleanore Broad
foot Louise Engel and Amelia Fields.
Tenors-Salvo Panbianchi George Mitch
ELL Thomas Mcqueen and Henry Gunson.
Baritones-Virgilio Bellati, H. Winfred
Golf and Quinto Zani.
Bassos-Augusto Dado. Forrest d. Carr
and Earl p. Parks.
PADEREWsKPS RIVAL.