The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-14
By Ashton Stevens.

sands and the Grand Opera-hOuse was
q sight and a sound to enchant the
world Those Patti times were great
times. They have been a big tradition
TO US TO which we looked back proudly
during the long years Of operate pow
erty that followed. Traditions are
valuable things in a city amputated
from the main body Of things operate
as ours is; but even the best of them
grow stale in time. And ours, except
for the memory of Melba's prodigious
little operate concert season of last
wear, were in a woefuI state until last
night.
With last night we acquired a whole
new set of traditions; we re-immOrtal
lied our name in the world Of impre
sarios; We gave Melba and the Ellis
company a reception which represented
the best that San Francisco, California,
could afford. Talk about your Patti
nightsl I remember a few of them, but
nothing that surpasses this opening.
All that we possess in the way of fash
ion, culture, jewelry and gownery was
offered up last night. The lower floor,
the proscenium boxes, the palco boxes
and the dress circle were masses of
milky shirt bosoms and creamy Shout
ders shot with diamonds and pearls. 1t
was a wonderful, picturesque night.
Not even the Morosco wallpaper that
adorned the walls, nor the MOrosco
ushers poulticed in weird comic opera
costumes that stood in the aisles and
did almost anything but attend prop
erly to their business, could mar the
spell The town was there in its gor-
geous best, and the house was a pic
ture.
I cannot tell you about the thousands
that stood up to witness the perform
ance, for the very good reason that
there was no place for them to stand.
The seats are set right up to the rear
wall and standing room is limited to a
short single line on each side and small
groups in the doorways. The box office
wisely refrained from selling more than
a few admission tickets, so there was
no crowding in the unpleasant sense;
but the audience which filled every
seat (they are snug little seats, tightly
packed), was, 1 dare say, the largest
that ever attended an opera in San
Francisco And what a mighty applause
it made!
And now for the opera, which after
all is the last thing to be considered on
an opening night. 1t was that good old
opener, Faust" and Melba sang Mar
auerite 1t was a Melba night with
vengeance, and the honors, except those
that attended Boudouresque's excel
lent Mephistopheles, were all hers. In
the first place, Bonnard, who was cast
for Faust, was announced Ill and Pan
doIfini substituted in the part. Pandol-
fini was notified at 6 o'clock, and 1t is
only fair to say that perhaps his voice
was not ready to be unpacked at such
short notice. He did his best In the
circumstances, and 1t was not PAD
best. but il was not what the audience
had been keyed up to expect, ana 1t Is
a matter of record that the part of
Faust was not a notable success. Fan
dolfni has a light tenor and very
white tenor, and his tone is recklessly
open and scattering in the top notes.
His singing lacked color and his acting
lacked character.
Another disaster was the orchestra
Mind. 1 am not trying to make the
orchestra out second rate, for L know
it to be one of the best in the country.
it to be one Of the finest in the country;
that has ever visited US in association
with an opera company. But 1t was
atrociousIy placed last night. The
"shelI' under the apron of the stage.
and blew they never so hard they could
hardly be heard. The strings, which
were in decent sight and sound, were
forced to carry the entire burden of the
demonstration. at such times as the
cues for the pitch were given out by
+he cIarionets or by the oboes, the
singers were in a frightful predica-
mont From Melba down everybody
had more or less of a turn at singing
off the key. But there will be no more
sheIled orchestra in the Ellis season.
1t is officially promised that the brasses
and reeds will come up out of their well
and blow tunefully In the sight OF all
commencing tonight
Except for the lights on the stage,
which were weak and uncertain, all the
rest is praise. The seeming, robing and
stage management were admirable, and
Melba showed US a new phase of her
art in the possibilities offered by Mar
guerite Hers was simple, ingenu-
Gus Marguerite, untheatric and very
Gretchen-like at first; but it grew in
strength and spell as the piece de-
veIoped and brought out the passion
and dramatic strength that had had
little or no part in Melba's work here
last season in the lighter and more Or
namental operas
1t was, indeed, apart from the match
less voice and vocaliZation, a strong,
Impressive essay in musical character
tzation. Melba may not be a great
actress. but she is certainly very
good one in this part and she sings 1t
as no other woman can to-day, with all
the freshness, purity and spontaneous
vigor that the music demands. So far
as my memory serves me. the garden
scene was every bit as enthralling as
when Patti sang it in her palmiest
days.
There were bitches in the ensemble
but Melba's work was perfect She
sang the King OF Thule" legend il