New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-26
YESTERDAYS MUSIC.

MISS cara Butt gave the last OF her announced
song rectals In Mendelssohn Hall yesterday after
noon She has yet one concert TO sing at In New
York-that Of Mr.. Frank Damrosch at Carnegie
Hall next Saturday afternoon-but it may be safely
assumed that the people OF New-York have been
FULLY Informed concerning the English singers gifts
and accomplishments That her singing has given
rise to controversy is not to be wondered at. In
more than one respect It Is altogether too extraor
binary to be passed over without excited comment;
and for this every lover Of real singing should be
grateful. Her rectals have recalled memories Of
those Of artist who in particular may be de-
scribed as one Of her antipodes-Mme Blanche
Marchesi. At the rccitals OF this gifted woman
as yesterday at Miss Butts recital there were pres
ent scores OF singers and singing teachers, who.
whatever they may have said TO their friends after
ward. carried of golden lessons in the things which
make music music. What they spoke about during
the intermission and what they have said since to
their colleagues and pupils has undoubtedly been
full OF wisdom. which not even the most fanattcal
admirer OF Miss Butt would wish to quarrel with
II only needs qualification Miss Butt is not always
an exempar In respect OF tone production. With
voice more opulent than that Of any singer now
before the public. she yet persists in forcing 1t
without need. With voice whose beauty. material
and spiritual. is fairly intoxicating she yet lets
20 Of the reins OF taste and sacrifices euphony 10
what she esteems proper dramatic expression. 1t
is not proper dramatic expression. but extrava-
tonal outpourng in the same degree the public
and her attitude being subjective while that Of her
listeners is objective the result is failure Of effect
because OF too much. or. rather. OF Ill controlled
capacity.
The defects in Miss Butts art since COM
PEELED TO discourse upon them. are chiefly deplor-
able because they are unnecessary; and they are
largely pardonable because they spring from
feeling which makes the department Of the musical
art in which she is active dear TO the heart OF every
one who has a warm heart for music. When music
Is consorted with poetry II Is the latter element
that supplies the soul OF the product. So We are
privileged 10 ask good diction, clear enunclatlon,
honest. possibly also eloquent. defamation in the
treatment Of the text. According TO the period OF
! the composition and style OF the composer the
musical elements and the literary have their rights
Miss Butt sometimes fails 10 observe the proper
historical perspective. She marred Glordanis caro-
milo ben" by filling its essentially archaic and placid
melody with an Eruption OF feeling obviously
prompted by the sentiment OF the text; which
Ineffective because It was historically wrong,
out OF place-wcked toward tho art. II you
please. But when she read the first part
OF Rossis "Ah rendmi Il cuore" with all
the loneliness and quietude OF tone than could be
asked. and poured a torrent Of emotion into the
second part, no one who knew anything about
musical style could find just quarrel with her.
So also her "Printemps" and the first part OF
Mon Ceur." from Saint-sagns's Samson and
Delilah" were models of perfection in the emission
Of tone for the sake OF sensuous beauty well
for dramatic purpose. and II only the exag-
geration into which Miss Butt fell in the second
portion OF the second air (the melody which has
so striking a resemblance to Alfredos "Ah, quel
amor" in La Traviata'O. which brought out the
rude almost vulgar. tinge in her voice. that opened
the performance to condemnation. AS for the rest.
10 conhne ourselves to yesterdays concert, 1t
must be said that song singing comparable n
hers in Brahms's "Sandmannchen" has been heard
here since Nine. Blanche Marchesis departure. and
that she provided intoxcatlon for the lovers OF
the voice pure and simple.
At the Metropolitan Opera House last night
concert took place for the benefit of ST. Marks
Hospital Affairs OF its kind, though generously
patronized. seldom attended by the city's regu-
lar concert patrons, for the sufficient reason that
az the offerings of the perfunctory order. Yet
there agreeable features in last nights con-
cert particularly Nine. Gadskfs singing and Miss
Elsa Ruegger's voloncelo playing. Later. Miss
Frieda Siemens who left here few years ago
q prodigy named Frieda Semonson, expected
10 play a planoforte concerto. and there TO be
more singing by Nine Gadsh and Mr.. George
Hanlin. but OF these things also OF Mr.. Frank
King Clark's singing OF bass air from Handles
Judas Maccabaus," deponent saith not for good
and sufficient
a postscript is necessary to pay a deserved trib-
to Mr.. Franz Wilceks violin playing, and Mr.
Luckstone's work at the pianoforte In the after
noon. and the finished accompaniment which Mr.
Max Liebling gave to Nine. Gadskis added
Der, Schubert's "Erl King" in the evening.