The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-29
(By William Judson.)


One OF the greatest creations of the
lyric stage is Emma Calves Ophelia.
OF course, her triumph was reached in
the famous mad scene, which has been
used as a piece of vocal fireworks in
the concert room so frequently that its
dramatic possibilities were not known
until Calve showed the world that
this mad scene was one Of the oppor-
tunities Of a dramatic singers career.
The many technical difficulties she
overcame in a manner which proved
that as vocalist pure and simple she
had few equals and no peers.
But her conquest lay in her ability
to Undue every measure, every note
with emotional eloquence, while she
accompanied her flight of song with
look and action suited to the word
Calves Marguerite is one of her
striking Characterization, though the
majority of opera-lovers know her as
Carmen. Her Marguerite approaches
the heroine of Goethe more than that
Of Gounod. Her Sappho, after Dau-
det's heroine, is her last creation, which
she has sung successfully in Paris.
Others would prefer to have her con-
fine herself to the narrower list and
wider range of highly emotional roles
upon whose complexity Of feeling she
might better expend the splendid re-
sources of her temperament. 1t re-
mains, however, a fact that no artist
Whn has Qnnnarad hnfOra
audiences has so got the start of the
majestic world" without the use of
large repertoire. The name of Calve
is in the public mind indissolubly unit
ed with Carmen and Santuzza, and the
impressario of the Metropolitan opera
house, M. Maurice Grau, naturally
gives the public what 1t demands. But
it will not be possible to circumscribe
the genius of Emma Calve. She has
expressed herself as weary of Carmen
and eager to conquer new worlds. She
will explore and she will discover.
Whatever size does, she will not fail.
Many pretty stories are told of her
methods. Perhaps most of them are
apocryphal. 1t is said that she went
to Spain and spent much time in
studying the Spanish gypsies at short
range. She herself has sanctioned this
story by permitting it to stand uncon-
tradicted. The story, indeed, is to her
credit. 1t shows that she went out
to see whether there was anything in
Spanish gypsy that might help her to
make an illusion for her public. In
all human probability she found moth
ing. Certainly there is nothing of the
coarse and cheap nomad of the PENN
sula in her Carmen. She did better
when she spent some of her days and
nights in the study of Prosper Meri-
mee's story. There she found a com
plete, concrete personality. But Calves
Carmen is a creature of her own i'm
agination. Frequently she is the ex-
halation of passing mood.
This Carmen is in the main the re-
suit of study and artistic composition;
but sometimes she is only pouting
Carmen and at other times she is as
stormy and as fathomless as are the
seven seas But, after all, If one goes
often to study the impersonation, he
realizes that 1t is always in the mass
the same Carmen. There is a differ
ence only in detail. 1t is a better Car
men always when there is a Don Jose
OF equal note, for Nine. Calve requires
the restraint of an art equal to her
own to prevent her from giving free
rein to the impulse of the moment.
That she is the greatest Carmen that
ever trod the stage is indlsputable. Her
dramatic temperament is overwhelm-
Ing and her means of expression are
beautiful and eloquent.
But remember that Nine. Calve is
not simply lyric actress. She is a
singer, and within her field great
one. Her voice is not one of the no.
table organs of operatic history, but
1t is very good one, and has the
loneliness of distinct musical indi-
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