The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-12
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
METROPOLITAN.

METROPOLITAN
An imposing line of carriages outside.
plenty of smart frocks within and every
box occupied was the Metropolitan's rec
ORD for last night The biggest audience
OF this season, and one of the biggest
OF any season, greeted Alice Nielsen's re-
appearance in ST. Paul last evening with
her new opera, 1.-THE Singing Girl. The
audiences enthusiasm was quite in pro-
portion to its size. The vivacious little
prima donna whose mouth expresses 50
much ch1idllke innocence and from
whose eyes CLEANS such irresistible dia-
blerie, was rendered a genuine ovation.
A word first about the new opera There
Will probably be very fair division
OF sentiment as to whether 1.-The Singing
G1rl' Is equal or superior to The For
tune Teller" There is more catchy
music in the new opera, and this gives
1t more of sparkle and dash than
The Fortune Teller" possesses. Eut
in the more ambitious numbers, last
nights opera certainly does not surDass
1.-The Fortune Teller Perhaps it falls
little below it. One would wish, too
that Eugene Cowles might have more
opportunity to show that wonderful voice
Of his However, the two opportunities
that he has are superb ones and he
makes the most of them. Most of the
pretty songs in the opera fall to Miss
Nielsen, and Mr.. Herbert has certainly
written some very catchy ones
Besides Miss Nielsens songs the gems
of the opera are Cowles' two solos, and
the greater Of these is Loves a Ma
gician,' the Good Night" chorus, sung
rear the close Of the act, and the con-
tralto solo in the first. And between
these more ambitious things there are
numerous gay little airs that make the
vivacious life of the opera. The libret-
to drags in two spots only, and these
are so very tiny and 50 very far APART
that one carries away the impression
that it is very bright, quick and piquant.
Deserving of special mention are the
lyrics. They are not just so many yards
of words to fit 50 many yards of music,
but to paraphrase one of the funny
things of the play, they are a case of
grammar and music"
The scene of the opera is laid In the
town of Linz, Austria. The three sta &c
pictures, the public square near the DAN
Lbe. the bridal apartments Of the Duke
Rodolf, and daybreak near the convent
at Linz are artistic. TIE plot of the
opera hinges on the peculiar laws that
govern courtship and marriage at Linz.
If man IS caught kissing a maid, him,
Terforcn must she wed. So unusual
law cannot fail to -tangle things up and
for a very Eretty romance there IS no
blemans 1--we for a poor singing girl.
Miss Nielsen has not lost that engaging
little trick of hers of taking an audience
into her confidence. She played and
sang the role of the singing girl last
night with dainty abandon that was
infectious. Mr.. Cowles made an i'm
posing Duke Rodolf and his magnificent
basso was never heard to better advan
tage. Richie Ling, the tenor, sings the
role of the lover. His voice Is Of lyrical
sweetness and he has temperament that
gives it color. Miss Viola Gillette has
pleasing contralto, but the singer lacks
magnetism.
The trio of comedians, Joseph Cav
thorn, John c. Siavin and Joseph Her
bert, are exceedingly clever. The work
of Cawthorn and Herbert is familiar TO
st. Paul audiences. Mr.. Slavin was not
with the Nielsen company last year, hut
his work last night proved him to be
an, acquisition. The chorus is pretty
the feminine part Of tit is well costum-
ed and il can sing.
Tonight 'The Singing Girl will be re-
peated and Wednesday matinee ana
Wednesday night 1.-The Fortune Teller
will be given.
PEOPLES CHURCH.
Mr.. Gabrilowitsch, the Russian pianist,
who appears at the Peoples church Fri
day made a strong hit on his recent APP
pearance in Chicago Lyman b, Glover,
musical editor of the mes-Herald, said:
Immature enthusiasm has scattered so
many unearned adjectives at the feet Of
soloists who come from
abroad to despoil our pocketbooks, that
scarcely any superlatives remain to be
bestowed upon deserving art If there
were any unused phrases in the nature
of eulogy it would not be appropriate
to apply them without reserve to Gabrll-
owitsch who is not yet perfected mas
ter. but there is strong temptation 70
speak of him with enthusiasm. He IS
certainly fine and most promising ar
list with sufficient achievement already
to his credit to warrant the belief in
splendid future. There were no evidences
of mysteries, neither were there any COM
monpIace moments. Playing in broad
and dignified manner, with plenty OF
elan. the artist Indicated the possession
of an adequate technique, and soul
that appreciates rhythm, poetry, express
sion and musical meanings. His style
is polished without being fussy, and his
tone is clear, crisp and full of delightful
color"
GRAND.
A performance Of most meritor.ous
character is being furnished at the Grand
this week by Fulgora's Star Specially
company, and an exceptionally large and
enthusiastic audience witnessed the SEE
ond performance last evening. The first
nopuiar priced afternoon performance Of
the engagement will occur tomorrow at
2:S0.
Charles H Hoyt's farce comedy, "a
Brass Monkey" will be seen at the
Grand the coming week. The producing
company this year is promised to be an
unusually capable one, and is headed by
Miss Maize Trumbull
ELKS BENEFIT.
G. M. Selling has been engaged as mu-
steal director of the Elks' minstrel show,
and tomorrow evening he will take part
in the rehearsal of the chorus to be held
at Overs hall, East Fifth street. Mr..
Settings orchestra will also furnish the
music incidental to the show, to be given
at the Metropolitan March 1 and 2 Fri
day and Saturday evenings and Saturday
There are fifty members of
the chorus, thirty-f1ve of them being
members of the Eilks Glee club, a new Or
ganization of the lodge. Harry r. Har-
dick has been selected for interlocutor
Of the minstrels, and Al G. Flournoy
and Frank Fl. Tenney will be the chief
end men. A. L. Snyder and Robert II.