The San Francisco call., 1901-11-30
The Verdi Opera Is
Given With
Spirit.
BY BLANCHE PARFINGToN.

Y Asst nights magnificent perform
ance of Aida" at the Grand
Opera-house certainly failed to sat
isfy at least one member of the
AA enthusiastic audience. General
Shafter confesses to a mad passion for
the music-drama for reasons as Ieglu[
mate as they are convincing, and last
nights Aida fell deplorably short OF
the brave warriors exalted ideal
wagner for me- he said the other
evening with all the fuil-browed pro-
fundity of the perfect Wagnerlte- Ihefe
is no one but Wagner. why, slr, l can
go to sleep anywhere in the opera ano
ind them at the same Identical place
Aida is not builded that way, and was
sung and applauded last night in fash
ion to wake the musical dead. 1t was
Eames' temperance after her recent coiu
and she was welcomed most royally. Nat
urally the first thought was OF her voice,
had she fully recovered its use! 1t
seemed so for almost three acts, thougn
she was appreciably careful OF her 1orUes,
and then-O the pity of it! the voice broke
on one note in the Nile scene. But the
singer, with a courage and capacity that
cannot be too much admired, went on
with the song and took the same passage
again with victorious voice. 1t was for all
the world like the note OF WOUNDED Dlrd,
and the sympathy OF the Whole mouse
went out in fullest measure 70 the praVs
singer 1t was the sympathy that counted
as largely in the applause as the trlpute
to the artistic excellence of her work, and
the enthusiasm that followed the scene
was another unprecedented event IN
the seasons chronicle.
Mime. Eames was as usual beautlful
picture with her rose-gold flesh ana par
barrie beauty of costume every line ana
color of it lust where and what II should
be. We have had a dreary and comic pro-
cession of Aidas here, from the Lucrezia
Rorgia makeup of NOrdica In the part
last year to the brown bust and white
arms OF Anna LIGHTER in the role at the
TivoH Others resemble the wooden In
dian maids of the tobacconist stand,
and others again. like Tavary, resemble
nothing ever seen on the earth or in the
waters under the earth. But Mime. Eames
satisfied utterly the sense OF slgnt, JUST as
she satisfied one vocally. But she should
and must be heard again when she has
the full strength Of her voice 1t was
felt in spite of the commanding beauty
of her work, that more power was needed
sometimes.
It is a tender and womanly conception
of the character that Eames has, lacking
a little the barbaric strain that one
rather looks for in Aida. but winning
and beautiful Interpretation, nevertheless
and Nine. Eames ranks now with the
singers who are first in the affections OF
the opera-loving folk here.
De march, was the Radames of the cast
and again impressed with his exceptional
voice He acts little yet-but acts that
little well-but he has voice that is
great now, and is some day going to be
of the greatest. 1t lacks all sorts of
ways yet, in smoothness, roundness,
evenness, control generally. 1t is angu-
lar like his acting, but he has every
necessary natural equipment-the sym
pathy, range, power and quality-and
last night in the concerted work with the
chorus the voice rang out clear and bril-
liant with all-pervasive spell. He was
vocally very effective in the Nile scene,
and it only remains to wait so far as this
singer is concerned.
Scotti was a splendid Amonasro, his
virile notes and fervor filling in the por-
trait with a barbaric strength that came
near the unforgotten excellencies of Sa-
lassa's conception of the role. But Scotti
himself does not quite touch Salassa here,
though his is the younger voice by many
years. Still it is a conception to evoke