The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-31

1t is reported that a decided change
Is to be made in the Metropolitan opera
hOuse-it is to be turned into nam
moth vaudeville. and al popular prices
What a transformation From the SUI
blime to the-sOmething else. most Ger
tainly- IL will be an enormous I'M
dertaking, and, if successful. viii run
on all next year with the exception of
ten weeks for grand opera This change
VIII seem almost a deSecraLlOn OF some
thing sacred, but the vaudeville of To-
day is monarch of about all it surveys
As Brunhilde in -GOtterdammerung,
Madam TeTnina scored a big success.
She is an exceedingly graceful actress,
charming in her ways, and possesses O.
clear. penetrating voice. A slight
sharpness of tone which at first strikes
YOU unpleaSantly quickly wears on, and
YOU find yourself under the spell OF both
her voice and acting Susan Strong,
who sans in the same opera, appeared in
awkward contrast. Her voice is a sweet
soprano, but not strong enough for the
opera house. She had an uncOmfOrt-
able time dying in the last act. 1t was
her evident intention to fail upon ca
dead hero, but she only succeeded in
dropping into a position that it was
impossible to maintain, SO had to res
urrect herself long enough to ind a
more comfortable resting place.
Both the De ReszkeS sang this same
day. 1t is hard to compare their voices
The baSsO is certainly very fine. think
his voice, and, knowing what he can do
with it, one is sometimes disappointed
in what he does. However. il IS no Won
der that he wants his voice TO last him
as long as possible The ability 10
command $500 a night is not to be
carelessly thrown away.
/ have often thought what a differ
ence there is between our tabernacle
at home and large audience room
here. In the former the crowd covers
nd hrrf OF
stairs cOnfronts your view, but here
we climb, and climb until we think
there is no end TO the stairs; the crowd
covers space here. AS a result, an
opera glass is as Indispensable as your
ticket, and they are really an aid TO
listening, as by using them ones vision
is concentrated, and the attention is not
distracted by the new spring hats
Not the least important, by any
means. of late musical events was the
concert of the Boston Symphony or
chestra, with Mr.. Leopold GOdoYsky
as soloist. I could not help comparing
this orchestra with that / had last
heard-Strauss'. A greater contrast
could hardly be found-the one all So
lidity and massiVeness. the other dainti-
ness and deliCacy; the first full of delib-
era ton, the other Of vivacity. The con-
ductor, Mr.. Wilhelm GericSe, led in a
quiet, lady-lil6e way. The results were
the utmost precision, unity and a world
of soulful music The only insJru-
nent that was the least insubOrdinate
was a suspended ''glankenspiel." which
responded TO strokes with the sounds
of a chime of church bells One OF the
bells, within a few measures of the
end, suddenly broke and fell on top
of a bald headed musician in front. The
church bells were heard no more. [
noticed that nearly ali OF the musicians
had bald heads. L do not suppose,
though. that this had anything TO do
with the lady-like actions of the con-
ductor. GodOwsky was simply magnih
cent? He played a List concerto with
! the orchestra, and we experienced a
| telling OF genuine sorrow when he
stopped. He is a, master, not only of
| technique, but Of soulful Interpretation
as we'll Try as hard as we did. we
could not get him back to the piano.
1 Instead, the instrument was closed and
! moved out, as Gericl1e positively allows
no encOres. In addition to this evil
/ dence Of good judgment, he has also
| shown wisdom in keeping his pro-
! grammes within a reasonable length.
/ Nearly all recitals here last at least two
| and a half hours; at the grand opera
we expect to spend half the night or
1 dav. and we do.
G. n PUTNAM.