The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15

the instruments OF the orchestra were car
ried in, and il seemed that soon there
might be something artistic doing, eSpe-
cially as the curtain, with its dim feur-de-
lis, was worked up and down But at $50
o'clock man of authority stepped to the
Untghted fOOtlights and made speech In
which he said that as a part OF the COM
pany and the orchestra had just arrived,
II would be impossible 10 give perform
ance in the afternoon, and the seat-hold-
ers money would be refunded The seat
holders and the radiator companions I'M
mediately took TO the stairways. at the
bottom OF which they were informed that
tickets would be cashed at the Starr piano
store. where they had been purchased.
And so they were. slowly but surely.
A part of the Grau Company had given
a performance at St. Louis the night be-
fore. Early next morning the company 5
special train started for indianapolis. The
hrst snow Of the year encountered the rail-
road and an earlier passenger train had
become entangled with freight train. The
run that should have been made in a few
hours heightened until afternoon. Thus
the performance of Romeo ct Juliette
was cut off, but IL would have been a
heavy loss To the company if Il had been
given, because the prospective audience
was but handful The scenery should
nave been in the city day before yesterday
this would seem TO be the sense of an
amusing disagreement between certain OF
Mr. Grau's executive staff members-but
even If ii had come earlier a performance
could not have been given on account of
the orchestra having nothing but their
hands and the uncOnfined air with which
TO make an accompaniment to the singers.
'LOHENGRIN."
The rapidly-dropping temperature made
the snow squeal under the wheels as the
carriages rolled up to the entrance of the
hall in the evening. The lower floor of the
building was filled with marketers, and
vendors stands were on the sidewalks. The
hall above was brightly lighted by a row
Of incandescent lights on the edge of the
long balcony and by arc lamps suspended
from the ceiling. The dirty walls were
conspicuous. The audience almost filled the
hall, but it was hardly half-seated when
Mr.. Damrosch gave the signal to his mu-
sicians for the first act overture of
"LOhengrin" and half Of the first act had
passed before the persons that had con-
stderately come at the proper time began
10 forget their evaporation at the dilatory
ones who punctuated the music by Tapping
down their chair bottoms. And all through
the performance the radiators cracked
loudly 10 the right and left in discordant
accompaniment to the voices and the or
chestra
The rising of the curtain revealed Ed
GUARD De Reszke, King Henry the
Fowler seated on his throne under the
trees, with his ret6iners and some of the
people of Brabant around him. David
Bispham, as Frederick of Telramund,
charged Elsa with the murder Of her
person of Nine. Schumann- Heink, stood
sullenly apart. Nine. Gadsk in Elsa's
simple robe of white, prayed to heaven
to send a champion, and Jacques Bars, in
the silver armor of Lohengrin, came to
that bank of the river Scheldt in a boat
drawn by swan. Their movements an
nounced by the Herald, impersonated by Mr..
Mulmann, these persons proceeded to sing
that simple tale, the like of which small
children read in words of one syllable and
pictures after Christmas day.
But the clarion voices of the singers and
the marvellous complication of the various
instruments of the orchestra gave the
childish story an undermeaning. a super
natural glow, that bestowed a complex de-
light on the Wagnerites. And there were
times when the nearer not endowed with
the key TO the inner chambers of harmony
got the real thrill he humbly wished for.
1t was Nine. Schumann-Heink that was
the author of these kindneSSes. The dome
OF her imagination seemed prOpOrtiOnate
to her imposing physique. Her Ortrud was
cOnVincingly a SOrceresS of overwhelming
power and blackness of thought. She de-
ceived her husband and the innocent Elsa
with a terrible smile and her fearful malice
sounded in her deep voice. Mr.. Bispham,
too, acted with intensity. Mr.. De Reszke
was a stately king, and his huge tones
rolled out impreSSively. There was no
note in Nine. GadSkiS voice that was not
clear, but Mr. Bars, who was a substitute
for Mr.. DIPPED. was not so fortunate, espe-
cially in the first act. His and Nine. Cad
skis oratorical sentmentality in the nup-
tial chamber. and his exposition of his
name and his circumstances in the final
scene were pure and ringing.
The presentation of ''LOhengrin'' all
that had been promised. The costumes
were elaborate, and those of the women