The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-25

the public had taken in her beauty, and
it added the fact that IAN American was
to compete against the Italians on their
own ground and in an art that had long
been recognized as more theirs than
America s.
1T is probable the critique went on,
that the lovely artist did not realize
that she might give battle to the public
from the first reeitative, but in effect it
was so. In fact the tension of the
audience was SO lively from the begin
ming of the opera that her very first and
unimportant phrases, given by the God
dard with grace and with perfect intona-
ton, provoked the warmest and most
| spontaneous applause.
In the first act the Cavalier Man
nucci Gohengrin) brought forth lively
applause to Elsa 10 tamo' and the
famous and exceedingly difficult quartet
public appreciated in this piece the ex-
for solo voices was perfectly sung. The
ceptional adaptability of the Goddard for
the part of Elsa, and at the end of the
act signifed with great applause it's APP
probation and enjoyment
'.At the love duet In the third act the
decisive moment of the battle, the God
dard, in spite of the natural apprehen-
rect, sometimes warm, and phrased SYM
patheticalIy. At the end of the act there
were many encores, in which La Sig
norma Goddard had a tumultuous call
from the proscsnfum.
The Goddard succeeded in manner
that is most rare in a debutante. 1t is
true that in a debutante it is an impos-
sibility to entirely conceal the natural
nervousness and embarrassment of the
position, and in her case, being a native
of country whose customs are so diff
ferent from our thoughtless and viva
cious ways. the difficulty is even greater.
But nothing can belittle the indisputable
beauties of the voice of the Goddard. 1T
is warm, with great extension and car
rying power, of a most pleasing quality
and undoubtedly of fexibility which
the Italian Bel Canto' demands. She
must be praised for the demonstration
of her perfect mastery of the musical
part, perfection of detail. as well as~of
expression.
"All in all, our opinion is In perfect
accord with that of the public-the Sig
norma Goddard has the means and the
intuition to render her a great favorite
with the Italian public" "Ff
1t was in relation to this success that
Miss Goddard said in a letter to g. friend
here in Boston: "Of course / was fright
ened, but / managed to keep my head
pretty clear and sang steadily. I was
interrupted with encouraging applause in
my first solo and at the end of the first
act received very enthusiastic curtain
calls
II sang better all the time and con-
tinued to receive applause all the even
ing, and after each act had to go before
the curtain. After the duet between Elsa
and Lohengrin the applause was some
thing deafening, and when we went be-
fore the curtain the house was a pam
demonium.
My costume was a dream-white sat
in brocade with silver trimmings, blue
satin mantle with ornaments OF pearls
and brilliants; also crown OF the same"
Speaking of this performance, Paul
Savage. son of the Rev. w. II. Savage,
wrote: THE best people of the town
were there and showed their sympathy
by their attention and applause. The
chorus wanted to go down and serenade
her afterward."
1t was the enthusiasm stirred up by
her success in this performance and by
those that followed 1t that made Miss
Goddard so well known a figure In Mo-
dena, in Naples, and in fact, in all
musical Italy. Then the Counts came
and each dreamed of conQuering until the
American appeared.
Miss Harriet Goddard Is the daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. Clifford w. Goddard,
and was born in Chelsea. Even while
she was very young her musical tendency
manifested itself, and while a child at
school she used to sing little solos. She
was happier in doing this, she says, than
she thinks she can ever be even as
prima donna.
Her first musical instructor was Arthur
J. Hubbard of fremont street, who found
soon after she came to him that she was
the possessor of a voice of extraordinary
range and power. She sang in the choirs
of different churches in Boston Newton,
Cambridge and Worcester, and finally
became the leading soprano In the Con-
gregational Church at Randolph. It was
while she was singing at this last church
that her father suffered business re-
verses, and she began to take up con-
cert work. She was one of the prime
movers in the organizing of the Boston
Operetta Company.
It was about this time that Mr.. Eben
D. Jordan became interested in her, and
upon being assured of the thorough
worth of her voice, proposed to send her
and her mother abroad, that she might
complete her musical education. For
time she demurred, but at length the
desire for the instruction that is only to
be obtained abroad persuaded her to go.
She went, and events since then have
justified the vocalist who believed in her
voice, and the man who did not want to
lose to the world a great artist IL his
money could save it.
The date of Miss Goddards marriage
is not yet settled, but 1t is understood
that her honeymoon will bring her back
to her native country and city once more,
and there is no doubt that the young
woman that passed by titles to marry an
American will give the best efforts OF
her voice to charm her country people,
who have every reason to be proud OF
her.