The age-herald., 1901-10-06

The Maurice Grau Opera Company opens it's season at Toronto October '. 1t will come South by the way of Louis- ville and will reach Birmingham on Wednesday, october 30, being booked at the Auditorium for that date. "Lohen- grim is to be presented here with Sem- brich as Elsa. Who will have the role of Ortrud.. the strongest and most exact ing, perhaps of all of Wagners charac- ters, has not been definitely settled, 1t seems, but Boyle & Edwards, proprietors of the Auditorium, who have put up $50o0 guarantee, announced a day or two ago that they were demanding that Schurmann-Hein take the part. The contract which Boyle & Edwards signed reads, Madame Marcelia Sembrich as Elsa, with the usual supporting cast" If we are to have the usual supporting cast that certainly means Schumann- Heink. Ortrud is one of her greatest roles. No one in the world sings 1t as she sings 1t, and no one in the world acts it as she acts it. Of all the artistic tri- umphs at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York few have been so notable as Schumann-Heink's Ortrud. It is only natural then that the music lovers of Birmingham insist upon hearing this fa- nous artist in 'fLohengrin," and it Is only business-lil1e in the Auditorium manage ment to demand her.
 Our music festival audiences are famil- jar with parts of "Lohengrin." The prayer of the King, quintette and finale of the first act and the introduction to the third act and the bridal chorus were heard at the festival of 1899, and the pi ayer, quintette and finale of the first act were sung again at the festival last spring.
 MT. Guckenberger is thoroughly at home in the entire score of "Lohengrin'' and lecture or two by him on this work, illustrated on the plano, delivered the week before the performance would be eagerly listened to by hundreds of stu dents and devotees of music.
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 Philip Hale of Boston, known through out the country as an able critic and trenchant writer, contributes a page and a half article to the New York Musical Courier on the Worcester Festival. Those who have met Mir. Guckenberger since his return from the Worcester event and who have since read Hales remarks could but be impressed with the close agreement of these two men. Guckenberger said he was disappointed in the festival as a whole. Hale writes: "The performance as whole was poor one. The chorus was timid in attack, uncertain in con trapuntal work, not well balanced, re- gardless of dynamic indications"
 Guckenberger said the only thing that was finely done was Verdis Requiem Mass. Hale writes of it. "The perform ance was in many respects admirable. The chorus surpassed all expectation, for it actually observed and respected and followed the composers indications
 After Hale praises the singing of the solos and the concerted music of the mass he concludes:
 Tt is not necessary to speak at length of this remarkable work, which is not only masterpiece of Verdi-O thrice hon ored name!-but a masterpiece of mas terpieces in the musical literature of the world. believe there are some who still groan in their uneasiness because it is dramatic spectacular But will not the last day be beyond all doubt and per adventure a highly dramatic affair? And is not hell itself distinctly spectacular ?''
 MT. Guckenberger tells me he will not rest satisfied until he gives Verdi's Re- quiem in Birmingham. He took part in