The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-04
BENEFIT FOR THE HOME.
Brilliant Concert at the New Armory
Last Night.

LaeC Nlgnt.
1t Is probable that few concerts have
ever had so gorgeous setting as that
OF last night, at the Home for the
Friendleas benefit held In the new ar
mory. All the splendid decorations
floral and otherwise, of the beautiful
Charity ball were left, with the many
arc lights which were placed In the ar
mory for that occasion. Owing to the
latcness OF the season the attendance
was not what such an extraordinary
event demanded.
| 1t Is only once In a long, n very long
time, indeed, that one hears such violin
playing as Scranton listeners heard last
night. No such performer as Fritz
Kreisler has ever visited our city. It
will be many n day before such another
comes to us.
| Fritz Kreisler and his violin are one
His body sways with the rhythm of the
music he produces. His hands, fine and
sensitive and nervous. are expressive as
most faces. but his strong face, with it's
mobility and passionate earnestness,
| slows and brlghtens with the whisper.
| ings OF the darling creature which his
cheek cnresses and which seems TO have
Il soul ana to sing the music OF second
| life.
His tonal quality Is supreme. Even
! the most unframed ear is fascinated in
tracing the intricate shadings which he
| brings forth and which would render Of
| the most familiar composition some
thing rare and elusive and glorifled, as
| the trnnsfigured face of - long lost
| friend. His harmonics are something
wonderful. Close and vibrant and in
describably rich, they seem too trans
cendent for Il single instrument and the
listeners are bewildered with the mir
age-like effect OF viola and cello
mingled with the soaring. triumphant
| strains of a woman's voice. The finale
| OF the Tantlni Senate was n brilliant
example of this skill in harmonics.
The superb treatment of the Paga-
mini Fantasie was something to remem-
ber long indeed For his early encores
| he gave Traumerei, and Saent Saens'
Swans"
Nine. Blauvelt has found some spring
whose waters In the drinking have ar
rested the years since last she sung
for us. She is still the slender, grace
full girl Of decade ago, with all her
dark, radiant beauty untouched. AS to
her voice, it has mellowed and deep
ened and richened with the flight of
time. The upper tones have all the
pure lifting lyrical quality that has. al
way been pre-eminent with her, but she
seems to have added several lovely
lower ones, which are flawless. She
filed the enormous space Of the great
| arinOry to its uttermost corner and, oh,
how eXquisitely sweet We're her tones;
how full of warmth and color! The
only criticism to be made of her work
last night was that her selections were
too short, but she was q gracious little
lady, and sang "over-time"-and she
! sang. too, the song that has added to
her fame the world across, the ever
| dear, Coming Through the Rye" with
a girlish. rolllcking mirthfulness that
sent the house wild with delight.
In the Gounod number. she achieved
| the climax of her art. Her voice was
singularly adapted to that most musi-
cal of arias. It was by far the best of
her numbers. AS an encore, she sang
another Scotch song, "Within a Mile o.
Edinboro Town"
Certainly the great tenor, Ben Davies
| must have felt gratified at the recep-
tion he received. If Mr.. Kreisler suf-
fered from having his cvanescent
pianissimo notes lost in some of the
dim far off corners of the vast build
| ing, Mr.. Davies gained from the slight
| reverberation which affects the voice in
| the armory, for his round, full, beauti-
| full tones rang out with ineXpressible
| effect. and the audience could not get
| enough of the music which he gave.
From the first number of the Handel
recitative and aria to the last little en-
| core. his songs We're a JOY. Perhaps
the one which most appealed to the
audience was the Welsh favorite, 1.-THE
| Mother and Child" but his finest
touches We're given to the Faust"
| number, sung to Mr.. Kreisler's violin
obligato. In this the upper c was
struck in falsetto note of exceptional
sweetness and nexibility, with no me-
chanical devices. His encores We're
I'm Sing the Songs of Araby." Maud
Whites" Good Bye" and Blumen-
thai song.
1t may occasion some surprise to
know that Madame Blauvelt was so
i'll last night that 1t was thought mad
visable for her to appear at all. The
fact would never have been guessed
from the animation and Spirt with