The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-03
The Gordon-Shay
Grand Opera Company

No Grand Opera Company has been
formed in this country in recent years,
which can be compared to the Gordon
Shay Grand Opera Company which will
present GounOds immortal opera Faust
at the Academy of Music next Tuesday
evening This is a wide assertion, and
yet not one whit exaggerated or elabo-
rated.
]. Saunders Gordon, the celebrated i'm
presario, under whose direction the COM
pany was organized and is conducted,
has had a wide experience with artist
of the Lyric stage. In forming his pres
ent great company he was fully cogniz-
ance that in these latter days artists
cannot travel on past regulations no
matter how great, and succeed. With
this stellar idea in his mind he has sur
rounded himself with an aggregation of
artists whose intrinsic merit cannot be
gain said.
Faust" at the Academy of music next
Tuesday evening is, with the exception
of the Metropolitan Opera Company of
New York. absolutely unriyaled on the
current Lyric stage. Miss Rose Cecilia
Shay is an American girl, who was born
in Summerset. Ohio, so few years ago
that if we were to enumerate them our
veracity might be questioned Despite
that fact she has had wide experience.
Tecla Vigna, the famous teacher of the
Cincinnati College of Music made the
plain statement that Miss Shay's voice
was by long odds the best he had ever
trained-a statement that was after
wards confirmed and endorsed by the
elder Leoni, the great master of Milan,
Italy. Nine. Helene Noldi, another So
prano of the company, is a woman of
almost equal charm of presence and a
world wide reputation of the great
artist. For the past several seasons she
has been identified with the Scilchi and
Metropolitan Opera Companies. Miss
Pauline Johnson, yet another soprano of
the Company, was last season identified
With the American Grand Opera Com
pary, and also sang with eminent sue
cess with the National Grand Opera
Company. Elois Bishop, the first con-
tfalto of the Company. made her early
successes with the American Grand Opera
Company, and also with the Boston
Ideals. She has voice of great strength
and sweetness.
The Faust" of next Tuesday evening
met with remarkable success He is a
handsome lad and forms a pleasing con-
trast to the beautiful blond beauty Mar
guerita John Dunsmure, the first Basso
of the Company, is a master of his art,
and ere many seasons shall, have passed
his MephiSto, will take rank with that
of Emil Fisher and other great artists
who have won fame in this part. He has
from time to time been identified with
the Bostonians; the La Scala, and the
Royal Opera Companies of Melbourne,
Australia. Achille Albert, the famous
Baritone of the Company as in previous
seasons has been identified with the
Metropolitan, the Mapleson. the Schlchi,
the Royal Italian and also Nine Nevadas
Concert Company. He is an artist of the
first water. and as Valentine has won
for himself almost endless praise
Guiseppi Tressi the Conductor of the
Company. first became famous as the
musical director of the Krulls Theatre of
Berlin. Until engaged by Impresario
Gordon he was identified with the Castle
Square and Dolly Carte Opera Com
panies. His ability as a great Conductor
is very generally conceded in the best
musical circles of the world, and it is
been enabled to effect such superb en-
sembles.
No such Company of world renown Lyric
artists has yet visited Raleigh, and it
Will be strange indeed If a great throng
Of theatre goers do not turn out at the
Academy of Music next Tuesday evening.