The San Francisco call., 1903-09-09
CHEERS STRAINS
OF RIGOLETTO"
Audience at Tivoli Is
Moved by Power Of
Verdi Opera.
Handel Concerto Is Gem of
the Scheel Symphony
Programme.
By Blanche Partington.


proved that "Rigoletto' has lost no jot Of
Its power TO move an audience. First Of
The operas to bring fame TO Verdi, its
popularity continues Unabated. Included
IN every seasons programme, the opera
amply jUstifes its admission, seeming 10
grOw only more welcome. Opportunities
such as that AFFORDED by the central role
are rare, on the dramatic side more par
uculaTiy. for the testers part tests every
side Of the singers equipment. EocaIly
the role is n0bly grateful. and pathos. pas
sion and tenderness are equally demanded
from the actor
During the last two years Ferrari has
been The IiTo-'s RigOlettO. and only his
Figaro was better But one never knew
which end was which Of the Ferrarf trem-
olo The problems Of pitch were constant
l5 appalling ard IN the duo work particu-
larly one hardly knew whether Signor
= errarl Or oneself were standing on ones
head IL generally felt like both. How
ever, The King is dead, and but for the Vi
ulato was a worthy monarch enough
Anc now, long live Gregoretui
The best Of the Rigoletti within nv Tiv-
ol memory Is the new barytone. He con
AlIned amply last night ones first IA
Noraole Impressions of him. A beautiful
piano he has. and a voice whose sym
paIny is sensitive and certain to every
apparently vocal mOod-the tendency
tc sing sharp. but GregOrett is undoubt-
edly the best barytOne since Salassa.
nave never heard the 'Neglia, o donna
given more eXprcssiYely. and the singer
was here ably seconded bv Signorina
Tromben- The dramatic scene with the
ccuruers where the Jester discovers the
abduction Of Gilda and between gfbes
an Them and his despair sings the "COrti-
giana vi razZa dannata." was also inter
preted with eloquent power and passion.
In every phase of the role SignOr GregO-
retti proved himself an artist. his admir-
able facial expression not 10 be forgotten
among his accomplishments.
Little Miss Tromben brings A somewhat
tired but very pretty voice TO the role Of
GIlda. II is a sweet and pure little pipe.
but has been rather forced out Of its
natural dimensions. becoming in the
fortes thin and somewhat screamy. But
the singer knows otherwise how TO use
the voice, which has something oddly
fascinating I'm its quality touch Of the
oboe In its dutiness- She is a nervous
and intense little person and tically
gives a Gilda-yOu remember Repetto s
rocEng-chairy editton Of the role?-about
its opposite. caro- Nome" was very
pretuly sung and evoked noisy encore.
Tedeschi, the tenor, was new last night.
He is rather new altogether. a sort OF
infant phenomenon. a boy wonder. But
gizcc for himself. and If the coming years
do as much for him as have bygone
years Sisnor Tedeschi VIII do well. His
voice volume Is small. TO match his physi-
cal envelope. but he uses his organ with
considerable taste and ease. Further it
is ~ notably agreeable quality smooth.
nne and sympathetic. His acting is
youthful and enthusiastic and quite
promising.
Sparafucile was much better taken care
of than the role commonly is by Signor
IraVaglina, whose pleasant bass was
finely used in fits service. Cleo Marche-
SIM satisfied handsomely in the NADIA
lena role, and Miss Deglow deserves re-
rnembrance for her promising work.
The male chorus was exceptionally
good, and the orchestra. though il sagged
somewhat in sympathy with the ''Tutti
d. festi' duetto, and needed generally a
little more plastic mind was yet agree
ably in evidence. Tonight Faust goes
again.
The gem Of yesterday afternoons
symphony programme was Master Han
deIs Grand Concerto. played here for the
lrst time yesterday. Loot Of the very
youth Of music is the concerto. and as
new to-day as when IL was written. Peo-
pie were very glad of II. The absence OF
strain. its spontaneity. Iimpid clearness Of
construction. bubbling melody. came in
grateful contrast 10 the involved and
lab0red song Of too many Of the rnoderns.
throughout the concerto sings the joy OF
living. Il is a comedy Of manners OF the
period AT once arch and stately one
sees the days grand danes move 10 its
sprighuy measures. Not a note too
much is there, nor too little. Master
Handel has not talked when he had moth
ing 10 say. And how the audience en-
3oyed his story, Il would have had that
second mOvemcnt-like young laughter
again had Mr. Scheel permitted. Willy
nilly he had 10 repeat the finale with
its delicate, joyous preclseness. In con-
cUctOr and concerto's triumphs Concert
meister Stark. ". Won der Mehden and
Franz Adelmann in violin and cello
solos here Joined. The string force
throughout showed itself delightfully."- in
sympathy with the work. II is of course
for strings alone The Handel surely, II
time permit amid the host of the novel
ties AIr. Scheel is granting us this season
should be among its repetitions.
The New World" Of Dvorak's was the
days symphony Very well II went, too
though AZ times one would have liked
q dash Of the Mascagni glitter about the
reading. Not in the first two movements
however that went swingingly. The An
dante in particular satisfied. Its quaint
phrase. Afro-Polish. came with ripe sym
pathy for its characteristic color and with
incest precision. Here, perhaps, more
than in any other number, the thing
played itself Dvorak himself in the lat
ter part Of the symphony. gets mOnoton-
Gus. There is a spreading out Of his ma
terial a thinning and graying Of the
color Still one felt that the fame-tipped
Mascagni baton would have been useful
here. however Scbeel scars in the Bee
th0ven and Handel genre
Berlioz' Dance Of the Sylphs" was
another novelty Of the afternoon. This
elusive morsel, with its mystery and
uoonshine. the pipes o Pan and white
twinkle Of elm feet, was delightfully."-
given. The dance did not quite attain its
fullest delicacy. but that is only in the
gift Of an orchestra Of long established
relations. Extraordinary, though was
the degree Of lightness obtained. New
also was the "Ancients and MOderns
rnazurka Of GODDARD II was not, however
important. a graceful enough and obvious
frife The massive Kaiser March" OF
Wagner. played IN a stately manner. and
the 'Mignon" overture completed the eX-