The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-11
.L0HENGRIN
GIVEN BY
ARI0N CLUB
Splendid Rendering Of Wagner's
Romantic Opera Hsardb by Large
and Enthusiastic Audience.

gallery. filled the extra seats that bor-
| dersd the hall In double row. filled the
| starways leading TO the galleries and
overnowed into the occasional inches
which the bordering settses left against
| the wall.
The production OF ''Lohengrin." which
was selected for this occasion. was sig
niacantly triumph OF organization and
| leadership. The work IN not primarily
thing OF choruses. Indeed. II is not pri-
marily the property OF either contributor
10 it's production. chorus, soloists or or
chestra. The share -and share alike prin
ciple pervades 1t. in its wonderful blend
ings OF all the musical forces And 1t
was in making up his company for last
evenings splendid production and In the
drilling of his cnorus to fulfll the unusual
mission OF its part in 'Lohengrin," that
DIR. Jordan demonstrated In a very nota-
BILE way his capacity for musical organiza-
tion and direction for discrimination and
for execution.
ELSA" was sung by Nine Marie Kunkel
Zimmerman. The choice was exceptional,
as the result proved. although Nine.
Zimmerman is too little known in Provi-
dence. Fully equipped as vocalist. she
brought to the melancholy. dreamy music
OF the hapless Elsa an abundance OF SEN
timent. a sympathy and an appreciation
that required no further dramatic ex-
preston than the singers voice to carry
the story straight to the hearts OF her
audience. Ii was a fine demonstration
that Nine. Zimmerman gave of the power
OF the concert singer to produce. without
the accessories OF the operatio stage. the
atmosphere of a part and. TO sufhcient
degree. the delineating and coloring OF
character that dramatic action Is nor
mally relied upon to develop.
Then there was Nine. Isabelle Bouton.
who sang "Ortrud." the vitally contrast
ing creation TO the dreamy and dulcot
Elsa, one OF the most effective common
scolds'' OF opera, An Amazon and virage
and an admirable creature. withal, be-
cause OF her vitality. Nine. Bouten Ia
mezzo soprano. or unusual range. her
voice reminds one OF q splendidly tenn
pered and polished piece OF armor plate.
IT Is OF such magnificent strength and
| firmness. When Ortrud sings her fury
! agaist Elsa Nine. Bouton makes you sit
up You trembe for the delicate crea-
ture and wish Lohengrin would appear
| 10 save her before Ortrud has scratched
| out her eyes or torn out her heart. Like
the heavy villain in the melodrama- "Or-
trud' is not lovable part, and the bet
| ter IL Is done the less lovable IL Is. or
| course. And last evening Nine. Bouton
I would have been roundly Kissed for her
dramatic portrayal had Infantry hall held
/ any gallery gods. 1t was magnificent
piece OF work.
Tehn there was Mr.. Eliisen Van Hoose,
with his effective personal presence and
| voice that for strength and purity re-
| minds you OF Bowen Church's cornet with
| Bowen behind II. Mr.. Van Hoose was
"Lohengrin." OF course. He sang much
of It without the music book. standing
4 ALL.
| the lyrics In splendid voice and with fine
| dramatic effect.
| Mr. Stephen Townsend, baritone, as
| Frederick OF Telramund, was one with his
associates In tho remarkable quintette
which Dr. Jordan had brought together.
| OF splendid voice, Mr.. Townsend brought
| to the part n consummate expression OF
It's possibilities for dramatic presenta-
tion on tho concert stage. He was fun
OF Are and he sang the recitatives with
| an elocutionary effect that was mighty
fine to listen to.
| Mr.. Fred l.. Martin we'll known here.
sang the part OF the king. and his Wig
orous voice and n splendid grasp OF the
part made him a most noble king. or a
milder dramatic temper than any OF the
other contributing parts. that OF the king
is nevertheless a mighty interesting crea-
tion as n fellow OF heroic mold. after the
figures OF the old legends, OF great charm
| ard impressiveness IL was this character
that Mr.. Martin gave TO his auditors In a
very convincing way.
Mr.. Robert Pollard sang the part OF the
herald and, although evidently suffering
from a cold, he delivered the bits OF trum-
pet-like music that fell TO him I'm the
necessary stirring and stimulating fash
ion.
Altogether Il was perhaps the most
notable collection OF soloists that an
Arion concert has ever brought together
But what OF the club, itself-the chorus
After all, it is the club and the chorus
that Arion audiences mostly want to hear
from. Well. the notable thing about the
performance OF the chorus last evening
was that IL filed Its very considerable
, share in this unusual sort OF concert
production In admirable fashion. Will.
In "Lohongrin," tho chorus does no
command. Il is a part OF the whole I'm an
uncommon way. And II was In this yer,
capacity TO fall into tho novel stream o
music which runs, now softly and rip
ping, now tumbling and tossing. nov
carrying a lone Elsa gently on it's bosom
: now tearing along with roaring torren
OF sound from orchestra, organ and nj
the musical forces together-and no
doing all these things IN sections cut Of
one from the other. with preparation II
advance and spells OF recovery between
. but sliding and gliding from one manne
into the other. blending almost imper
: ceptibly and waxing mighty. or relapsinl
into the plantive melody. by curiou
gradations that land you at one extrem
or the other before you know that yo
are getting there--it was this capacit,
OF the chorus TO sink its accustomed I'm
7 ! dividuaIity into the whole scheme an,
Z become n consonant part OF the musica
, whole. that commanded the admiration
| OF those In the audience who have watche,
: the development OF this organization
The part that the chorus plays II
'Johengrin" Is important In a novel way
IL calls for a performance that T. high n
respect 10 musical quality. taxing on th'
discipline OF the organization, and callng
for an unusual perception OF tho signlh
cance OF the composers combinations and
shadnRs and blendings.
: The Arlon chorus last evening fell into
/. this task and filed its place Triumphant.
~. While "bohengrin" is really not far
removed from the conventional opera
. fype that the Wagner faddists affect n