The San Francisco call., 1903-12-13
MISS FRANCESCA. REDDING'S
SENSATIONAL FINALE IN
THE CATTLE QUEEN"

much to commend her to favorable at
tention as a singer She has voice,
apparently of some original harshness,
that seems to be well on the way to
become a soprano or considerabIe
sweetness and volume Her compass
also is a useful one, and Mrs. john
son shows not a little dramatic in
stinct and sympathy in her interpreta-
tions. Her stage presence, not un-
Importantly. is unusually engaging.
Yet one must deDlore certain some
what serious errors in the singer
work. Her intonation is quite faulty
at times, due, apparently, to poor
breath control, the tendency being TO
q fatness of pitch Not impossibly
nervousness may have affected Mrs
Johnson here, as her later numbers
were less marred by the tendency The
singers attack also lacks certainty,
her enunciation is wanting in crisp
ness, her yocalizing in flexibility-
OF Mrs. Johnson's numbers, she was
possibly most successful in me
Banks of Allan Water" sung with ao-
mirable taste and feeling. Mrs. john
son seems to have indeed charming
instinct for the singing of ballads.
..Where the Bee Sucks and Bid Me
Discourse" were given-with the afore-
said technical limitations-with conslo-
erable charm. The modern songs with
the exception of DR.. H. ]. Stewart
s.Contrasts.v were pleasingly though
less successfully sung. The Won F1e-
litz cycle "Schoen Gretlein," should be
left to the vocal virtuosi. Neither is
there any particular reason for tnem
to rescue It from oblivion. The Ischal-
kowsky aria from Jeanne dare was
also too heavy for the singer, though
it showed her possessed OF dranatic
power and considerable climacteric
possibilities. DR.. II. j. stewart &c
companied with fine Judgment.
Assisting the singer was Miss hatn-
1een Parlow, the young girl Vloilhlse
Who is growing up just as good little
Addlers ought to grow. Kathleen was
IN excellent form the other night. She
nlaved the "Schwedische Tame Oh
Rruch and the Wieniawsh souvenir
dc Moscow" The Tame" quaint ana
fragrant she contrived to make inter-
esting throughout, playing with even
more than her usual style, authorlty'
freedom. 1t will not be long peIore
kathleen Parlow's name will be upon
the list of those who are making CAN
fornia famous I give her from TOUR
TO six years with proper opportunities
The young girl is ripe now Tor a EURO
pean experience, for the soaking IN OF
music that California cannot give her
There is an enviable opportunity for
some Maecenas here. though perhaps
the little lady will consider it imperti-
nent for me so to sdEgest. I know,
however, that Kathleen, who, like most
of the chosen, has more genius than
ducats, is saving her pennies for that
wonderful Europe. Meantime Henry
Holmes is seeing to it that she has the
best possible opportunities here.
1t is understood that Miss Ingeborg
Resch- Peterson, the Swedish singer,
who last Saturday afternoon made her
first appearance here, was seriously in
disposed at the time. Our playful cli-
mate had affected the singers throat
among other unpleasantnesses and she
was entirely unable to do herself JUS
tice. 1t would have been wiser. and
lation of hostess to her audience 1t
would doubtless so have been ar
ranged, to have postponed the affair.
Judgment must courteously be reserved
until a more fitting occasion, there
fore, that one hopes will soon present
itself. One may say, however, that the
evidences are of a voice of considerable
beauty and cultivation. Miss Peter
sons programme was also delightfully."-
refreshing, some of her native folk
songs and examples of the contempo-
rary Swedish song literature being most
charming.
Miss Peterson was assisted by Miss
Ramus, who fiddles-one hardly knows
why-and by Fred Maurer. who accom-
panied, as usual, admirably. Following
is the programme:
Aria--'Ave Maria Das Feuerkreuz) Bruch
Violin soli--(a) 'Adagio.' from Concerto
b) Hungarian Dance - Brahms-Joachin
Songs-(a) THE Willow -. Goring Thomas
(bl La Violette' -Alessandro Scarlatti
(c) ''Fruhlingszeit'' ....... Heinrich Schnel
Violin soil Ca) "A1bumblatt'' ..,...........
:. W Wagner Wilhelm.
lb) Legende Wieniawski
IrIuelin Rose" ......-....-V. Peterson Berger
Mainal .,;;..'..'...'.... =. IN. Slndine
'Ved Sundet ............A "A Backer GrOndah
Folk songs-"strilevise'' and "Agaths Field